Preachers on Preaching: John Groves

John Groves is an elder at Winchester Family Church, a church he led until recently handing over the lead elder role to Steve Chick. John teaches and preaches in a wide range of settings, and is also known for the sharpness of his prophetic gift.

Here are his answers to my questions:

When & where was this sermon preached?

It was preached at WFC on 19^th September.

Was it a special occasion or regular Sunday?

It was my first preach on returning from sabbatical and part of a series titled 'A Church Worth Talking About' based on the Antioch Church in Acts.

Why did you choose this subject/text?

Steve Chick, our lead elder, asked me to preach on this subject.

On average, how long does it take you to prepare a sermon?

It usually takes one to two weeks doing occasional reading and note taking, then 10-15 hours in the week before the sermon putting it all together.

On average, for how long do you preach?

Usually for 50 minutes.

What do you find most challenging about preaching?

The most challenging aspect of preaching is getting everything I want to say in the given time slot!

What do you most enjoy about preaching?

Sharing God's Word and seeing people 'light up' in response.

You can listen to John preach here, and here are his preaching notes, which, interestingly, are our first hand-written example…

Preachers on Preaching: Chris Kilby

Chris leads Life Church, Southampton and is a gifted communicator and leader. Like most of the other contributors to this series so far, Chris uses a fairly full manuscript to preach from, which might seem surprising in light of his very engaging and energetic style.

Chris is probably best known outside his home church as an evangelist, and he is also something of a poet. In his answers to my questions both his passion for the gospel and his love for words shine through …

When & where was this sermon preached?

Last Sunday – 17th October 2010. Life Church Southampton.

Was it a special occasion or regular Sunday?

It was a regular Sunday.

Why did you choose this subject/text?

This was part three of a new series in the book of Acts, called ‘Explosive Church’ Available on www.lifesouthampton.org or from the ‘itunes store’.

On average, how long does it take you to prepare a sermon?

I would say in one sense it takes my whole life up until that point!

For a major series I tend to do quite a lot of background reading and study in the three months leading up to the series, making notes and jotting down initial thoughts and ideas. From then I will consider the preaching priorities, and work on a structure for the series. In this particular series, however, I have chosen to begin, but don’t yet have an end point in sight!

From my gathered notes, the actual preparation of the sermon probably takes about 8-10 hours, though sometimes things materialise a lot quicker. (particularly if my pre-prep notes are fairly comprehensive). I think my quickest has been about 3 hours, whereas those that are harder to construct may take a couple of working days.

On average, for how long do you preach?

50 minutes.

What do you find most challenging about preaching?

The balance between digging in deep, and moving on with pace. There are times when I’m desperate to delve, but know I must move on!

What do you most enjoy about preaching?

Seeing lights come on, seeing lives move forward and freedom come. I love the prophetic edge to preaching that changes the dynamic of the church as God speaks to us through the word and births new things in us. I also quite like the drama of preaching, the pathos and appeal, the challenge and the provocation, the exhortation and comforting. The best thing about preaching is that we get to bring lots of glory to Jesus.

You can listen to Chris preach here, and here are his sermon notes:

Preachers on Preaching: David Stroud

David leads ChristChurch London, a church he started in 2004. He also leads the Newfrontiers UK team and has about the fullest diary of anyone I know! David is well know for the prophetic edge to his ministry, as well as a deep concern for issues of social justice. He is also spearheading the Everything conference,  which I have the privilege of being involved with too.

When & where was this sermon preached?

ChristChurch London, Sunday 17 October. This recording was from our afternoon meeting.

Was it a special occasion or regular Sunday?

It was a regular Sunday.

Why did you choose this subject/text?

It was part of a series looking at the Kingdom of God in the gospel of Matthew.

On average, how long does it take you to prepare a sermon?

It depends very much on the subject matter, but it can be anything from about five hours to fifteen. This one took closer to fifteen because it required a lot of thinking, reading and discussion in terms of a) what the text means, b) how it fits within the broader thrust of Scripture and c) the personal application.

On average, for how long do you preach?

35 minutes in our morning meetings and 40 in the afternoon.

What do you find most challenging about preaching?

Crafting a sermon that does justice to the individual text, is true to the whole breadth of scripture, and is engaging, contemporary and relevant. It can take quite some time to go through the multilayered process that is required to preach biblical sermons that are powerful and immediately relevant to twenty first century listeners.

What do you most enjoy about preaching?

It is really satisfying to preach and know God's hand on you, and to receive positive feedback that your preaching has strengthened, convicted and helped people in their walk with God.

You can listen to David’s sermon here, and here are his preaching notes:

Preachers on Preaching: Howard Kellett

Howard Kellett is one of my most treasured friends and is currently starting a new church in Cheltenham having previously started one in Manchester. Howard is well known for his vocal enthusiasm, and for being a supporter of Leeds Football Club (which must have been a test of his enthusiasm over the years!).

When & where was this sermon preached? Was it a special occasion or regular Sunday?

I first put this sermon together for a morning guest service at Hope Church Manchester (now Christ Central Manchester). I have since preached it on a number of other occasions including one-off guest services, and at Gateway.

Why did you choose this subject/text?

The sermon had it’s birth in a brilliant discussion at our Alpha Course. Damien who was helping me (his story is in the new Alpha Lifechangers book) said Jesus “was not religious in fact the religious people of his day hated him because he changed the religious currency of his day” – there was some debate about this amongst the guests so I did an impromptu Bible discussion around John 8. I felt it came together so well in discussion, particularly as the guests didn’t know the story so felt it’s brilliant tension. Therefore I looked for an opportunity to work as a sermon soon after that evening. I have modified it as I have preached it around so it has challenge for believer and unbelievers. 

On average, how long does it take you to prepare a sermon?

On average it takes about 12 hours to pull a sermon together, that does not include the original thinking / reading to pull a series framework together. I read first, then start to write. I don’t use points as I like to let the sermon organically find its own shape. I write it out in full because I use that process to get the sermon deep into me, it also helps you to build key phrases and develop any cadence. I try to order the sermon to include some tension or emotional involvement. I preach with the full manuscript with multiple highlights, but I don’t think I preach from the manuscript, it’s just there to remind me of my thoughts. I can’t reduce my full manuscript to notes either because I lack the skill or more likely because that reduces it to points and I prefer flow to points! 

On average, for how long do you preach?

On average I preach for about 45 minutes, (except at Christian Unions who want three chapters of Daniel in 20 minutes - to which I answer I’ve just got past my intro after 15 minutes - so I usually do 35 minutes for them!)

What do you find most challenging about preaching?

Apart from aiming to be concise and not being overly long (which is often a content and delivery issue more than minutes speaking), I find the biggest challenge is to find something fresh that God speaks into my spirit, a new angle or some new insight for me, that I feel stirred to preach!  I find it easier to preach from narrative than prepositional truth as I like to put myself and my hearers in the story. Stories have conflict, tension, climax and resolution like the gospel! I find beginning easier than ending. So I like thinking of introductions to get people to think “this is relevant to me and I would like to hear you some more on this.” However endings and calling for a response are hardest for me.

What do you most enjoy about preaching?

What I find most exciting about preaching is when you know that right there God’s word is moving peoples emotions and wills, stirring and challenging them so that they take bold faith steps. I guess preaching changes lives like ‘A’ level population demographics never can! (I am a part time school geography teacher.) 

You can hear Howard preach this sermon here, and here are his notes:

Preachers on Preaching: Mbonisi Malaba

One of the great joys of my life over the past six or seven years has been developing friendships with a number of pastors in Zimbabwe. In that troubled country I have experienced such hope, faith and love – and joy – when with the church of Jesus Christ.

Mbonisi is a dynamic church leader and preacher, who leads New Creation Church in Bulawayo. He is a preacher I always love to listen to!

When & where was this sermon preached?

On the 29th of August at New Creation Church

Was it a special occasion or regular Sunday?

It was the start of a 5-part message series titled "Love Bulawayo"

Why did you choose this subject/text?

We were preaching through the book of Acts, and came to Acts 16 - 19 in which Paul pretty much sequentially hits 5 major cities in his second and third missionary journeys. We felt it would be fun to do a "series within the series" by looking at each of these cities in turn, using each narrative to inspire, instruct and equip us for our church's mission in Bulawayo. The objective in this particular message was to show the church that God changes cities by changing one life at a time - as evidenced through three snapshots of the gospel in action in Philippi

On average, how long does it take you to prepare a sermon?

15 - 20 hours

On average, for how long do you preach?

45 - 55 minutes

What do you find most challenging about preaching?

1) Keeping it short 2) keeping it evangelistic and 3) ensuring I communicate one big idea through the message

What do you most enjoy about preaching?

Bringing people into a life-changing encounter with Jesus through the word

Unfortunately no mp3 for this sermon is available. However, you can hear Mbonisi preaching at last years Together on a Mission conference here. 

And here are his sermon notes. Mbo says, “If I take a manuscript into the pulpit, I try not to use it like one!!”

Preachers on Preaching: Matthew Hosier

While I'm waiting for some other guys to get back to me, I thought I may as well put one of my own sermons up here!

My main preaching context is Gateway Church, where I have been since January 2008. I tend to preach about 30 Sundays each year here, but do this in blocks - For instance, I am currently in a run of preaching 11 out of 14 Sundays, but then at another point in the year might go a couple of months without preaching at all. As well as preaching at Gateway I am involved in teaching in a number of training and conference settings.

Here are some answers to my own questions:

When & where was this sermon preached?

Last Sunday, at Gateway, at both our 9 & 11 services.

Was it a special occasion or regular Sunday?

A regular Sunday.

Why did you choose this subject/text?

This term I am preaching a series called 'The Big Story - Exploring the Story of God' which is basically an exercise in biblical theology, focussing on the themes of covenant and kingdom. Last Sunday I was up to God's covenant with Abraham.

 On average, how long does it take you to prepare a sermon?

This is actually quite hard to judge. I tend to plan preaching series a long way in advance (I knew over a year ago that I was going to do this one) which means that I am musing over the content for a long time. I have sermon titles and a precis of content prepared before the series starts. My preferred pattern of preparation in the week before preaching is to spend two or three hours in background work on a Wednesday morning, and to then talk this through with a couple of other guys in the office (including our children's worker, as he produces curriculum for the kids tied in to what I am preaching). I then leave it till Friday, when I would spend another three hours working up my notes. I often then talk it through with Mrs Hosier on Saturday evening, and then give it another couple of hours on Sunday morning. 

On average, for how long do you preach?

This was a long one, at about 50 minutes. Normally I shoot for about 40.

What do you find most challenging about preaching?

Preparation almost always costs me blood, sweat and tears. It is a great challenge to stay true to the word and allow it to impose upon me, rather than me trying to impose upon it. I also find it tough when it feels as though my words are falling on deaf ears!

 What do you most enjoy about preaching?

When I can see people suddenly coming into revelation about something they haven't seen before - when sinners repent, or strongholds are broken, and the saints built up.

You can listen to the sermon here.

And here are my notes - I normally preach from a page and a half or so of bullet points. The notes for this sermon were a bit denser than is normal:

Preachers on Preaching: Andrew Wilson

Last year Joshua Harris ran a series of posts on his blog in which a number of well known preachers volunteered a pdf of their notes. This was fascinating, revealing the very wide range of personalities and approaches that God uses in the ministry of the word.

I thought it might be fun to do something similar on this blog, and if I can get people to cooperate (always a tricky one with preachers!) this should be an interesting series.

First up is Andrew Wilson, who zipped back a reply within a few minutes of me making the request, which was extremely impressive!

Andrew is an Elder at Kings Church, Eastbourne, which is a multi-meeting/site church and one of the largest in the Newfrontiers family. Andrew is well known within Newfrontiers as a preacher, being a key figure at events like Newday and Mobilise, and is increasingly well known as a writer, through his excellent books, Incomparable and God Stories.

Andrew sent me a Powerpoint of his notes, and says he never writes on them, so this as he preached from it. He also answered some preaching questions:

When & where was this sermon preached?

Last Sunday (10 October 2010), Kings Eastbourne/Seaford x3

Was it a special occasion or regular Sunday?

Civic service: we had the MP, Mayor and councillors there.

Why did you choose this subject/text?

It was next in our preaching series on Nehemiah, but we deliberately scheduled the civic event for Neh 5 because the topic (how to use power to pursue justice) was very relevant.

On average, how long does it take you to prepare a sermon?

8 hours (but then I have lots of time to read which isn't preaching prep, much of which no doubt informs my prep).

On average, for how long do you preach?

35 minutes (although this week was 25, because of the civic service context).

What do you find most challenging about preaching?

Humility; speaking slowly.

What do you most enjoy about preaching?

The Jesus connection at the end; getting a really good illustration.

If you would like to listen to Andrew’s sermon, it can be accessed here.

And here are his preaching notes (sorry they're sideways on!):