Perhaps the pastor’s single most important task in any given week is the preparation and delivery of the sermon. The following books contain valuable insights on how to improve content and refine delivery. The Summer 1981 issue of LEADERSHIP (Preaching and Worship) lists other resources.
Achtemeier, Elizabeth. Creative Preaching: Finding the Words. Nashville: Abingdon, 1980. Discusses the language of the sermon. Includes suggestions on how to use dialogue, drama, and illustration to improve sermon communication.
Barclay, William. Fishers of Men. Philadelphia: Westminster, 1978. Explores and explains the meaning of evangelistic preaching and teaching for today.
Benn, J. Solomon. Preaching from the Bible. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1981. Includes sermon outlines. Part of the “Resources for Black Ministries” series.
Best, Ernest. From Text to Sermon: Responsible Use of the New Testament in Preaching. Atlanta: John Knox, 1978. A helpful tool in taking the original meaning of the text and applying it to today.
Braga, James. How to Prepare Bible Messages. Portland: Multnomah, 1982. Outlines a step-by-step process for the preparation and delivery of a sermon.
Broadus, John A. On the Preparation and Delivery of Sermons. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1979. A classroom-type text on the extensive task of building a sermon.
Brown, David M. Dramatic Narrative in Preaching. Valley Forge, Pa.: Judson, 1981. How to deliver a sermon in the style of narrative and story telling.
Demaray, Donald E. Proclaiming the Truth. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1980. A guide to scriptural preaching.
Duke, Robert W. The Sermon as God’s Word: Theologies for Preaching. Nashville: Abingdon, 1980. A study of how our personal theology affects our preaching style and content.
Ford, D. W. The Ministry of the Word. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1979. An excellent resource manual with a fine chapter on preparation and delivery.
Halverson, Richard C. The Timelessness of Jesus Christ. Ventura, Calif.: Regal, 1982. Addresses the relevance of the gospel to contemporary society. A helpful resource for the pastor who wonders how to apply the gospel today.
Hodge, Charles. Princeton Sermons. London: Banner of Truth, 1979. A classic collection of sermons delivered on “matters doctrinal and practical.”
Hunter, A. M. Preaching the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1982. Thirty-four concise and thoughtful sermons on major New Testament themes.
Jensen, Richard A. Telling the Story: Variety and Imagination in Preaching. Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1980. Encourages pastors to increase the effectiveness of preaching through the use of story telling.
Lowry, Eugene L. The Homiletical Plot. Atlanta: John Knox, 1980. A case for sermons to be stories, not lectures-to build suspense rather than spill the conclusion at the beginning.
Mitchell, Henry H. Black Preaching. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1979. A historical evaluation of the development of black preaching and its style and delivery.
Morgan, G. Campbell. Preaching. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1974. The insights of one of the great preachers. An excellent chapter on “The Essentials of a Sermon.”
Nichols, J. Randall. Building the Word: The Dynamics of Communication and Preaching. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1980. A valuable tool in explaining the integration of theology and the basics of communication into the sermon.
Pearce, J. Winston. Planning Your Preaching. Nashville: Broadman, 1979. How to be more effective in preaching through long-term planning for variety and thoroughness.
Perry, Lloyd M. Biblical Preaching for Today’s World. Chicago: Moody, 1973. Steps to improving preaching through improving the sermon, the topics, and the preacher. Also by the same author: Biblical Sermon Guide and Manual for Biblical Preaching. All are recommended.
Robinson, Haddon. Biblical Preaching. Grand Rapids. Baker, 1980. How to communicate “the big idea” of a Bible passage with clarity and impact.
Sanders, James A. God Has a Story Too. Philadelphia: Fortress, 1979. Addresses the preacher’s problem of going from “what it meant then” to “what it means now to us.”
Stott, John R. W. Between Two Worlds: The Art of Preaching in the Twentieth Century. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1982. An excellent work with a superior chapter on “Preparing Sermons.”
Sweeting, George. Special Sermons on the Family. Chicago: Moody, 1981. Part of the “Special Sermons” series. Good examples of preaching on certain themes.
Thielicke, Helmut. Encounter with Spurgeon. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1975. A refreshing study of the ministry of C. H. Spurgeon combined with the best chapters out of Spurgeon’s Lectures to My Students.
Young, Robert D. Be Brief about It. Philadelphia: Westminster, 1980. How to deliver short, biblical sermons.
Copyright © 1983 by the author or Christianity Today/Leadership Journal. Click here for reprint information on Leadership Journal.
