Chapter 1 - Introduction

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Chapter 1 - Collaborator Discussion

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Learning Activities

Group Discussion Questions (could be offered as an individual activity as well)

1. In this chapter, we defined the gospel as “an announcement and a call from God through Jesus Christ that welcomes us into covenantal relationship.” Spend time interacting with this (imperfect) definition. What resonates with you? What does not sit well with you? How would you define the gospel? How does this definition challenge your understanding?
2. We used five descriptors as a way to offer nuance and texture to the definition of the gospel provided in this chapter. The gospel is transformative, offensive, hopeful, prophetic, and eschatological. In your experience, which of these five descriptors do preachers leave out of their preaching? Also, which of these five do you think you emphasize when you preach and which of these do you neglect?
3. Listen to the audio clip below of Bill Jones describing the kind of gospel that he is called to preach, and offer your reaction. What tensions does Jones navigate? What priorities does he emphasize in gospel proclamation?

4. In this chapter, we highlighted five pseudo-gospels: Moralistic Therapeutic Deism; the gospel dressed in a flag or banner; prosperity; discipleship without grace; and, grace without discipleship. First, reflect on your own experiences of listening to preaching. Which of these five pseudo-gospels have you heard in the past (or recently), and how do you interpret these experiences? Second, consider your proclivities as a preacher. Which of these five pseudo-gospels are you most susceptible to and why?
5. Bryan Chapell mentions three types of “Be” messages: Be Like, Be Good, and Be Disciplined. Which type of message do you gravitate to in your preaching? Why? If you think that you do not gravitate to any of them, reflect on why that is the case.
6. Watch the Bishop Vashti McKenzie sermon clip below. In this sermon, Bishop Vashti McKenzie challenges preachers to preach a gospel to the “powers that be” that provokes the following response: “They won’t like it [the truth of the message], and they won’t like you.”.

7. Understanding our union with Christ requires striking a balance between the indicative and the imperative. Which one of these extremes do you tend toward in your preaching?
8. Would you say that your sermons have a redemptive focus? If so, what does that focus sound like? If not, why not?
9. Pastors Gabriel and Janette Salguero preached the sermon below in Orlando, Florida, shortly after a deadly nightclub shooting that killed 49 people and injured 53 others. How does the gospel offer a word of consolation to those who are hurting and a word of hope to those who might be tempted to abandon it?

10. My fourth proposal was “Help people remember what they have forgotten.” In your judgment, what have people forgotten that they need to remember?
11. Watch the John Ortberg sermon clip below. One of the five descriptors we used in this chapter was that "the gospel is hopeful." In what ways does Ortberg ground this sermon excerpt in a Christian vision of hope?

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Individual Reflection Activity (for preaching journal outside of class or in-class writing activity)

1. Where do I locate myself in my attentiveness to preaching explicitly Christian sermons? What do these insights reveal to me?

2. If I were to solicit feedback, what would others tell me (or what have they already told me) about my attentiveness to preaching Christian sermons?

3. What would it look like for me to take greater risks (i.e., stretch myself) in preaching Christian sermons in order to grow?

4. Name two to three attainable goals that will help you grow in your capacity to preach Christian sermons. In addition to writing down your goals, explain why you chose these goals.

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