Expositional Preaching Quotes

“Some preachers use the Bible the way a drunk uses a lamp post . . . more for support than for illumination.”
― David R. Helm, Expositional Preaching: How We Speak God's Word Today

“We are not free to do what we want with the Bible. It is sovereign. It must win. Always.”
― David R. Helm, Expositional Preaching: How We Speak God's Word Today

“No somos libres para hacer lo que queramos con la Biblia. Ella es soberana. Ella debe ganar. Siempre. Nuestro papel como predicadores y maestros de la Biblia es ponernos debajo de la luz iluminadora de las palabras que hace mucho fueron escritas por el Espíritu Santo. Nuestro trabajo es decir hoy lo que Dios dijo una vez y nada más. Porque al hacer esto, él sigue hablando.”
― David R. Helm, La Predicación Expositiva (Expositional Preaching) 9Marks (Edificando Iglesias Sanas (Spanish))

“Mi esfuerzo consiste en sacar de la Escritura lo que está ahí, y no meter lo que pienso que podría estar ahí. Tengo un gran celo en esta cabeza; nunca hablar más o menos de lo que creo que es la mente del Espí- ritu en el pasaje que estoy exponiendo.2”
― David R. Helm, La Predicación Expositiva (Expositional Preaching) 9Marks (Edificando Iglesias Sanas (Spanish))

“A faithful preacher starts the sermon preparation process by paying attention to a biblical text’s original audience and a text’s purposes for those readers. He 1) gives the biblical context control over the meaning of the text; 2) listens intently until he knows how the text fits within the overall message of the book; 3) sees the structure and emphasis of the text.”
― David R. Helm, Expositional Preaching: How We Speak God's Word Today

“Theological reflection…is a rigorous and prayerful discipline of taking the time to meditate on my text and how it relates to God’s plan of redemption. It is an exercise that asks how my passage relates to the Bible as a whole, especially to the saving acts of God in Jesus.”
― David R. Helm, Expositional Preaching: How We Speak God's Word Today

“If we don’t consider the gospel context of the Bible as a whole, even well-exegeted imperatives turn into moralism. And this fosters a legalistic culture in our churches.”
― David R. Helm, Expositional Preaching: How We Speak God's Word Today

“Contextualization in preaching is communicating the gospel message in ways that are understandable or appropriate to the listener’s cultural context.”
― David R. Helm, Expositional Preaching: How We Speak God's Word Today

“Expository preaching is empowered preaching that rightfully submits the shape and emphasis of the sermon to the shape and emphasis of a biblical text. In that way, it brings out of the text what the Holy Spirit put there…and does not put into the text what the preacher thinks might be there.”
― David R. Helm, Expositional Preaching: How We Speak God's Word Today

“Too many of us unconsciously believe that a well-studied understanding of our cultural context, rather than the Bible, is the key to preaching with power.”
― David R. Helm, Expositional Preaching: How We Speak God's Word Today

“By experience, we know what it is to plant our faces in the floor and plead for God to accomplish the work that our best efforts in preaching cannot.”
― David R. Helm, Expositional Preaching: How We Speak God's Word Today

“to humble the sinner; to exalt the Saviour; to promote holiness.”
― David R. Helm, Expositional Preaching: How We Speak God's Word Today

“True life and true change in our hearers does not come from our ingenuity, but from the Word of the Spirit (John 6:63), set forth in plain speech, by a preacher who is looking to God.”
― David R. Helm, Expositional Preaching: How We Speak God's Word Today

“Biblical expositors are not pining away in their studies searching for ways to bring relevancy to their message. They don’t need to. The Bible is relevant. Rather, they draw out the implications and applications that are already there in the text in ways that make sense for the culture the church is embedded in.”
― David R. Helm, Expositional Preaching: How We Speak God's Word Today

“Do you love Jesus? Do you really love him? Then manifest your love for him by feeding and tending those for whom he died. Learn to love people. The”
― David R. Helm, Expositional Preaching: How We Speak God's Word Today

“Contextualization is a good dance partner, but she should never be allowed to lead. Put her before the exegetical steps in your sequence of preparation, and problems will quickly emerge.”
― David R. Helm, Expositional Preaching: How We Speak God's Word Today

“One of the problems with contextualized preaching today, however, is that it often has a misplaced emphasis. By elevating contextualization to a studied discipline overly focused on practical gains, some preachers treat the biblical text in a haphazard and halfhearted way. This is the blind adherence problem. Out of a healthy desire to move the mission of his church forward, the preacher focuses his preparation exclusively on creative and artistic ways he can make his sermon relevant.”
― David R. Helm, Expositional Preaching: How We Speak God's Word Today

“Second, it changes our use of the pulpit—the Word now supports our intoxicating plans and purposes, rather than those of God. This is inebriated preaching. Finally, it shifts our understanding of authority—the preacher’s “fresh” and “spirit led” devotional reading becomes the determinative point of truth. I call this “inspired” preaching.”
― David R. Helm, Expositional Preaching: How We Speak God's Word Today

“Blind adherence to contextualization alters our preaching in at least three ways, and none of them is for the better. First, it impairs our perspective in the study—in his preparation of his sermon, the preacher becomes preoccupied with the world rather than God’s Word. This leads to impressionistic preaching.”
― David R. Helm, Expositional Preaching: How We Speak God's Word Today