The poll question to the right asks who your favorite expositor is...out of the ones listed.
Are there any communicators not listed that you think are preaching home runs these days? What are they doing that captures your attention?
I heard Andy Stanley recently, and I really liked his casual speaking style. George Wood also impresses me in this regard. Interestingly, I have noticed that I have adopted a more casual communicating style for my own messages. There must be something to this style that resonates with me.
I've never really been 'turned off' by someone intense in the pulpit (is pulpit too 'churchy' of a word these days?) but I tend to notice the difference between intensity for the sake of attention, and intensity for the sake of the Gospel.
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I have to agree with Shannon's take on the conversational style. There's something about a conversational preacher that leads to a greater connection with the audience. It feels as if you are the only person in the room and you are just talking over lunch. Now if we could only get churches to actually make that happen--serve lunch during the sermon. That would be amazing.
The preachers who I believe are hitting home runs are the preachers who allow themselves the time and the prayer necessary to let the text resonate in their heart before they step up to the pulpit. The time a pastor spends in prayer allowing the text to become relevant to their life comes out in the delivery and the presentation of the sermon. I think a pastor not on this list that could be is Pastor Jim Bradford of Central Assembly.
This is a good point about hitting homerus. About the homerun topic, it depends who you ask what a home run is. TD Jakes is more of a one-man-drama and not conversational, but I think he is definitely a homerun hitter. (Times magazine voted him as "America's Best Preacher", so there may be something to that.) Furthermore, I think a Latin American or African would have a different take on what a homerun is than a European or Anglo-European American. Regardless, I am glad that you are finding yourself more in a "homerun zone" in your context Shannon, that's what's important!! Keep it up!!
I would agree with pastor nathan that Jim Bradford is a highly effective "home run hitter" with his preaching. For me, to hit homiletical home runs, it takes courage and a fearlessness of controversy - a willingness to let the text speak for the challenging messages it has and the often undercuts of our American society. Dr. Bradford does this on a regular basis in a highly conservative church - not easy. In a word, hitting home runs, or probably more important, consistently getting runners on base, is done through letting the text speak for itself, and living and preaching with integrity.
Dr. Jim Miller of Tulsa First Presbyterian Church is a tremendous biblical preacher.
I love to listen to Dr. Mark Rutland from South Eastern. I also love listening to Beaty preach :-)
Brian White
Is this just A/G preachers? I think my pastor from back home in Washington hits home runs all the time - Dr. Steve Schell of Northwest Foursquare Church in Federal Way, WA.
Yeah, Beaty does alright! ;)
I have been blessed in my educational experience to study under some awesome preachers, and they have influenced my own preaching style. Two profs I had at Lincoln Christian College, Chuck Sacket and J.K. Jones are some of the finest preachers I've heard. Of course Dr. Oss is one of my favorites, and I learned a lot in his classes.
Another preacher that I learned a lot from by listening to him is Alton Garrison. He is a great communicator.
There are also some TV preachers that I like. TD Jakes is powerful, although not as expository as I would like. Jack Hayford is a master expositor and is perhaps my favorite.
To second Whitey's comment, Dr. Rutland is a pretty phenomenal speaker.
I am a fan of Dr Tony Evans. He has a way of making deep biblical truths easily understood.
As I am learning to preach and getting more opportunities to do it, there are some things that concern me. I want to preach biblically, and in fact I have not intention of stopping, but I fear offending people, boring people, not being postmodern enough, not looking hip enough(I am not comfortable dying my hair or going to a ladies hair salon to get a hair cut), yadda yadda yadda...and I often find that what I feel the text leads me to say...I want to stifle...because of what I have learned from books/professors etc. Dont be hard hitting, but be biblical...I find that is at time an oxymoron.
Dan K
I really think Joe Everly at www.questnovato.com is a wonderful preacher.
He is very innovative and biblical. He stays with a text all the way through. He reminds me of an older wiser Rob Bell (even though I don't think he is older.)
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