Two Oakwood University Legends Publish Book on Preaching
by Dale Galusha, President, Pacific Press Publishing Association
Drs. Mervyn A. Warren and Benjamin F. Reaves are two of the original teachers of preaching at Oakwood University for a half-century. Now they have written Sharpening and Shaping Your Sermon to help inspire those tasked with preaching. As pastors and professors of preaching with more than four decades of experience in the classroom and the pulpit at Oakwood University, Dr. Warren and Dr. Reaves are uniquely qualified to provide focused advice on sermon content and preparation.
Sharpening and Shaping Your Sermon begins and proceeds on the following premises:
• That the gospel of Jesus Christ deserves the very best that the preacher can bring to the worship experience.
• That first and foremost the preacher must have a message rooted in the Bible as the inspired Word of God.
• That the cardinal biblical beliefs of pulpit and pew will find significant and recurring presence in the sermons.
• That the preacher will make use of appropriate and helpful sermon designs, structures, and processes to enhance delivery and acceptance of the message.
• That the preacher should understand that he/she is the channel through which the message proceeds--not the center of attraction.
The book is available at the Oakwood University Bookstore, at your local Adventist Book Center (call: 1-800-765-6955, or online at adventistbookcenter.com.
Drs. Mervyn A. Warren and Benjamin F. Reaves are two of the original teachers of preaching at Oakwood University for a half-century. Now they have written Sharpening and Shaping Your Sermon to help inspire those tasked with preaching. As pastors and professors of preaching with more than four decades of experience in the classroom and the pulpit at Oakwood University, Dr. Warren and Dr. Reaves are uniquely qualified to provide focused advice on sermon content and preparation.
Sharpening and Shaping Your Sermon begins and proceeds on the following premises:
• That the gospel of Jesus Christ deserves the very best that the preacher can bring to the worship experience.
• That first and foremost the preacher must have a message rooted in the Bible as the inspired Word of God.
• That the cardinal biblical beliefs of pulpit and pew will find significant and recurring presence in the sermons.
• That the preacher will make use of appropriate and helpful sermon designs, structures, and processes to enhance delivery and acceptance of the message.
• That the preacher should understand that he/she is the channel through which the message proceeds--not the center of attraction.
The book is available at the Oakwood University Bookstore, at your local Adventist Book Center (call: 1-800-765-6955, or online at adventistbookcenter.com.
