How to Stay in the Text: Explanation

Preaching is never meant to stop at information - it is meant to produce transformation. That was the heart of Eric Lockhart’s message, Preaching for Change and Obedience, delivered at the Expositors Collective training event in Kampala on 13 September 2024. With warmth and clarity, Eric urged preachers to stay rooted in the biblical text while pressing their listeners toward holiness and obedience through Spirit-empowered application.

He reminded participants that the preacher’s task is not to simply talk about the Bible but to faithfully declare what the Bible says. Using the image of a river, Eric explained that the power of preaching flows from the Holy Spirit working through the proclamation of Scripture. The goal is not to impress hearers with knowledge but to persuade them toward faithful action in response to God’s Word.

Eric also highlighted the necessity of application, both in the preacher’s own life and in the lives of the audience. Biblical truth, he insisted, always demands a response. Application may be woven throughout a sermon or drawn out at the end, but it must be Christ-centred, specific, and actionable. In doing so, preaching helps believers become doers of the Word and not hearers only.

Mr Eric Lockhart serves as Deputy Principal of Academic Affairs at Uganda Baptist Seminary. He holds an MDiv and ThM from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in North Carolina, and before moving to Uganda in 2018 with his wife and four boys, he pastored in the USA for fourteen years. At UBS, he lectures on Hermeneutics and Homiletics and continues to champion preaching that does more than inform - preaching that transforms.

Mr. Eric Lockhart is First Deputy Principal of Academic Affairs at Uganda Baptist Seminary in Jinja, UG where he also serves as Lecturer. In addition, he serves with the International Mission Board (IMB) as the Theological Education Strategist for Sub-Saharan Africa. Likewise, he serves as convener of ABTEN and a contributor to AB316, the writing branch of ABTEN. Mr. Lockhart holds both a MDiv in Christian Ministry and a ThM in Applied Theology from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS) in Wake Forest, NC. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Applied Theology with an emphasis on preaching. Mr. Lockhart is a contributing author and co-editor of  True Prosperity: A Bible Study for the African Church. Previously, he served eighteen years as a pastor in United States. He has been married to Rebekah for 23 years. They are blessed with four sons, Elijah, Noah, Gavin, and Corban.

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