Yesterday, I pushed back from the desk at my house where I do the majority of my sermon preparation. The rose bush just outside the window is beginning to spin into springtime newness of life just as I wrap up the longest sermon series that I’ve ever preached. My Bible open, my study books all over the place, some handwritten notes, and the last manuscript for the book of Luke are there on the desk. I paused to take it in and reflect - not just on this sermon series (which I loved) - on the fact that I’ve spent just about half my lifetime preaching. I began regular bible preaching to youth when I was 22, and I’m now in my 44th year.
Of course, those early years were a mishmash of trial and (mostly) error, learning more than I taught. I had to find a voice and a style and an approach to preparation and delivery. But, over time, I simply fell in love with shape of the big story that the Bible is telling to all God’s children. Through that, I became compelled to preach expository sermons, which David Helm defines as “empowered preaching that rightfully submits the shape and emphasis of the sermon to the shape and emphasis of a biblical text.”
The MacArthur Center for Expository Preaching details these benefits:
Fortunately for all of us, the Bible is big enough and deep enough that we can preach through it for all of our lifetimes and never completely plumb the fathoms it contains. I’ll preach these final two sermons from Luke on April 12 &19, and then we will move to the Old Testament and really shift gears! Coming up - we will spend 8 or 9 weeks talking about God’s wisdom for relationships, romance, sex, and marriage from The Song of Songs. I’ve got a lot to learn, and I bet you do too. Come along, we’ll keep asking and God will keep speaking through his Word!
- Josh Light
Of course, those early years were a mishmash of trial and (mostly) error, learning more than I taught. I had to find a voice and a style and an approach to preparation and delivery. But, over time, I simply fell in love with shape of the big story that the Bible is telling to all God’s children. Through that, I became compelled to preach expository sermons, which David Helm defines as “empowered preaching that rightfully submits the shape and emphasis of the sermon to the shape and emphasis of a biblical text.”
The MacArthur Center for Expository Preaching details these benefits:
- Expositional preaching submits the soul and the church to the authority of God and the headship of Christ.
- Expositional Preaching works in concert with the Holy Spirit to produce sanctification in the life of the believer.
- Expositional preaching produces humility and submission in the preacher and the congregation.
- Expositional Preaching conforms the thinking of the believer to the mind of Christ.
- Expositional Preaching prioritizes the glory of God and the majesty of Christ.
- Expositional Preaching infuses the pulpit with power as the preacher conveys a divine message through the inspired Word.
- Expositional Preaching transforms lives because it’s the Word.
- Expositional preaching protects the flock of God from false teaching and error.
- Expositional preaching produces theologically deep, humble prayer that is focused on the things of God.
- Expositional preaching teaches God’s people how to truly love the Lord and obey the first great commandment, to love the Lord God with all your heart, soul, and mind.
Fortunately for all of us, the Bible is big enough and deep enough that we can preach through it for all of our lifetimes and never completely plumb the fathoms it contains. I’ll preach these final two sermons from Luke on April 12 &19, and then we will move to the Old Testament and really shift gears! Coming up - we will spend 8 or 9 weeks talking about God’s wisdom for relationships, romance, sex, and marriage from The Song of Songs. I’ve got a lot to learn, and I bet you do too. Come along, we’ll keep asking and God will keep speaking through his Word!
- Josh Light
Recent
Archive
2026
Categories
no categories
Tags
no tags