The Heart of the Preacher : Preparing Your Soul to Proclaim the Word

You can teach the craft, but you must first form the heart. Many preachers want to preach better, but they don't always know how to go about improving, and most books on preaching focus on the mechanics of the craft. But preaching involves more than the steps from a text to a sermon, because every time a preacher stands up to preach, their character shines through—for better or for worse. In The Heart of the Preacher, Rick Reed focuses on the personal heart preparation required before any preacher is ready to preach. He explores issues preachers often wrestle with—like discouragement, insecurity, and pride. He then offers practices to fight these challenges and form a heart that carries the fruit of the Spirit into the pulpit. It takes more than a good speaker to preach. It takes a Spirit-filled person. This book will help you check your heart and cultivate the most important aspect of preaching: your character. "Many preachers want to preach better, but they don't always know how to go about improvement, and most books on preaching focus on the mechanics of the craft. But preaching involves more than the steps to take a text to sermon, because every time a preacher stands up to preach, their character shines through-for better or for worse. In The Heart of the Preacher, Rick Reed focuses on the personal heart preparation required before any preacher is ready to preach. He explores issues preachers often wrestle with-the discouragement, insecurity, and pride. He then offers practices to fght these chalenges and form a heart that carries the fruit of the Spirit into the pulpit. It takes more than a good speaker to preach. It takes a Spirit filled person. This book will help you check you heart and cultivate the most imortant aspect of preaching: your character"-- From the back cover Foreword by Bryan Chapell Introduction Part I: The Testing of a Preacher’s Heart 1.Ambition 2.Comparison 3.Boasting 4.Insignificance 5.Laziness 6.Stagnating 7.Speaking One Language 8.Fear 9.Retreating 10.Criticism 11.Disengaged Listeners 12.Blue Mondays 13.Failure 14.Pain 15.Quitting Part II: The Strengthening of a Preacher’s Heart 16.Practice Personal Soul Care 17.Devote Yourself to Prayer and the Word 18.Stay on the Expository Path 19.Right-Size Your Expectations 20.Develop Internal Security 21.Listen to Your Closest Ally 22.Make the Most of Saturday Nights 23.Do the Work of an Evangelist 24.Don’t Kill the Horse 25.Keep Your First Love Conclusion Author/ Subject Index Scripture Index