Matthew D. Kim - The Big Idea Companion for Preaching and Teaching: A Guide from Genesis to Revelation

MATTHEW D. KIM

Preparing a sermon or a Bible-study lesson can be daunting. Have you ever wished that you had a trusted conversation partner for determining the main idea or big idea of each book of the Bible? Have you wondered what the big idea is for the passages in Scripture on which youre preaching and teaching each week? Its not always easy or even convenient to ask someone for assistance. Studying the Bible can be a lonely and challenging venture for all believers in Christ, including preachers and teachers.

Well, you need not look any further. That elusive help is in your hands. Welcome to The Big Idea Companion for Preaching and Teaching . Written by leading evangelical homileticians, teachers of preaching, and experienced pastors, this book provides a concise resource for youwhether you are a pastor, teacher, or laypersonto check your understanding and interpretation of a particular Bible book or passage. But more than just handing you a catalog of big ideas, we want you to study the passages on your own and become confident that you can determine the main ideas of biblical texts in the privacy of your study or as you work together in groups.

This book is based on the late Haddon W. Robinsons big idea philosophy from his textbook Biblical Preaching . In it you will get an insiders view of the process of determining the main idea of a passage in its context (i.e., subject, complement, exegetical idea, and homiletical idea). In addition, for each book of the Bible you will have quick access to several features: (1) a brief introduction to the big idea of the entire book, (2) tips on how to divide the book into preaching and teaching pericopes, (3) guidance on difficult passages and verses, (4) cultural perspectives to facilitate faithful application, and (5) recommended resources for interpreting, preaching, and teaching each book.

The Big Idea Companion for Preaching and Teaching will guide you in your hermeneutics, homiletics, and teaching of biblical texts. While we do not claim to have the sole voice on correctly interpreting any of these passages, our hope is simply to walk alongside you in this journey and act as that coveted conversation partner for you. As youll soon find out, the overall framework for each book of the Bible, as mentioned above, will be the same. However, each author has a distinctive process for determining and wording the main ideas. We didnt want cookie-cutter chapters that taste exactly the same. Rather, we wanted each contributors preaching and teaching voice to be read and received in a natural way. In addition, due to space limitations, the contributors may not cover every verse or pericope in their respective Bible books. As you engage in intentional and faithful study of Scripture, we ask you to pray that the Holy Spirit will lead you to his interpretation. The contributors to this handbook are fallible, imperfect people. Every time we read the Bible we are also submitting ourselves to the authority of God and to the authority of Scripture.