Plain Truth for Plain People: Sermons for the Christian Year from the Wesleyan Tradition
Digital Logos Edition
Overview
Having studied preaching at a doctoral level and practiced the craft for more than thirty years, Brad Estep offers fifty biblically grounded, theologically informed, and congregationally contextualized sermons centered around the different seasons of the Christian year. In addition to the sermon itself, Estep provides additional analysis that revolves around the homiletical structure, reasons for effectiveness, and usage of illustrative material. This work is designed for preachers who are interested and committed to the craft of preaching. Intended for reflective practitioners, Plain Truth for Plain People helps to reveal how and why sermons are crafted in the way that they are. Because of that, this book is also of interest to parishioners in the pews. At the top of the list of desirable skills in a pastor is preaching. This work helps provide examples of what that looks like--or more accurately, what that sounds like.
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“For several years, Dr. Brad Estep was my pastor. I heard his
sermons week after week, and found myself challenged every time.
This book comes from the heart of a pastor, the mind of a scholar,
and the wisdom of a teacher. It should be on every pastor’s reading
list.”
—Jesse Middendorf, General Superintendent Emeritus, Church of the
Nazarene, Executive Director of the Center for Pastoral Leadership
at Nazarene Theological Seminary
“Here is a veritable feast of preaching for the Christian year from
a master preacher in the spirit of John Wesley. Brad Estep offers
us a book of sermons that is deep in the Scriptures. I highly
recommend this book for anyone seeking to bring the Christian
calendar to the life of their congregation.”
—Steven Hoskins, Professor of church history and New Testament
Greek at Trevecca Nazarene University
“While there is no magic formula to convert the novice into a
mature preacher, Brad Estep’s collection of sermons shows the way
toward thoughtful, biblical, and engaged preaching that is faithful
to the Christian calendar, corporate worship, and the
Wesleyan-Holiness tradition.”
—Bryon McLaughlin, Former executive editor, Grace and Peace
Magazine
“One of the common exhortations of Martin Luther King
Sr.—‘Daddy King’—to preachers filling his pulpit at Ebenezer
Baptist Church was a fervent: ‘Make it plain! Make it plain!’ In
Plain Truth for Plain People, Estep offers sermons preaching
to plain people, some of whom had PhDs and MDs. Over his career, he
has taken preaching seriously. He has taken pastoring equally
seriously. He has known congregants coming desperate for a bit of
good news. As you scan, read, or re-read these sermons, you will
find your mind saying: “Now, how did he say that?” These are
not sermons extracted from filing cabinets or laptops and
repackaged as a book. These well-crafted, well-preached sermons
deserve a second or third hearing… or reading!”
—Harold Ivan Smith, Bereavement specialist, international speaker,
and author of Eleanor: A Spiritual Biography
“Dr. Brad Estep is one of the top ten Wesleyan preachers of our
day. He packs more content into one sermon than most of us can in a
six-message series. This is a must read for every pastor dedicated
to proclaiming the realities of the Spirit-filled life.”
—Larry D. Dennis, District Superintendent of Florida District
Church of the Nazarene
“Lean into the pastoral, prophetic, and wise words of the preacher
whose sermons unfold in these pages. As you read, open your minds
to creative, theologically deep, and edifying sermons. As you are
edified, you will also discover a collection of sermons that will
enhance and shape your own preaching in a way that edifies your
flock in your local church context.”
—Tara Beth Leach, Pastor of First Church of the Nazarene, Pasadena,
California and author of Emboldened
“In Plain Truth for Plain People, Estep carefully moves from
historical context to present day application. This is a great
resource for the local pastor who desires to help their
congregation live out the implications of God’s Word.”
—Rick Harvey, Pastor of First Church of the Nazarene, Bethany,
Oklahoma
“For eight years, I sat under the ministry of Brad Estep. He
consistently held my attention, gave me insight into a biblical
passage, and spiritually challenged me. These 50 sermons, which
guide us through the Christian year, do the same. One could hardly
ask more from a preacher. This book is a valuable tool for any
pastor’s library.”
—Darius Salter, Retired professor of preaching and pastoral
theology at Western Evangelical Seminary and Nazarene Theological
Seminary
“Dr. Brad Estep was my pastor for over nine years. Not one time did
he fail to miss the mark in the sermons he preached—inspiring,
encouraging, challenging me on a weekly basis. I highly recommend
this book because I know the thoughts Brad expresses will spark the
imagination of preachers in the Wesleyan tradition as they prepare
their own sermons for the Christian year.”
—David Wilson, General Secretary of the Church of the
Nazarene
“The first sermon I heard Brad Estep preach provided a Christian
perspective on suffering. Years later, it still stands out among
the thousands of sermons I’ve heard. Estep takes seriously the
preaching life. Sermons in this collection bristle with biblical
and theological insight and illuminate how sound exegesis, an
understanding of culture, and the words chosen by a preacher all
work together to facilitate the proclamation of Good News. This
stirring collection models how to preach through the Christian Year
and how to express the great themes of Christian theology to our
contemporaries.”
—Stan Ingersol, Historian and Archivist for the Church of the
Nazarene
“In a world that is rediscovering the art of preaching, it’s
refreshing to find a resource such as this by Brad Estep. The
challenge of preaching through the church year is tackled well as
Estep provides us with a variety of ways in which to contextualize
the message. This is a valuable resource for those who are
committed to preaching through the church year, from the entire
Bible, and from passages that may make us uncomfortable.”
—Carla Sunberg, General Superintendent of the Church of the
Nazarene
“As a parishioner fed by Pastor Estep’s preaching for nine years, I
am thrilled that these sermons will reach a broader audience. His
vivid storytelling and faithful exposition of the text of Scripture
make this collection a substantive resource for any preacher
wanting to be both deep and accessible.”
—Doug Hardy, Professor of spiritual formation at Nazarene
Theological Seminary
“God has uniquely gifted Dr. Estep in the proclamation of the Word.
He is truly a craftsman in preparing succinct and powerful messages
that make the Word applicable to our daily living. His knowledge of
the stories of antiquity, his understanding of the history of our
people, and his familiarity with the culture of the day provide him
the ability to weave examples and illustrations into the sermon
that help make the message clear and direct. Now we are blessed to
have some of these gems in writing to read and study.”
—Charles Davis, retired judge from the Florida Second District
Court of Appeal
“As two of the ‘plain people’ privileged to hear Pastor Brad year
after year preaching plain truth sermons to our congregation, we
are pleased that they are now available for others to share and be
inspired. These messages were tried, true, and tested in our daily
lives as Pastor Estep preached through the Christian year. The
biblical presentations of truth were enhanced with insight and
inspiration drawn from history, literature, science, and real-world
experiences. We believe others can benefit greatly from Pastor
Brad’s intense study of Scripture, his creative approach to
preaching, and the faithful clarification of plain truth.”
—Jerry and Verla Lambert, parishioners from First Church of the
Nazarene, Kansas City, Missouri
- Title: Plain Truth for Plain People: Sermons for the Christian Year from the Wesleyan Tradition
- Authors: Brad Estep, Dan Boone, Scott T. Daniels
- Publisher: Wipf and Stock
- Print Publication Date: 2019
- Logos Release Date: 2020
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Reader Edition
- ISBNs: 9781532660955, 9781532660931, 9781532660948, 1532660952, 1532660936, 1532660944
- Resource ID: LLS:9781532660955
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2025-10-16T06:07:40Z
Brad Estep is lead pastor of the Church of the Nazarene in Sun
City, Arizona. Prior to serving there, he was the lead pastor at
the First Church of the Nazarene in Kansas City, Missouri. Estep
earned an MA from Southern Nazarene University, an MDiv from
Nazarene Theological Seminary, and a ThM and PhD in practical
theology with an emphasis in preaching and worship from Union
Theological Seminary in Richmond, Virginia.