Strategies for Effective Sermon Preparation

This week we have a powerful and practical message from Tim Chaddick, Pastor for Preaching at Reality Ventura and a frequent speaker and mentor with Expositors Collective. Recorded live at a preacher training event in Indianapolis, Indiana, this teaching is concise, impactful, and brimming with honest and insightful wisdom.

Tim encourages preachers to prioritise their reading, plan their rhythms, and practise their rules to cultivate personal spiritual health, relational well-being, and clarity in their public proclamation of God’s Word. He outlines a strategic approach to sermon preparation, beginning with expositional resources to understand the biblical text, then connecting the passage to the broader narrative of Scripture through doctrinal and thematic resources, and finally incorporating cultural resources to address contemporary contexts.

He also provides practical advice on balancing sermon preparation with the demands of pastoral care. From planning sermon series and crafting weekly rhythms to involving others in the feedback process, Tim offers valuable tools to help preachers stay spiritually grounded while effectively fulfilling their calling. Above all, he challenges preachers to preach first to their own hearts, rely on the Holy Spirit, and trust that God’s Word will bear fruit—even in seasons of inadequacy.

Tim’s own journey began in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he pursued music and relationships as the source of his identity. After encountering the gospel of Jesus Christ, he experienced forgiveness and new life, leading to his calling as a pastor. Over the years, Tim has planted and pastored churches in Los Angeles, London, and Ventura, California, with a deep passion for urban church planting and gospel renewal.

This episode is both practical and thought-provoking—a must-listen for anyone seeking wisdom on sustaining a healthy ministry life and preaching with clarity, power, and purpose.

Upcoming Event: Expositors Collective Training in Longmont, Colorado
Don’t miss our next in-person Expositors Collective training event, happening April 4–5, 2025, at White Fields Community Church in Longmont, Colorado. This workshop is designed to equip and encourage new and experienced preachers alike, offering hands-on training, mentoring, and practical tools to help you grow in your preaching ministry.

For more information and to register, visit expositorscollective.com.

Links and Resources:

• Learn more about Expositors Collective events at expositorscollective.com.
• Connect with Tim Chaddick and Reality Ventura at realityventura.com. 
• Here is an interview between Becket Cook (the man from the coffee shop in Tim's story at the end of the message) https://youtu.be/r0BYEyyFv4s?si=mq8reAsdZTlSpxB_ 
• Tim Chaddick Interview from 2019: https://cgnmedia.org/podcast/expositors-collective/episode/episode-82-three-key-movements-in-the-life-of-a-preacher 
•  Battling Pride in in the Heart of the Preacher - Panel Discussion with Dominic Done, Clay Worrell, Nick Cady & Tim Chaddick -  https://cgnmedia.org/podcast/expositors-collective/episode/battling-pride-in-in-the-heart-of-the-preacher-panel-discussion-with-dominic-done-clay-worrell-nick-cady-tim-chaddick

The Expositors Collective podcast is part of the CGNMedia, Working together to proclaim the Gospel, make disciples, and plant churches. For more content like this, visit https://cgnmedia.org/

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