Sublime

Christ’s strength rather than their own provides the only hope of Christian obedience. Such messages are difficult to develop for two reasons: They go against the flow of so much that we are accustomed to hearing in the evangelical church, and they seem to stretch the bounds of precise expository preaching.

The character and compassion of a minister more than the characteristics of the message preached determine the quality of the message heard.

Psalm 8, David marvels at God’s creation and the fact that man is given dominion over it.

Specific statements such as these can capture the FCF that drives the development of a sermon: “When you cannot see God’s purposes, God’s promises can make you angry”; “It seems impossible to raise godly teens in a culture in which all values are relative”; or “When we know we are guilty, the gift of grace does not feel like it costs us enough.”

Mandate clarity. Preachers who cannot differentiate between a scriptural mandate and a good suggestion drain biblical power from their ministries.

Preachers should encourage more prayer, stewardship, study, and fellowship not to manufacture blessing but so that believers can experience more fully the benefits of union with Christ that God freely offers.

This is necessary because there is no more powerful motivation for holiness than loving God in response to the revelation of his redeeming character and eternal promises.

THINK—What did God say to you through this chapter? REFLECT—What new insight did you get about how transformation occurs? UNDERSTAND—Can you think of an experience where your “thinking changed” in a way that led to a change in a relationship or behavior? SURRENDER—Ask God to renew your thinking about His commands—moving from restrictions to guardra

By phrasing the application’s instruction with the key terms of the explanation, preachers help listeners not only understand why they were listening to the explanation but also connect the instruction of the preacher with the authority of Scripture.