Principle Preaching: How to Create and Deliver Sermons for Life Applications

by John R. Bisagno

Publisher:

B&H

, 2002

Overview

Principle preaching, defined as preaching life-changing principle-based sermons, is the style of preaching that John Bisagno, recently retired pastor, has been using for nearly fifty years in ministry. Principle preaching takes biblical principles and infuses them into the narrative preached. As a result, the listener obtains life application principles they can put into practice in their daily life—immediately. Principle Preaching includes over forty chapters featuring principle sermons from both Old and New Testament characters such as Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Mary and Joseph, Peter, Pilate, and Timothy.

Contents

Top Highlights

“It is called principle preaching. Principle preaching reduced to its simplest definition is drawing life application principles from the Bible and preaching them as the outline of the sermon. In each case, the three or four or even five divisions of the sermon are principles, not the usual sermon points.” (Page 3)

“Ask God for a creative heart. See beneath the surface. Put yourselves in the skin of these people and ask, ‘Why did they do what they did? What were they really thinking that they didn’t say? Why did the Holy Spirit preserve just this?’ Try to go beyond what the story says to what it is—about you, about me, about life.” (Page 17)

“Word-by-word teaching deepens the understanding of God’s people, and it should be the mid-week approach when deeper Bible study for the faithful is undertaken. But bring some principle preaching to your congregation. They will be richly blessed and will actually remember what you preached.” (Page 4)

“Learn to focus on what you have left, rather than on what you lost.” (Page 13)

“So important are human relationships as an expression of our right relationship with God that even if we have done no wrong but another has wronged us, we are still to initiate the process of reconciliation. Bitterness, hatred, and unforgiveness must not be dragged into the future.” (Page 9)

Product Details

• Title: Principle Preaching: How to Create and Deliver Sermons for Life Applications
• Author: John R. Bisagno
• Publisher: Broadman and Holman
• Publication Date: 2002
• Pages: 208

About John R. Bisagno

John R. Bisagno is pastor emeritus of the 22,000-member Houston’s First Baptist Church where he preached for thirty years. He has also authored twenty-five books and now serves on the adjunct faculty of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Bisagno and his wife, Uldine, have three children and eight grandchildren. They live in Houston, Texas.