Preachers Talk - A podcast by 9Marks & The Charles Simeon Trust

When should a pastor break into a series to do a one-off sermon? What kinds of things need to be kept in mind to help determine if it should be done? What does one need to keep in mind when doing a one-off sermon? Listen in as Ed, Dave, and Jeremy discuss.

Jeremy dives into the mailbag once again to ask listener submitted questions to Ed and Dave.

What should the preacher do with the tone of the text? How does the distinction in the audience affect the sermon? Dave, Ed, and Jeremy discuss this important topic. 

Dave, Ed, and Jeremy begin an occasional series sharing things they are learning about preaching the Bible from the Bible itself.

Why is humility important in preaching? How does a preacher cultivate humility? Why do some texts demand more humility than others? Listen in as Ed, Dave, and Jeremy discuss.

Where did the Simeon Trust come from? Why does it exist? Where is it headed? Listen in as Dave, Ed, and Jeremy reminisce and thank God together for what he has done.We’d love to hear from you! Let us know what topics you’d like us to cover on the podcast—send your ideas to [email protected]. We’ll select one person to receive a bundle of preaching resources from 9Marks and Simeon Trust.

Using illustrations is often challenging or overly alluring for the preacher. How can analogies help the preacher use compact and powerful illustrations? How does the Bible use analogies?Listen in as Dave and Jeremy are joined by Kevin Walker.

The Bible is a fascinating, ancient document. What is the utility of secondary literature to understand the text? How can the preacher best utilize it in preaching?Dave and Jeremy sit down with Scott Hafemann to discuss.

Preachers need to be aimed at far more than information distribution. How does one preach with the goal of repentance? Dave, Ed, and Jeremy wrestle with the challenge.

How does a preacher speak to the whole audience in ways that go deep without losing people and broad without being boring?Ed, Dave, and Jeremy give some insights.

It can be a challenge to know how to speak naturally in the pulpit. How can a preacher grow in the maintenance and use of their voice? Dave, Ed, and Jeremy talk from personal experience.

Jeremy dives back into the mailbag to ask listener questions to Ed and Dave about preaching.

Is humor ever appropriate in preaching? If so, what are some principles to keep in mind as we utilize it? Hear Dave, Ed, and Jeremy, who have very different personalities, discuss.

How does the doctrine of God help in preaching texts? How do we say what we should without saying to little or too much in a sermon?Ed, Dave, and Jeremy discuss, providing examples from their own work.

Why is simplicity in preaching important? Who benefits? How do we strive for it without being simplistic? Kevin Walker joins Ed and Jeremy to discuss. 

Should a preacher seek to be creative? How might such an attempt go wrong? Ed, Dave, and Jeremy revel in the creativity of the Bible and what it has to teach us about our own use of creativity with words.Mentioned ResourcesJohn Claude’s Essay on the Composition of a SermonHerman Bavinck’s On Preaching and Preachers

How does one utilize systematic theology in exposition well? What are the benefits of attempting such a thing? Dave, Ed, and Jeremy begin a mini-series on the use of systematic theology in preaching.

There seem to be moments that demand a topical sermon. What are they? How can a topical sermon be done well? Dave, Ed, and Jeremy discuss and provide examples.

Engaging the emotions and the will can be tricky. Should we do such a thing in preaching? How do we do so well? Listen in as Ed, Dave, and Jeremy discuss.Topics Discussed(00:06) - Preaching to the Heart(06:24) - The Head vs the Heart in Preaching. Is There Room for Both?(18:01) - The Role of Emotions in Preaching(29:24) - Aligning Our Emotions with the Word When the Topic or Text Encites EmotionResourcesAs One Without Authority by Fred CraddockThe Christian Mind by Harry Blamires

Every preacher has a sermon or two that sticks out in their mind from a fellow preacher. What makes a sermon memorable? How do we thread the needle between wanting to be memorable and legitimately helping our people remember what they were taught?Ed, Dave, and Jeremy try to figure it out. 

It is easy to float away from the text and talk about the same things every week. We should apply sermons, but how? How do we do application without getting sidetracked? Dave, Ed, and Jeremy discuss. 

What is going on in Asia these days when it comes to training preachers? What are the challenges and encouragements? Darrell Young, the Simeon Trust's man in Asia, joins Dave and Jeremy to discuss. Subscribe to our new podcast, A Storm in the Desert.

How should pastors listen to preaching without getting distracted or overly critical? Should kids ever not be present in a sermon, given the content? As for personal illustrations, is it ever ok to be the hero? Dave and Ed take listener-submitted questions from Jeremy.Subscribe to our new podcast, A Storm in the Desert.

Preachers often have opportunities to give short talks at events from the bible. What is the preacher to do in such situations? What are the challenges? And how can these talks improve our regular preaching? Ed, Dave, and Jeremy discuss. 

How does one preach cross-culturally? What even counts as cross-cultural? On this episode, Ed and Jeremy sit down with Walter Carter III to discuss the benefits and challenges of preaching outside one's regular pulpit ministry. 

What is the preacher supposed to do with the gospel in a sermon? How can they use it to further the point of the text and not ruin it? Ed, Dave, and Jeremy take up these questions and give examples from their own pulpit work. 

How does one go about preaching short texts? Why would a preacher consider doing so? Listen in as Dave, Ed, and Jeremy discuss these questions and more. 

How should a seasoned preacher approach a new preaching role? What does pastoral wisdom look like in such a position? Ed, Dave, and Jeremy draw on their own successes and failures to answer these important kinds of questions. 

Can a preacher re-preach a sermon? If so, where and when? What might the benefits and pitfalls be of such a practice? Listen in as Dave, Ed, and Jeremy talk it out. 

What do we do with the strange, gross, and just plain weird parts of the bible? Why is playfulness an important element in the preacher's pursuit of faithfulness to the text?Listen in as Ed, Dave, and Jeremy revel in the need for obedience and playfulness in preaching.

What does one do once they have gotten to the heart of the text? How does one effectively wield the main point of a passage?This week Dave, Ed, and Jeremy tackle these important challenges.

Just how much of the text should a preacher read before he preaches it? What about rereading while you preach? And how do you deal with a text that has multiple popular interpretations? These are just a few of the questions Jeremy found in the mailbag to discuss with Ed and Dave

There is no denying it, preaching apocalyptic literature is tough, so why should we do it? What are the unique benefits and challenges to preaching it well?In this episode Dave, Ed, and Jeremy discuss this important genre of literature. 

Every pastor lives the majority of life outside the pulpit. How does it affect the preacher? How does the preacher embrace the moment they are in without it dominate the preaching? Dave, Ed, and Jeremy wrestle with the tension between life and the pulpit.

Most of us who were trained in preaching were trained to preach Epistles. What are the challenges of preaching them? Why is preaching them beneficial for the church? Hear Ed, Dave, and Jeremy discuss this beloved section of Scripture

Does a preacher need a PhD? What are the benefits...and substantial challenges to getting one? Dave and Jeremy are joined by Robert Kinney to discuss this important topic.

How should a preacher go about preaching long passages? Why should anyone do so in the first place? Dave, Ed, and Jeremy have a short conversation on long texts.

What makes Gospels/Acts so interesting and yet so challenging to preach? How can the preacher preach them well? Ed, Dave, and Jeremy answer these kinds of questions, providing examples from their own preaching.

How does a preacher do his job well when he knows there is strife in the congregation? Dave, Ed, and Jeremy tackle this difficult topic, giving insight into what to do...and what to avoid.

Should there be a primary preacher in a pulpit or is team teaching ideal? How do you preach when you just don't feel like it? These questions, and many more, are pulled out of the mail bag and tossed around between Ed Copeland, Dave Helm, and Jeremy Meeks.

Wisdom is intensely practical, and yet also intensely difficult to preach sometimes. How can a preacher do it well? Why should we preach it in the first place?Listen in as Dave Helm, Ed Copeland, and Jeremy Meeks wrestle with an often neglected area of literature.

Why is clarity important in preaching? What leads to a lack of clarity and how can the preacher strive for it? Listen in as Dave Helm and Jeremy Meeks discuss the issue with Robert Kinney.

Preaching is never easy, but the diversity of one's audience can make it a particular challenge...and joy. John Folmar joins Dave and Jeremy to discuss preaching and training others to do the same in Dubai.

What does it mean to make our sermons pleasing and moving? Should we do that in the first place? If so, why? Robert Kinney joins Dave and Jeremy as they wrestle with some of the artistic elements of persuasion.

Preachers Talk is back! In this episode, Dave and Jeremy are joined by a special guest, Mark Dever.

It's not uncommon for a pastor's preaching schedule to linger on the Gospels and epistles and look past the major and minor prophets. In this episode of Preachers Talk, Jeremy chats with Dave and Ed about why they love preaching prophetic literature—and why your pastor should, too.

Weddings are wonderful celebrations, but the preaching at a wedding can be a challenging affair. How does one choose a text? How should the preacher approach the moment? Dave, Ed, and Jeremy draw from long experience to help preach well at a wedding.

Is it even possible to train preachers? If so, why is going to seminary only helpful but insufficient?In this episode of Preachers Talk, Dave and Jeremy discuss all this and more with their guest Michael Lawrence.

Many people love bible stories, but preachers can be reluctant to preach them. Why are they challenging and why should preachers take up the challenge? Listen in as Ed, Dave, and Jeremy discuss preaching Old Testament History and share examples from their own pulpit work.

How do you determine what to preach in the challenging, unique, and evangelistically-loaded moment of a funeral? Dave, Ed, and Jeremy share their wisdom on how to be sensitive to God's word and the moment in a way that serves all who hear.