Preaching Essentials

by Lenny Luchetti

Publisher:

WPH

, 2012

Overview

While the goal of the preacher is the same as it ever was, with each new generation comes unique challenges and opportunities for those who deliver God’s message. Preaching Essentials: A Practical Guide offers new and seasoned preachers a comprehensive, practical perspective on preaching to a new generation. Lenny Luchetti brings fresh insights—like how to use story, imagination, and mind-mapping—and suggests new habits that can reenergize preaching.

With the Logos edition, all Scripture passages are tagged and appear on mouseover, and Preaching Essentials integrates seamlessly into your digital library. Save time when you search by topic or Scripture reference.

Key Features

• Lessons on weekly sermon preparation
• Tips for recognizing unique preaching opportunities
• Motivating insights into the purpose of preaching

Contents

• Part 1. Preaching and Preachers
  • Why Keep Preaching?
  • You Know You’re Called to Preach If…
  • Theology Matters
  • Science or Art?
  • Pitfalls to Avoid
  • Healthy Preachers S.H.E.D.
  • Overcoming the Monday Morning Blues
• Part 2. People and Places
  • Context Is Everything....Almost
  • The Best Preachers Are the Best Listeners
  • Diversity Awareness Training
  • Listener Listening Styles
  • Preaching to Community Needs
  • Preaching Dress and Sermon Length
  • Introducing Your Congregation
• Part 3. Preparation and Presentation
  • Developing a Sermon Preparation Process
  • Exegesis 101
  • Preaching as a Spiritual Discipline
  • The Preacher’s Two Best Friends
  • The Metaphor and the Mantra
  • Artistic Touches
  • Textual or Topical
  • Linear or Narrative
  • Beginning and Ending Well
  • Illuminating Illustrations
  • Appropriate Applications
  • Voice and Body
  • Practice Your Preaching
  • Mind Mapping
  • Reimagining Imagination
  • No Cloning
  • Use of Humor
• Part 4. Planning and Progress
  • A Well-Balanced Diet
  • The Sermon Planning Retreat
  • Ask the Flock
  • Soliciting Sermon Feedback
  • Developing a Preaching Growth Plan
• Part 5. Postscript
  • Tips for Building Rapport
  • Preaching on Hard Topics
  • Dealing with Surprises
  • Wedding and Funerals
  • Fresh Insights and New Practices

Praise for the Print Edition

Lenny preaches and lives the power of the gospel. Now he shares how preachers can continue to grow in their preaching skills within the rhythm of ministry. I’ll open Preaching Essentials each time I prepare a message, so that I can continue my development as a messenger even as I plan my messages. The frequency of preaching threatens its freshness; Lenny’s breadth of insights provides practical inspiration that will restore it!

—Wayne Schmidt, vice president, Wesley Seminary

Lenny Luchetti is right to say that preaching is an organic art, more like painting a landscape than mixing a chemistry formula. In this book, Luchetti has given the church a practical, accessible, and useful guide to the essentials of the preaching life, the life of a skilled and devoted artist. It is a worshipful art Lenny Luchetti still loves to learn, even as he teaches.

—Dave Ward, associate professor of religion, Indiana Wesleyan University

Product Details

• Title: Preaching Essentials: A Practical Guide
• Author: Lenny Luchetti
• Publisher: Wesleyan Publishing House
• Publication Date: 2012
• Pages: 224

About Lenny Luchetti

Lenny Luchetti spent 15 years preaching for various-sized churches before transitioning to a job as a professor of proclamation and Christian ministries at Wesley Seminary. In May 2010, Lenny received his MDiv through Asbury Seminary’s Beeson Pastor Scholarship.