Mike Neglia and Brian Brodersen discuss the practical and spiritual aspects of sermon preparation. They kick off this workshop (recorded at the 2024 CGN International Conference) by speaking about the time commitment that is needed to prepare a sermon, and then talk about the following 7 steps:

1. Selecting a Passage: For many Calvary Chapel pastors, the text is simply the next chapter, but it's not always that straightforward. Brian shares how he approaches determining the right passage length and selecting the next sermon series, while leaving room for the Spirit's guidance.
2. Meditating on the Text: How do you go from reading the passage to truly internalizing it? Brian talks about "marinating" in Scripture—letting it sink in, both mentally and spiritually.
3. Crafting an Outline: A good sermon should lead your congregation on a journey, with each point helping them take a step closer to the main message. Brian emphasizes that the sermon should have a clear focus, guiding listeners from biblical history into personal application.
4. Using Commentaries: Commentaries can be a great resource, but Brian cautions not to rely on them too quickly. They should act as consultants, not the first stop in preparation.
5. Preaching the Gospel from Every Passage: Faithful Bible teaching must consistently point to Jesus as the ultimate Hero of the story.
6. Collaborating with Others: Preaching is a solo endeavour, but it is also a community effort, and Brian and Mike discuss (and disagree!) about the importance of involving other church leaders, creative teams, and even new tools like ChatGPT to refine and communicate sermon ideas effectively.
7. Prayer in Preparation: One of the most crucial parts of sermon prep is knowing when to stop studying and start praying.

Resources Mentioned:

Nick Cady on Outlining "Start with the Destination in Mind" https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-64-start-with-the-destination-in-mind/id1397572249?i=1000449242754

John Whittaker on Using Commentaries Well: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/preaching-matthew-using-commentaries-well-and/id1397572249?i=1000659360763

Jonathan Pennington on the First Minute of your Sermon: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-first-and-last-minute-of-your/id1397572249?i=1000531570597

For information about our upcoming training events visit ExpositorsCollective.com

The Expositors Collective podcast is part of the CGNMedia, Working together to proclaim the Gospel, make disciples, and plant churches. For more content like this, visit https://cgnmedia.org/

Join our private Facebook group to continue the conversation: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ExpositorsCollective

Donate to support the work of Expositors Collective, in person training events and a free weekly podcast: https://cgn.churchcenter.com/giving/to/expositors-collective

In this open and candid episode of the Expositors Collective podcast, Danijiel Zaharjanski shares his remarkable journey of being called by God to remain and serve in his homeland of Serbia, despite his initial plans to leave. Danijiel recounts how he and his wife, Wendy, planted a church in the city of Kragujevac, Central Serbia, where they’ve been living since 2012. Their church is one of only a very small handful of Protestant congregations south of the Danube River, which drives their mission to plant even more churches in the surrounding towns and villages in this under-reached region.

The conversation explores Danijiel's reflections on American preachers, offering unique insights into cultural differences in preaching styles. More profoundly, Danijiel discusses the harsh reality that bad preaching and misguided theology can cause genuine harm to people’s lives. His reflections highlight the importance of sound, gospel-centered preaching in ministry, particularly in a place where spiritual needs are great.

Danijiel, Wendy, and their son, Tadija, continue their faithful work in Serbia, helping to bring the gospel to a region that desperately needs it.

Recommended Resources:

Dr Jeremy Treat on the importance of learning from global Christianity: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/expositorscollective/episodes/Preaching-Teams--The-Treat-Sheet-and-Global-Christianity-with-Jeremy-Treat-e2c61sd/a-aakqvk4

Dr Timothy Keller on Gospel Centered Ministry (aka the podcast that changed Mike's life) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3MO7CtP6WU

Theology for the People episode featuring Wendy Zahorjanski discussing her book Hard Is Only Half the Story: Real Adventures from My Journey into the Unknown https://nickcady.org/2024/04/24/hard-is-only-half-the-story-the-role-of-taking-steps-of-faith-spiritual-growth-with-wendy-zahorjanski/

Read more about her book here: https://calvarychapel.com/posts/new-book-hard-is-only-half-the-story-real-adventures-from-my-journey-into-the-unknown/

For information about our upcoming training events visit ExpositorsCollective.com

The Expositors Collective podcast is part of the CGNMedia, Working together to proclaim the Gospel, make disciples, and plant churches. For more content like this, visit https://cgnmedia.org/

Join our private Facebook group to continue the conversation: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ExpositorsCollective

Donate to support the work of Expositors Collective, in person training events and a free weekly podcast: https://cgn.churchcenter.com/giving/to/expositors-collective