Stripping Preaching to its Bare Essentials

Bad sermon jokes have lost none of their edge, and preachers know most of them. Yet those churches where preaching flourishes often grow most strongly. Simon Coupland believes that a good sermon can bring the Bible to life, speak a powerful message to people's hearts and lives, and draw them to Christ. He tackles key topics, including the balance between inspiration and effort; structure; style; opening and closing; the use of narrative; and personal integrity. "The text is liberally sprinkled with examples of preaching, jokes, quotations and illustrations," he explains. "In a book to help us be more effective communicators, I have tried to practise what I preach." All preachers, no matter how experienced, will find something to treasure in his cheerful, commonsense approah.