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Gems from SWBTS’ Preaching Workshop on Jonah

On Monday, October 6, the Center for Expository Preaching and the preaching faculty of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary hosted our fall Advanced Expository Preaching Workshop. The topic was “Preaching Jonah.”


Drs. Steven Smith, Vern Charette, Matthew McKellar and I each took a chapter of Jonah and talked about how to preach it.


The audio of each session will be available on Southwestern’s website in a few days.

Here are a few of the gems from the presentations ——-

“Text-driven preaching is the interpretation and communication of a Biblical text in a sermon that is shaped by the structure, substance, and spirit of the text.”


“Preach the text, not the event behind the text.”


“If you make up your mind to run from God, the devil will always provide transportation.”


“The lot fell on Jonah. God’s got your number!”


“You can pick your means of rebellion, but not your means of salvation.”


“Justification: God delivers us from God. Sanctification: God delivers us from ourselves.”


“How do you pray when you’re desperate and its your fault?”


“Jonah got a mulligan from the Lord (Jonah 3:1).”


“The word in Hebrew translated ‘believe’ in Jonah 3:5 is the word ‘Amen.’ It is the same word in every language. The Ninevites said ‘amen’ to Jonah’s preaching!”


“God writes his signature across our circumstances.”


“The reputation of the God of grace in Nineveh necessitated the loss of the reputation of Jonah in Israel.” (Sinclair Ferguson)


“God had pity on the city. Jonah had a pity party.”


“Beware of attempting to withold from others that which God has lavished on you.”


Jonah ends abruptly with a question. How will you finish the story?


“The enthusiasm of the kingdom is missing. And that is because there is so little enthusiasm for the King.” (Andrew Murray)


“And Jonah stalked to his shaded seat and waited for God to come around to his way of thinking. And God is still waiting for a host of Jonahs in their comfortable houses to come around to His way of loving.” (Thomas Carlisle)

Join us March 2 & 3, 2015, for our spring Preaching Workshop – “Preaching Jude”!


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