Chris Brauns Defines Preaching

The title of this post could be confusing. When I say that my Chris Brauns defines preaching, I don’t mean it in the same way that Wayne Gretzky defines hockey, or that Einstein defines brilliance. Although maybe Chris Brauns does define preaching in that way. I just don’t know.

What I mean to say is that I love the definition of preaching found in his new book When the Word Leads Your Pastoral Search: Biblical Principles and Practices to Guide Your Search

. Brauns argues, “A sermon should be a biblical bullet fired at the life of the listener.”

• bullet – a sermon should have a clear central thought or focus; it should be a bullet, not a buckshot
• biblical – the central thought of a sermon should flow out of the authoritative Word of God
• fired – a sermon should be preached with unction or Spirit-empowered boldness and clarity
• at the life of the listener – a sermon should be applied to the life of the listener

Chris does a good job of unpacking this in his book.

I love this definition. It’s a memorable image that captures the key ingredients of good preaching. When the Word Leads Your Pastoral Search book is intended for search committees, but I’m finding it valuable for preachers in general, even those of us who aren’t in the middle of a pastoral transition.