Christ-Centered Sermons
Models of Redemptive Preaching
About
Highly regarded preacher and teacher Bryan Chapell shows readers how he has prepared expository sermons according to the principles he developed in his bestselling Christ-Centered Preaching. This companion volume provides concrete examples of how a redemptive approach to Scripture is fleshed out in various types of sermons and various genres of the Bible. The example sermons not only demonstrate different approaches but also are analyzed for pedagogical purposes, helping readers move from theory to practice. In essence, the book allows students and preachers to look over Chapell's shoulder as he prepares these messages to learn how to construct their own expository sermons that communicate grace and truth from both the Old and New Testaments.
Contents
Introduction: Christ-Centered Sermons
Part One: Structure
Example Sermon One: Expository Sermon in Formal Structure Format
Example Sermon Two: Expository Sermon in Fundamental Reduction Format
Example Sermon Three: Expository Sermon in Inductive (Narrative) Format
Example Sermon Four: Topical Sermon for a Special Occasion
Part Two: Biblical Theology
Example Sermon Five: Predictive Christ-Centered Interpretation (A Bridge Example)
Example Sermon Six: Preparatory Christ-Centered Interpretation (A Dead End Example)
Example Sermon Seven: Reflective Christ-Centered Interpretation (Narrative Passage)
Example Sermon Eight: Resultant Christ-Centered Interpretation (A Macro-Approach)
Example Sermon Nine: Resultant Christ-Centered Interpretation (A Micro-Approach)
Part Three: Gospel Application
Example Sermon Ten: Indicative/Imperative Dynamics (Indicative Emphasis)
Example Sermon Eleven: Indicative/Imperative Dynamics (Imperative Emphasis)
Example Sermon Twelve: Union with Christ: Motivation and Enablement
Example Sermon Thirteen: Preach the Word
Indexes
Endorsements
"Bryan Chapell's Christ-Centered Sermons is an important contribution to the field of homiletics. In it Chapell applies the biblical theology of Christ-Centered Preaching in helpful and well-explained examples that underscore the author's own skill and insight."
Scott M. Gibson, Haddon W. Robinson Professor of Preaching and Ministry and director of the Haddon W. Robinson Center for Preaching, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
"With skill and imagination Bryan Chapell teaches us to preach what we practice. He unpacks principles from his classic Christ-Centered Preaching in a dazzling range of his own sermons in which we can read his helpful commentary. Rarely does a homiletician open up his mind and heart so generously. Preachers are in his debt. Again."
Michael Quicke, Koller Professor of Preaching and Communication, Northern Seminary
"What a privilege it is for the reader of this volume to have access to the blueprints of a premier architect of expository preaching. In Christ-Centered Preaching Bryan Chapell provided principles; he said what he saw. In Christ-Centered Sermons Chapell provides examples of sermons that bring his principles to life; we can see what he said. This book is for those interested in being biblically grounded in their preparation while remaining fresh and creative in their presentation."
Robert Smith Jr., professor of divinity, Beeson Divinity School, Samford University
"It is no easy task to preach sermons that exposit a biblical text faithfully, rightly connect it to Christ, and address hearers' deep needs for God's radical grace, all while communicating clearly and vividly. A good beginning is to grasp key principles and practices to be applied in crafting such rich and relevant messages. But watching a gifted preacher in action turns sound theory into transformative coaching. This is what Bryan Chapell's Christ-Centered Sermons offers to his fellow preachers. This collection is the next best thing to sitting across from Dr. Chapell in his pastoral study and hearing him talk through his process for composing sermons. If you have said to yourself, 'Yes, I must preach Christ and his grace from every passage of Scripture, but how?', these sermons and the strategic comments surrounding them point the way."
Dennis E. Johnson, professor of practical theology, Westminster Seminary California
The Author
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© Jay Fram Bryan Chapell
Bryan Chapell, PhD, is a pastor and author known for presenting the heart of the gospel of Jesus Christ around the world. He is president of Unlimited Grace Media, daily broadcasting grace-filled messages in major US cities and streaming coursework for the...
Continue reading about Bryan Chapell
Reviews
"Offers outstanding examples of sermons that reflect varying models of biblical exposition. This is a wonderful collection of messages that will inspire and inform preachers who seek to strengthen their own skills in biblical preaching."
Preaching
"Christ-Centered Sermons teaches more than what might be expected. . . . It is a rich source of powerful illustrations delivered not simply to explain biblical truth but also to motivate reception of and response to that truth. This feature alone would make the book worth its price! In addition, those wondering how to handle challenging topics in an increasingly secular culture will benefit from the pastoral and apologetic wisdom modeled in the sermons and clearly explained in footnotes. . . . Christ-Centered Sermons deserves wide readership. . . . It is difficult to imagine any preacher who would not benefit from knowing the mind and heart of a master preacher. Christ-Centered Sermons provides each of us the opportunity to do just that."
Clarence DeWitt "Jimmy" Agan III,
Presbyterion
"Reading these sermons reveals why Chapell is such a beloved homiletics professor and pastor--they are simple, clear, direct, and saturated with the gospel. . . . As a pastor, I found myself at times vacillating between poles when I read this book. At times I probably overscrutinized (how many different introductions should one sermon have?), and at other times I felt the hopeless realization that I will never be as effective a preacher as Chapell. At times I was scouring the book with the determination to labor to improve my preaching, and at other times I read devotionally with the trust that God works through his proclaimed Word regardless of the preacher. While these tensions no doubt stem from me as a reader, I trust that they also point to a book that is instructive and convicting, challenging and comforting. And although this book is more geared toward those who will preach, the sermons are indeed an encouragement for any who desire to look away from themselves to Christ."
Micah McCormick,
Books at a Glance
"If you found Chapell's Christ-Centered Preaching a helpful tool in thinking through sermon preparation and how to approach preaching, you will be interested in this companion volume. Talk about method is always important, but few things trump actually getting your hands dirty. That is what Chapell does here. He gives you an array of example sermons of 'Christ-Centered' preaching."
Matthew Barrett,
Credo blog