Today's episode is definitely a little more in your face, as you can tell from the title, but it's so important. Jon and Justin want to talk about preaching and how we understand Scripture in general, including expository and exegetical preaching. We want to help you see that if your conclusion is not Jesus, then something is missing. And we have reasons for saying that, based on the teaching of Jesus and the apostles. So if your sermon is exegetically and historically sound but does not end with Christ, we are going to challenge that. Because without Jesus, the sermon is ultimately empty.
Where's Jesus in Our Preaching? (w/ Ken Jones)
For today’s episode, Jon and Justin are joined by Ken Jones (pastor of Glendale Baptist Church and host of Saints and Sinners Unplugged). The guys talk about what it is to preach Christ from all of Scripture--and how there are many approaches to preaching that claim the label “Christ-centered” but are not really heralding the person and work of Jesus to sinners. And what about application in preaching? How should we think about that?
Give Me Jesus, Not Self-Improvement (w/ Chris Gordon)
While on the west coast, Jon and Justin were invited by Chris Gordon (host of Abounding Grace Radio and pastor of Escondido United Reformed Church) to do some recording. This episode is the first portion of that conversation. The guys discuss differences between the preaching of Christ and the preaching of self-improvement, problems with an over-emphasis on application in preaching, as well as the most important thing to look for in a church.
What Happened to Preaching?
The guys continue the series on the means of grace by discussing preaching. What has happened to the preaching of the word of Christ? Jon and Justin begin by distinguishing preaching from teaching. Then, they consider the preaching event. It is an event. (Live streams and sermon audio is not preaching.) The guys conclude with a lengthy discussion on the content of preaching. Preaching is to extol and herald the person and work of Christ in the place of sinners, and preaching requires the right dividing of law and gospel.
Is Christ-Centered Preaching Dangerous?
Jon and Justin discuss an article entitled, “4 Ways Bad Biblical Theology Warps Sermons.” Is Christ-centered, redemptive-historical preaching dangerous? Is it unhelpful? Does it produce bad things in the church? The guys talk about this—and more.
Christ-Centered Preaching
"Christ-centered preaching" has been a popular topic for a number of years. But what is it? What does it mean to preach Christ from all of Scripture? If we preach this way, are we just saying the same thing every Sunday? The guys consider all of this--and more--in today's episode.
Legal Preaching
In this episode, Jon and Justin discuss legal preaching. This kind of preaching tends to remove hope and establish fear. It tends to turn every passage of Scripture into law. It tends to focus on how people are not measuring up. We point out the prevalence of legal preaching and offer some correctives.
![Preaching [About] the Gospel](http://theocast.org/cdn/shop/articles/Theocast_EpisodeSplash_210_01.01-PREACHING_0f98397c-a2cc-4ef7-b0a6-5c96596cddaa.jpg?v=1737556688&width=1)
Preaching [About] the Gospel
In this episode, Jon and Justin discuss preaching [about] the gospel. It's been our observation that guys will get fired up about preaching the gospel, they will give the facts of the gospel, and talk a lot about the gospel--without ever offering Jesus to sinners and heralding the grace of God in Christ.
How Much Can a Christian Sin?
In this episode, Jon and Justin tackle the question, "How much--and for how long--can a Christian sin?" Scripture and the Confessions indicate that Christians can sin really badly for a really long time.