How Seminarians Can Learn to Preach to Normal People

Tim Raymond has an excellent three-part series at Credo on how seminarians can learn to connect with and communicate to normal people in their sermons. He writes:

Although I'm naturally somewhat of a bookworm and still gravitate toward academic studies (sometimes unhelpfully so), I've learned something about communicating solid research to those without formal academic training.  To help you, my brother-pastors and seminarians, preach quality, expositional sermons to normal people, here are my suggestions, for what they're worth:

Here is an outline of his six points:

1. If at all possible, preach or teach regularly in an ordinary local church during seminary.

2. Learn to rely on both exegetical and pastoral commentaries.

3. Study your preaching text until you feel the pastoral burden of the passage on your own soul.

4. Devote a good bit of sermon preparation time to brainstorming applications. [JT Note: this may helpful.]

5. Schedule time to regularly listen to the sermons of preachers who excel at both exegesis and heart-searching application.

6. Labor to get to know and love your congregation as well as you possibly can.

You can find the three-part series here.