Expositors Collective

Spiritual Readings, Historic Senses, Lectionaries and Four Mountains

Jul 29, 2025
Michael Niebauer, a theologian, pastor, and author of 'Four Mountains', shares fascinating insights about connecting the Bible through four significant mountains: Eden, Sinai, Tabor, and Zion. He discusses the unique interpretation of Eden as a mountain, the importance of lectionary-based sermons, and how storytelling enhances preaching. Niebauer highlights the balance between historical context and spiritual reading while emphasizing the need for every sermon to cultivate love for God and neighbor. His work with Heritage Mission illustrates compassionate ministry in action.
Ask episode
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
ADVICE

Value of Lectionary Preaching

  • Use a lectionary to force preaching from the biblical text, not personal preferences.
  • Lectionaries also provide accountability and prevent sermons unrelated to readings.
ANECDOTE

Trial by Fire in Preaching

  • Michael Niebauer learned preaching mostly by trial and error in a small church setting.
  • He sought feedback and read widely to improve over time.
ANECDOTE

Learning to Use Stories in Sermons

  • Early feedback highlighted Michael's need to add stories and metaphors to keep sermons memorable.
  • He learned to use “ornaments on the Christmas tree” to illustrate points effectively.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Get the app