A Little Book for New Preachers
Although I consider myself to be a relatively new teacher, I also feel responsible to train up new teachers at my church. In A Little Book for New Preachers, Matthew D. Kim writes on why and how to study homiletics.
Little Books
This is my first book in IVP Academic’s Little Books series, where career scholars sum up their time-tested wisdom and pass it on to a new generation. They offer a starting point for students, an inspiring vision, and an opportunity to set their course into the future. They were books made to be put in the hands of beginning students.
In just over 100 pages, Kim breaks down why we should study preaching, gives three characteristics of faithful preaching, and details three characteristics of faithful preachers. This is a small book packed with knowledge on every page.
For New Preachers
Why study preaching? Kim says that preaching is a forgotten discipline with a great legacy. Rightly so, he says that the point of preaching is making disciples. Kim uses Scripture passages to prove his points. He cuts quickly and writes precisely.
The characteristics of faithful preaching are faithful interpretation, faithful cultural exegesis, and faithful application. Those familiar with these steps will agree that they are fundamental, and Kim does them justice in just a few pages. You can sense the weight of his words in his desire to help others get the meaning and message of the Scripture text correctly.
Good News
I was most inspired by reading about the characteristics of faithful preachers. They are to be pastoral and loving, a person of character and integrity, and prayerful and Spirit-led. These chapters helped give the book a more spiritual and heartfelt focus, as preachers must seriously consider their calling.
New preachers will find this an excellent companion as they learn the craft of preaching. Veteran preachers will find it invigorating to revisit the basics and refocus on the fundamentals. As a relatively new teacher, I now have a tool to help sharpen my skills. I will recommend this book to teachers in training. And I hope to carry on the tradition and legacy of faithfully preaching the good news to the world.
I received a media copy of A Little Book for New Preachers (Amazon) and this is my honest review. Find more of my book reviews and follow Dive In, Dig Deep on Instagram - my account dedicated to Bibles and books to see the beauty of the Bible and the role of reading in the Christian life. To read all of my book reviews and to receive all of the free eBooks I find on the web, subscribe to my free newsletter.