Bryan Chapell. Christ-Centered Preaching: Redeeming the Expository Sermon. Baker Academic. 2005.

Elders, Deacons, Youth leaders (not necessarily trained), and even Sunday school teachers are occasionally called upon to prepare a sermon either in the absence of the pastor (vacation, illness). They may have a good idea on a passage of scripture they would like to preach about but have little, if any, knowledge of how to go about preparing a sermon. If you find yourself in this position, Christ-Centered Preaching is an excellent guide for you.

Part 1 presents the basic principles of expository preaching. It contains four chapters. Each chapter begins with a clear outline of its contents and ends with some review questions to help you apply what you have read. Chapell defines an expository sermon on page 31:

An expository sermon may be defined as a message whose structure and thought are derived from a biblical text, that covers the scope of the text, and that explains the features and context of the text in order to disclose the enduring principles for faithful thinking, living, and worship intended by the Spirit, who inspired the text.

The next part (2) presents the process of actually preparing your sermon. First, Chapell talks about the steps involved in getting ready to write your sermon. Then he spends a chapter talking about the outline process. I found this chapter to be valuable for anyone writing speeches for any purpose. It is one of the best explanations of writing an outline I have read. He spends another chapter discussing how to appropriately use illustrations as part of the sermon. Next, he discusses the what, where, why, and how of applying the scripture to your congregation’s daily lives. Chapell spends an entire chapter talking about introductions, conclusions and transitions. This is another chapter that easily applies to any speech or written material.

Part 3 of the text discusses the theology behind Christ-centered sermons. He discusses different approaches that may be taken in expository sermons and follows up with a chapter on the theology behind these sermons.

This book was clearly written as a textbook for a “how to preach a sermon” class. It is extremely valuable for anyone, whether they are preparing to preach as a profession, or simply filling in when the pastor is absent, that needs to prepare a sermon. The material is thorough explained through the use of outlines, examples, and illustrations. It is easy to read and understand.

This book belongs in every church library where it can be available to everyone from the pastor to the Sunday school teacher. Even those leading retreats will benefit from reading this book and learning to give speeches that keep your audience’s attention.

Copyrighted by Diana Pederson, 2005-2009