Robby Gallaty - Preaching for the Rest of Us: Essentials for Text-Driven Preaching

Robby Gallaty and Steven Smith are both teachers and practitioners of faithful biblical exposition. What a delight it is to have their thinking on this important subject put to writing for the benefit and blessing of others. I am happy to commend this work to anyone who desires to rightly divide the Word of truth.

Daniel L. Akin , president, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

Gallaty and Smith are two popular preachers who have produced an excellent book on text-driven preaching that defines it, theologically grounds it, and gives a methodology under the two key headings of interpretation and communicationall in less than 200 pages. The content here is simply superb. Here is how to do it from two men who do it well! Highly recommended!

David L. Allen , distinguished professor of preaching, George W. Truett Chair of Pastoral Ministry, and director, Southwestern Center for Expository Preaching, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

There are a lot of great books on preaching, but this one is the most straightforward and accessible Ive come across. In this book, Gallaty and Smith provide a clear primer for text-driven preaching, reminding us why this kind of preaching is important and how to go about crafting a faithful sermon. This is such a helpful tool to anyone desiring to preach!

Matt Carter , pastor of preaching and vision, The Austin Stone Community Church, Austin, TX

I know these men and respect them. Without mentioning me, they have described much of my own life and work. Would you preach well? Read this book and profit.

Mark Dever , senior pastor, Capitol Hill Baptist Church, Washington, DC, and president, 9Marks

Robby Gallaty and Steven Smiths book breaks down the process for preaching text-driven sermons in a way that ordinary church members can get their minds around. In this book, you have a chance to learn from the best. Every teacher, bi-vocational pastor, and seminary student should check out this book.

J. D. Greear , pastor, The Summit Church, Raleigh-Durham, NC

Heres a very helpful book for those that desire to faithfully preach the Word. Gallaty and Smith write as pastor-scholars who love Christs church. Both men can articulate the philosophical and methodological components of expository preaching clearly, and they can also deliver engaging expositions practically. All of us who handle the word of truth can improve, and this book will surely help us make progress in the pulpit.

Tony Merida , pastor for preaching and vision, Imago Dei Church, Raleigh, NC, and associate professor of preaching, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

Preaching has fallen on hard times. An open debate is now being waged over the character and centrality of preaching in the church. At stake is nothing less than the integrity of Christian worship and proclamation. In this book, Robby Gallaty and Steven Smith provide a biblically grounded manual for faithful proclamation of Gods Word. Their commitment to the authority of Scripture and the centrality of preaching in the life of the church is a faithful witness in the age of entertainment-driven ministry. Preaching for the Rest of Us is a practical and theologically rich resource to help you grow in more faithful proclamation of Gods Word.

R. Albert Mohler Jr. , president, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Robby Gallaty and Steven Smith have achieved something in Preaching for the Rest of Us that is genuinely unique. Recognizing the complication of much homiletical theory, these two great preachers have cobbled together a total introduction to preaching that is helpful to me! A grasp of the ultimate goal in preaching enables these prophets to walk all of us, beginner and established practitioner, down the highway of great biblical preaching. This is a significant contribution.

Paige Patterson , president, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

It wasnt until well into my pastoral ministry that I realized that we arent going to fulfill the Great Commission solely with preachers like meseminary-trained, vocational, and Westernized. Its going to take preachers who earn a living by their ministries and preachers who go to secular jobs every day. Its going to take preachers whove been to seminary and preachers who havent. Its going to take preachers in America and preachers abroad. Gallaty and Smith get that. In Preaching for the Rest of Us , these two effective and experienced pastors put the cookies on the bottom shelf, where all of us can grab and eat. They cull down the principles and processes of biblical exposition to the basic essentials. If youre looking for a trustworthy quick-start guide (xvii) to preaching thats driven by both the theology and the text of Scripture, look no further.

Jim Shaddix , W. A. Criswell Professor of Expository Preaching, and director, Center for Pastoral Leadership and Preaching, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

Preaching for the Rest of Us

Copyright 2018 by Robby Gallaty and Steven Smith

Published by B&H Academic

Nashville, Tennessee

All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-4627-6163-0

Dewey Decimal Classification: 251

Subject Heading: PREACHING \ PASTORAL THEOLOGY \ BIBLE--STUDY AND TEACHING

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Christian Standard Bible, Copyright 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible and CSB are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV Permanent Text Edition (2016). Copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

All emphasis in Scripture is the authors own.

The web addresses referenced in this book were live and correct at the time of the books publication but may be subject to change.

Printed in the United States of America

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From Steven:

This book is lovingly dedicated to my parents,
Sandy and Bailey Smith.

Psalm 16:6

From Robby:

To Jim Shaddix:

From the first day I heard a text-driven sermon,

at Edgewater Baptist Church, until now,

my life and preaching have never been the same.

Thank you for modeling what you teach.

I (Steven) am very grateful to the many people who made this book a reality. Thank you to Daniel Dickard for heavy editing, for adding the discussion questions, and for many helpful conversations. Thank you also to Meagan Lacey for additional editing, and to Kyle Walker for reading an early draft and offering helpful comments. Thank you to Adam Malette for significant administrative support. I also need to thank Calvin Pearson. As lectures, these chapters grew out of early conversations when I was learning how to teach preaching. Calvin was an able mentor and a very gracious friend. Thanks also to David Allen, whose influence is throughout this book.

Thanks also to staff at Immanuel Baptist Church who read an early draft and offered comments: Brandon Watson, Matt Hubbard, and Adam Venters. Special thanks to Paige Patterson, who offered a sabbatical that helped me complete the manuscript. His personal influence is on most every page. Thanks also to my father-in-law, Ron Cherry, who put the idea for the book in my head and encouraged its completion.

Finally, I am most grateful for Team Smith: Ashley, who helped me think through so much of it conceptually, and of course, the SmithlingsJewell, Sidney, and Shep. My favorite people in the world.