Book Review: Power in the Pulpit, by Dr. Jerry Vines and Dr. Jim Shaddix

Truly a preaching encyclopedia.

In the fall semester of my Junior year at Pensacola Christian College, I had the opportunity to take a homiletics class. Our teacher for the class referenced two authors: Vines and Shaddix. The insights that he took from this book really spoke to me. So when I had the opportunity to review the book he was referencing, I immediately took it!

Power in the Pulpit is all about expository preaching. For those who don't know, expository preaching is the type of preaching that takes a passage of scripture and exposes what is in that one passage for the listeners. It lets the Bible speak for itself, rather than being the words of the preacher or teacher. Vines and Shaddix divided this book into three sections: the preparation for exposition, the process of exposition, and the presentation of the exposition. The preparation is everything that occurs before the preacher even cracks open his Bible. It develops a philosophy of expository preaching, a theology for expository preaching, and deals with the personal life of the man who will be doing the preaching. This background information and behavior is vital in the life of any preacher. The process is what happens behind the scenes of the sermon- the study of the text and the preparation of the sermon itself. The details given here on sermon preparation are immensely helpful to anyone, even if you have been studying the Scriptures your whole life. The presentation is what it sounds like: the actual preaching of the Word of God. From developing the preacher's personal style to the use of the voice to connecting the sermon to the audience down to effective delivery, Vines and Shaddix connect with the reader to give them a better understanding of what needs to be said.

I absolutely loved this book!! Despite being very deep at some times, this depth only enhanced my desire to read it. I could not put it down. Biblical methods and practical application flow from this amazing work. Anyone who is even remotely considering the ministry as a potential career should read this book. You will not regret it. 5 STARS OUT OF 5 EASILY!!

WHERE TO BUY THIS BOOK:

https://www.amazon.com/Power-Pulpit-Prepare-Deliver-Expository/dp/0802415571/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1517253459&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=power+in+the+pulpit&psc=1

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK:

Vines, Dr. Jerry and Dr. Jim Shaddix. Power in the Pulpit: How to Prepare and Deliver Expository Sermons, Revised Edition. Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2017.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL: I received a complimentary copy of this book through the MP Newsroom book review program, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.