Parabolic Expositional Preaching: The Arc and the Throughline

Preaching, says Heath Hardesty, should do more than explain a passage of Scripture - it should take listeners on a journey that awakens thirst and points them to the living water of Christ. In this session, recorded at Valley Community Church in Pleasanton, California, Hardesty unpacks how the “arc” and the “through-line” of expository preaching bring sermons into harmony with the larger story of redemption.Drawing from John 7:37–39, he demonstrates how faithful exposition stirs a Spirit-given sense of need and satisfies the soul’s ache in the gospel. The teaching weaves together theology, cultural insight, and pastoral wisdom, offering a vision of preaching that is unified, Spirit-led, and Christ-centred.About Heath HardestyHeath Hardesty serves as Lead Pastor of Valley Community Church in Pleasanton, CA, and is a founder of Inklings Coffee & Tea in the heart of downtown Pleasanton. He grew up in a blue-collar home and was a plumber’s apprentice in Colorado before becoming a pastor on the edge of Silicon Valley, where he, his wife, and their four children now reside. Heath holds degrees in literature, leadership, biblical studies, and theology from the University of Colorado Boulder and Western Seminary in Portland.His forthcoming book, All Things Together: How Apprenticeship to Jesus Is the Way of Flourishing in a Fragmented World (with a foreword by Jon Tyson), will be released October 14, 2025.Pre-Order Heath's Book Here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/776336/all-things-together-by-heath-hardesty/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/ExpositorsCollectiveDonate to support the work of Expositors Collective, in person training events and a free weekly podcast: https://cgn.churchcenter.com/giving/to/expositors-collective