Preaching That Changes Lives: Dr John Whittaker

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Sep 9, 2025

Dr. John Whittaker, a seasoned Bible teacher and former Boise Bible College professor, dives into the transformative power of expository preaching. He shares his journey from a shy teenager delivering his first sermon to a passionate advocate of letting Scripture shape messages. Highlighting Hebrews 4:12, John emphasizes how the text itself renews hearts. He offers practical tips on resisting topic-first sermons and improving congregational biblical literacy, all while promoting accessible, everyday theology.

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ANECDOTE

First Sermon At Sunrise

John Whittaker preached his first sermon at a 7 a.m. Easter sunrise service as a shy 15-year-old.
He prepared with Pastor Don who coached him through 1 Corinthians 15 and staged a practice preach before the service.

INSIGHT

Power Resides In The Text

The primary reason to preach expositorily is that life-change power resides in the text, not the speaker.
Hebrews 4:12 shows the Word penetrates the heart and reveals intentions so lives can be transformed.

ADVICE

Let The Text Shape The Sermon

Let the passage determine the sermon: theme, purpose, and shape must come from the text.
Study the text's point and purpose first, then ask God to help you lay it bare to listeners.

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Dr John Whittaker shares why expository preaching changes lives. He traces his journey from a shy teenager to his first sunrise-Easter sermon in 1985, reflects on Pastor Don’s topical, many-point approach - “like a log of bologna” you could cut anywhere - and explains why he came to believe the power for transformation lies in the text of Scripture itself. Drawing on Hebrews 4:12, John argues that the Word exposes and renews the heart, so the preacher’s task is to let the passage set the agenda.

John describes expository preaching as a practice where the theme, purpose and shape of the sermon are determined by the passage. His guiding motto is simple and workable: the nature of the text determines the shape of the sermon. Along the way he offers practical coaching on resisting topic-first sermons, finding the central theme of a message, and helping congregations grow in biblical literacy.

About Dr John Whittaker

John Whittaker is a disciple of Jesus and a Bible teacher whose goal is to provide what he calls “blue jeans theology” - theology for everyday life. He’s been a pastor and a church planter. He also taught at Boise Bible College full-time for 19 years, and still serves as an adjunct professor. One of his greatest joys in life is being a husband, father, and grandfather.

Currently, John is creating all sorts of online Bible teaching resources to help people learn and live the Bible. One key resource is The Listener’s Commentary (listenerscommentary.com), which provides clear, down-to-earth teaching through the books of the New Testament. John loves seeing people come alive to the joy and transforming power of walking with Jesus in the midst of their everyday life.

The Listener’s Commentary: https://listenerscommentary.com

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