Top Quotes and Takeaways From <em> Preaching the Whole Counsel of God</em> by Julius Kim

As part of A Year of Books on Preaching, I’m posting a review a month of a preaching book, and then a list of quotes and takeaways.

I posted a review of Julius Kim’s book Preaching the Whole Counsel of God earlier this week. Here are some of the top quotes and takeaways from his book.

Top Ten Quotes

Preaching is a glorious calling. What other calling allows you to represent the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords? What other calling allows you to speak words of life, joy, and peace? What other calling allows you to see dead people come to life through mere words? What other calling allows you to see God at work in the lives of people, transforming them, renewing them, maturing them? Preaching is a glorious calling. But it isn’t easy. (Kindle Locations 192-196)

Prayer is not simply one important step in the sermon preparation process. It is the most important step in the process of sermon design and delivery. (Kindle Locations 268-269)

We cannot become a Christian or grow as a Christian without the grace that Christ provides. (Kindle Locations 831-832).

Though many design models exist, I recommend structuring your sermon using a broad framework of a story. Storytelling is one of the oldest forms of communication known to man. Often simple yet poignant, stories have a way of communicating ideas that are memorable and transformative. Stories move us, shape us, and change us. (Kindle Locations 2267-2270).

Our task as preachers is to help hearers see and feel themselves in the drama being presented in the stories of the Bible. (Kindle Locations 2283-2284).

A pastor is one who laughs and cries with his sheep. You are a shepherd first, preacher second. (Kindle Locations 2456-2457)

Remember, the logic of your audience is more important than your own logic. If it makes sense to you but doesn’t make sense to them, it’s useless. You must communicate knowing that their logic always wins. (Kindle Locations 2560-2562).

Don’t overload your sermon with irrelevant info. Ruthlessly edit, asking yourself whether or not the data that you have before you are crucial, optional, or nonessential. (Kindle Locations 2892-2893)

Don’t memorize the entire sermon. Focus on what I call the “core 25” — that is, the core 25 percent of the sermon that you want to make sure your hearers receive and retain. This will include the following: the sermon proposition, main points, applications, pastoral insights, transitions, introduction, and conclusion. (Kindle Locations 3126-3129).

Do your best with the gifts and skills that he’s given you and communicate his truth, goodness, and beauty. This perspective of self-forgetfulness will also help your nonverbal communication. You will then be more likely to display the nonverbal cues with your eyes, face, and body that complement rather than contradict your verbal messages. Will you be nervous? Of course; you’re human. But you can turn nervousness into excitement by remembering that through this event, lives can be transformed. Dead people can come to life. And you can be a part of that unimaginable privilege of God’s transforming work. That’s exciting! (Kindle Locations 3231-3236).

Takeaways

• Preach Christ from every text as the one who paid the penalty for our sins, the one who obeyed on our behalf, the one who gives us the power to obey, or as the one who motivates us to live for God’s glory.
• Understand every text at three different layers: the original purpose for the original audience; how the passage points to Christ; and how the gospel transforms us.
• Aim for a sermon that is not only true, but also good and beautiful.
• Use story arcs. Take hearers from where they are right now, through the obstacles, to where God wants them to be.
• Don’t take a manuscript to the pulpit. Instead, take five pages: one for the introduction, one for the conclusion, and one for each point with main points, key insights, and transitions.
• Design your content and delivery according to the brain’s design. Establish credibility; be simple; communicate relevance; anticipate questions; vary pace.
• Get feedback on delivery to minimize distractions.

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