A total of 57 lectures of George Whitefield, one of the most celebrated preachers of England and the American colonies in the 18th century, are presented here. Together, these lectures offer a profound insight into an innovative and often controversial preacher. A man of immense gifts for expression, George Whitefield would commonly drive an audience to tears with his sincere expressions of faith. Pushing the boundaries of his era, Whitefield rebelled against church authority and claimed that God himself permitted that he preach itinerant indoors and in the open air. Whitefield rose from humble beginnings to become one of the most pivotal Christians of his era. Too poor to afford tutelage, the young Whitefield managed to avoid tuition by acting as a servant to other students; assisting them to wash; cleaning their quarters; and carrying their books and satchels. Such menial work appeared to fire George Whitefield's spirit; he converted to Christianity and fervently attended to his studies thereafter.

Today, traditional forms of preaching are being scrutinized and challenged. The biblical sermon is not immune to the pressure to evolve or even fall by the wayside, leaving pastors and seminary students confused over how best to communicate to today’s listeners. In this forward-looking textbook, Kenton Anderson delivers a strong call to current and future ministers to indeed choose to preach biblical sermons, despite the obstacles to doing so. While preaching itself is non-negotiable, the exact form it takes can be much more flexible, allowing people to hear from God as they hear his Word preached. Rather than presenting one model or process for preparing a sermon, Anderson explains several available options. As you discern your message from the Bible, will you begin with the text (deductive) or with the listener (inductive)? Will you focus on the idea (cognitive) or the image (affective)? The choices you make lead to five possible sermon structures: • DECLARATIVE—make an argument • PRAGMATIC—solve a mystery • NARRATIVE—tell a story • VISIONARY—paint a picture • INTEGRATIVE—sing a song Each model is described in detail and related to well-known contemporary preachers, including John MacArthur, Rick Warren, Eugene Lowry, and Rob Bell. This book equips you with a variety of tools for your preaching tool kit. A CD-ROM with additional helpful resources is included, as well as discussion questions and practical exercises.