Expositors Collective

The Christmas season is upon us! This is a unique time in the calendar year when nominal Christians and occasional visitors will come to your church to sing songs and listen to a sermon. How can we leverage this opportunity for the gospel? How can a preacher, who has perhaps preached dozens of Christmas messages over the years, keep it “fresh” now? Mike asks these questions and more to a self-proclaimed “Ambassador of Christmas,” Ronnie Martin. They speak about some beloved and obscure Christmas carols, sermon series ideas, Advent devotionals and the ethics of re-preaching old Christmas messages. Ronnie Martin is founder and lead pastor of Substance Church in Ashland, Ohio, where he also serves as a northeast regional church plant director for the EFCA. In addition to writing for The Gospel Coalition, his work includes numerous album and book titles, including The Best Gift Ever Given: A 25-Day Journey Through Advent from God's Good Gifts to God's Great Son. He and his wife Melissa have one daughter.Resources Mentioned: The Best Gift Ever Given: A 25-Day Journey Through Advent from God's Good Gifts to God's Great Son :  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0736978542/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i2Said Fantasy: https://plastiqmusiq.bandcamp.com/album/carols-gloria 3 Ways to Become a Christmas Loving Pastor: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/3-ways-to-become-a-christmas-loving-pastor/ 25 Advent Devotionals from Ronnie Martin: https://ftc.co/?s=advent Substance Church : https://www.substance-church.org/ Recommended Episodes: Tidings of Great Joy:  https://www.expositorscollective.com/podcast/2019/11/28/episode-76-tidings-of-great-joyRonnie Martin - The Danger of Being Over-Prepared: https://www.expositorscollective.com/podcast/2021/8/3/the-danger-of-being-over-prepared-ronnie-martin Jonathan Pennington:  https://www.expositorscollective.com/podcast/2021/8/10/the-first-and-last-minute-of-your-sermon-jonathan-penningtonThe Expositors Collective podcast is part of the GoodLion podcast network, for more thought provoking Christian podcasts visit https://goodlion.io

Sermon based small groups a powerful ministry opportunity that multiplies the reach of the pulpit. Dr. Alan Stoddard shares some of the ministry philosophy behind sermon based small groups as well as the Biblical precedent and tips and tricks to make the best curriculum questions possible. You can read Alan's Doctoral thesis here: https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/view/16328189/teaching-pastors-to-reinforce-expository-preaching-alan-stoddardOr read his book here: https://www.amazon.com/Groups-that-Revitalize-Bringing-Sermon-Based/dp/1733690387 A strong small group ministry can help a church become more authentic in its relationships and far more disciplined in its spiritual disciplines. –Larry OsbourneRecommended Episodes:How to Lead an Interactive Bible Study: https://www.expositorscollective.com/podcast/2019/3/12/episode-38-how-to-lead-an-interactive-bible-studyLearning from John the Baptist: https://www.expositorscollective.com/podcast/2021/2/16/learning-from-john-the-baptist-george-scanlanThe Power of Connection: https://www.expositorscollective.com/podcast/2020/9/1/the-power-of-connection-eric-cartier

Inductive Bible Study is a useful method that preachers use to study, interpret and apply the Bible. When we dig deep into the Bible in private, we can have confidence that we are standing on solid ground as we preach in public. Cody King speaks about this important topic at our recent in-person training event in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Observation – what the Bible says, the content in its context, Interpretation – what the Bible means, the exact explanation, Correlation – what the Bible also says, the Scriptures in securityApplication – what the Bible does, practicing the principles.Recommended episodes:Cody King on bivocational ministry: https://www.expositorscollective.com/podcast/2019/9/17/episode-65-bivocational-ministryNeil Spencer on Inductive Bible Study: https://www.expositorscollective.com/podcast/2019/4/10/the-who-what-when-where-and-why-of-bible-studyJosh Turansky on Inductive Bible Study: https://www.expositorscollective.com/podcast/2020/2/7/episode-88-treat-your-text-like-a-crime-scene-bonus-episodeAdditional Resources:https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/tips/the-inductive-method-of-bible-study-the-basics-11628183.html https://www.crossway.org/articles/10-tips-for-getting-started-with-inductive-bible-study/The Expositors Collective podcast is part of the GoodLion podcast network, for more thought provoking Christian podcasts visit https://goodlion.io

"When I teach I want to keep in mind the GENRE of what I am teaching. I want to remember what the conventions are of that genre and how do they inform my understanding of this text? I’m trying to follow the logic of the author, how he structured what he wrote, and the questions he’s anticipating from his audience and how he answers them."  Kristie Anyabwile speaks with Mike about the role that genre plays in interpreting a passage's meaning, as well as the importance of feedback and peer review in the preparation process. She is married to Thabiti, a published author, bible teacher, and speaker. One of Kristie’s first opportunities to teach was at a women’s retreat. Despite not feeling fully prepared she took the opportunity and heard what initially seemed to be great feedback. Many of the women who attended complimented Kristie on her expositional teaching. Soon after, Kristie realized that there was so much more to teaching the Bible than accuracy. You have to reach the hearts of your audience. Since then, Kristie has grown into a more balanced teacher and credits a lot of this growth to the team of people she has around her. She’s focused on finding people to give her feedback from many points of view. This team approach has helped Kristie hone her delivery to be theologically sound, astute and precise, while remaining relatable to her audience. As an author, Kristie also places a big emphasis on genre when reading the bible or preparing a study. Genre provides context, structure and interpretation to the stories and passages she teaches. Kristie emphasizes the importance of understanding how the genre of the passage should inform the process of preparing to teach. "The Bible is one story, but people often think it’s one “thing”.  So when they read it they say “well, you read the Bible literally.” But if we read the whole Bible literally we would not be keeping genre in mind because, for example, we know that we don’t read things like poetry literally. Poetry gives us imagery, metaphors, and word pictures and they aren’t meant to be read literally. So we don’t read every book of the Bible literally, but we should read every book of the Bible “literarily”, meaning according to its literary genre. You get much more accuracy from how we read and understand the Bible when you consider genre."Kristie offers so many other wonderful insights Christians from all walks of life. You can listen to her teaching online or read her books for more. Further resources: Literarily: How Understanding Bible Genres Transforms Bible Study: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/literarily-kristie-anyabwile/1139862164Simeon Trust lectures:  https://simeontrust.org/resources/?_author_speaker=kristie-anyabwileHis Testimonies, My Heritage (book): https://www.amazon.com/His-Testimonies-My-Heritage-Women/dp/1784983756Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/kanyabwileRecommended episodes: Thabiti Anyabwile :  https://www.expositorscollective.com/podcast/2021/5/4/baby-you-got-a-calling-thabiti-anyabwileGreg Jao (Sermon Feedback and Critique)  https://www.expositorscollective.com/podcast/2021/4/6/collaboration-and-invitation-greg-jaoCheryl Brodersen (Learning from Spiritual Mothers) https://www.expositorscollective.com/podcast/2021/2/23/learning-from-spiritual-mothers-cheryl-brodersen

To “exposit” is to explain. It comes from the same idea as expose. The idea is that something isn’t being created, but it is being exposed, discovered, explained. In expository Bible preaching, the words and thoughts of the preacher are directed to help people understand the Bible text. Everyday believers can understand the Bible, and one important way the Holy Spirit illuminates the Scriptures is through gifted preachers and teachers.So, the main aspect of expository preaching is simply to explain the biblical text. We explain its context, words, and big themes. We always look to explain the Bible’s biggest theme: the person and work of Jesus Christ. We explain its promises and gifts, and we explain its commands and exhortations. We explain it in view of the original language and historical context. We explain its practical application and relevance to life. David Guzik is the author of the widely trusted and popular Enduring Word Bible Commentary, a verse-by-verse study through the entire Bible used by everyday Christians and pastors, preachers, and Bible teachers. This commentary is available at no cost at the website enduringword.com and the Blue Letter Bible (blb.org). David lives in Santa Barbara with Inga-Lill, his wife of 38 years. They have three adult children and two grandchildren.Resources:https://enduringword.com/ - more than 11,000 pages of Bible commentary, hundreds of audio and video teachings, articles, work translated into other languages, and much more.https://www.youtube.com/c/DavidGuzikEnduringWord - Live Q+As, Daily Devotionals & sermons from over the yearsPreaching Essentials - w/ David Guzik - CGN Mission and Methods PodcastRecommended Podcasts: Developing your gift: David Guzik https://www.expositorscollective.com/podcast/2020/12/1/developing-your-gift-david-guzikChanging Methods - Changeless Message : David Guzik : https://www.expositorscollective.com/podcast/2020/5/27/episode-109-changing-methods-changeless-message From Text to Sermon - Tim Brown : https://www.expositorscollective.com/podcast/2021/1/19/from-text-to-sermon-timothy-brown

Ray Ortlund speaks with Mike about his Sunday morning routine, that consists of prayer and “major surgery” on his sermon manuscript, as well as an explanation of what his new post as a  Canon Theologian and Catechist actually entails. The majority of the conversation is spent speaking about the power of the gospel to overcome hidden shame and lead people into the glorious freedom of the grace of Christ. Ray’s latest book “The Death of Porn : Men of Integrity Building a World of Nobility” is published by Crossway and is available everywhere.  Pornography may seem inescapable, but God can free us from its destructive power. The gospel replaces the dehumanizing lies of pornography with this surprising truth: God created us as royalty. How then can we reclaim our God-given identity to take a stand against—and ultimately starve—the predatory porn industry?At the conclusion of the interview Ray gives advice on how to reach 71 years old and not just remain faithful to Christ, but flourishing in relationship with Him and loving Him more than ever. Ray Ortlund is the President of Renewal Ministries, the Pastor to Pastors at Immanuel Church Nashville, and a Canon Theologian with the Anglican Church in North America. He is the author of several books, including the Preaching the Word commentaries on Isaiah and Proverbs and Marriage and the Mystery of the Gospel. He is also a contributor to the ESV Study Bible. Ray and his wife, Jani, have been married for nearly fifty years.Resources mentioned: The Death of Porn:   https://www.crossway.org/books/the-death-of-porn-tpb/Ray’s Journey into the Anglican Communion:  https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/ray-ortlund/its-been-a-journey/Oswald Chambers: https://utmost.org/ You’re Not Crazy podcast (Featuring Sam Allberry) : https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/podcasts/youre-not-crazy/ How Ray Ortlund became a Foster Father to a generation of Church Planters:  https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/how-ray-ortlund-became-foster-father-to-a-generation-of-church-planters/Suggested Episodes: Ray Ortlund 2020 interview : https://www.expositorscollective.com/podcast/2020/8/18/how-gospel-preaching-creates-gospel-culture-ray-ortlund Sam Allberry : https://www.expositorscollective.com/podcast/2021/9/21/embodied-preaching-sam-allberry Brian Brodersen: https://www.expositorscollective.com/podcast/2018/12/26/episode-27-to-use-notes-or-not-to-use-notes-that-is-the-question

Sundays are a big day for the preacher! Not only are we delivering the sermon, but often times  leading staff, coordinating volunteers, participating in public worship, welcoming visitors, greeting members and a million other things. We asked 8 previous guests on the podcast to send in an audio file that explains what they do behind the scenes, before the start of the day in order to prepare their hearts for a day of public ministry. Jason Cruise, Clearview Baptist Church, Franklin TNEpisode 92: https://www.expositorscollective.com/podcast/2020/3/3/working-hard-to-preach-simplyEpisode 93: https://www.expositorscollective.com/podcast/2020/3/6/episode-93-what-exactly-is-expository-preachingEpisode 133:  https://www.expositorscollective.com/podcast/2020/10/27/getting-application-right-dr-jason-cruise James Travis, Saar Fellowship, Bahrain Episode 78 : https://www.expositorscollective.com/podcast/2019/12/9/episode-78-unity-in-multicultural-churchesEpisode 118 : https://www.expositorscollective.com/podcast/2020/7/21/how-you-say-what-you-say-james-travis Adam Narciso, Catalyst Ministries, Franklin TNEpisode 126 : https://www.expositorscollective.com/podcast/2020/9/13/prayer-study-and-spontaneity-adam-narciso Chris Thomas, Raymond Terrace Community Church, Hunter Valley, New South Wales, AustraliaEpisode 173 : https://www.expositorscollective.com/podcast/2021/6/15/preach-the-word-dont-work-the-crowd-chris-thomas Conor Berry Calvary Chapel Santa Maria, Santa Maria CAEpisode 13 : https://www.expositorscollective.com/podcast/2018/9/18/episode-13-bridging-the-gap-between-counseling-and-preaching Bob Hiller, Community Lutheran Church, Escondido, CA Episode 144 : https://www.expositorscollective.com/podcast/2020/12/29/preaching-the-law-amp-preaching-the-gospel-bob-hillar Mark Smith, City Church, Dublin, Ireland Episode 125 : https://www.expositorscollective.com/podcast/2020/9/7/killing-your-darlings-amp-loving-your-city Ray Ortlund, Immanuel Church, Nashville, TNEpisode 122 : https://www.expositorscollective.com/podcast/2020/8/18/how-gospel-preaching-creates-gospel-culture-ray-ortlund Mike Neglia, Calvary Cork, Cork, Ireland Episode 40 : https://www.expositorscollective.com/podcast/2019/3/26/episode-40-how-to-preach-christ-from-every-text Episode 105: https://www.expositorscollective.com/podcast/2020/5/5/episode-105-christ-centered-preaching Resources Mentioned: Luther’s Morning Prayer for Preachers:  https://www.1517.org/articles/performance-issues-in-the-pulpitThe Expositors Collective podcast is part of the GoodLion podcast network, for more thought provoking Christian podcasts visit https://goodlion.io

Sam’s first time talking about the Bible in public was to his youth group about a year after giving his life to the Lord. He’s thankful it was a young audience because, as he recalls, it was a disaster. He was young with no real guidance and had no idea what he was doing. Sam gave his first real sermon while he was in college. This was a very different experience for him. He felt the weight of preaching and experienced his own transformation during his preparation. Sam had a sense of the Lord speaking through him. Over the years, Sam’s sermon style has evolved. He was recently preparing for a sermon text that he had preached on before. Sam pulled out a sermon from 10-12 years ago and found many truths, but felt it lacked Jesus. As a young preacher, Sam often did his best to explain the passage and transfer the data of his research to his listeners. He now has a sharper focus resulting in more exegesis on the cutting room floor. Sam wants to spend more time talking about Jesus, framed by the text of the sermon. He explains teaching is about helping someone understand the text, but preaching is what he wants the heart of his audience set upon.Sam also hits on a number of topics in this podcast including sermons that interest non-believers, meeting in person vs online, and hand writing his notes. There is a wealth of knowledge and some real gems that should encourage any expositor.  Sam Allberry is a pastor, apologist and speaker. He is the author of a number of books, including Is God Anti-Gay?, Why Bother with Church?, 7 Myths about Singleness, and What God Has To Say About Our Bodies. He has written extensively for numerous organizations, including The Gospel Coalition, Desiring God, and Living Out.Additional Resources:Website: https://samallberry.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/SamAllberryInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/samallberry/The Gospel Coalition: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/profile/sam-allberry/The ERLC: https://erlc.com/multi_author/sam-allberry/Desiring God: https://www.desiringgod.org/authors/sam-allberryLiving Out: https://www.livingout.org/resources/stories/18/samBooks: https://www.amazon.com/Sam-Allberry/e/B0034PD5BE

Dominic Done speaks with Mike Neglia about what pastors and preachers should know about the current deconstruction movement amongst young evangelicals. Why are so many thoughtful young people leaving the faith, or reshaping it into a more culturally palatable form? How can preachers deliver sermons that address the important and potentially divisive issues that are important to people today? Dominic speaks from his experience as a pastor in Portland Oregon and as a student in Oxford (and as a wrestler with doubt of his own over the years) to give practical advice to preachers speaking into the current milieu of doubt, ex-vangelicals, and skepticism. Also - how open should a preacher be about their own doubts?Additionally Dominic has wisdom to share regarding planning sermons 3 weeks in advance, openness to the Holy Spirit and intentionality in communication style. Dominic will be a panelist and speaker at our upcoming training event in Colorado Springs, Colorado September 17 & 18th.  Registration and more details : expositorscollective.com  Dominic Done is a speaker and author of When Faith Fails: Finding God in the Shadow of Doubt. He is also Professor of Applied Theology at George Fox University, and a teacher at Westside A Jesus Church. He has a Master’s Degree in Theology from the University of Oxford and is currently working on his PhD at the University of Oxford with his supervisor Alister McGrath. He previously served as a pastor in North Carolina and Hawaii. He has also taught English for companies in Europe, lectured in theology and history at various Christian colleges, worked as a radio DJ, and lived as a missionary in Vanuatu and Mexico. Dominic is married to his wife, Elyssa, has a daughter named Amelia, and a fuzzy Goldendoodle, Bella. You can connect with Dominic on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook: @dominicdone. Resources Mentioned: Pursuing Faith Podcast:  https://pursuingfaith.buzzsprout.com/ When Faith Fails Book: https://www.pursuingfaith.org/book Recommended Episodes: Bobby Conway : https://www.expositorscollective.com/podcast/2021/7/24/dont-apologize-for-apologetics-dr-bobby-conwayGavin Ortlund :  https://www.expositorscollective.com/podcast/2021/3/2/dying-on-the-right-hill-gavin-ortlundThomas Terry: https://www.expositorscollective.com/podcast/2021/1/2/preaching-through-a-crisis