Ep. 336: Moving a church from topical to expository preaching
How do you move a church raised on topical sermons toward expository preaching? Brian Croft and Jim Savastio share hard-won counsel: start with the Sermon on the Mount, not Romans; watch your sermon length; and expect the transition to take years, not months. Humbling, practical, and deeply pastoral. Enjoy this episode of Trench Talk!
Contact us. We’d love to serve you
Request a stay at a Shepherd’s House Location
Give financially to support the work of helping pastors thrive
Write a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
(01:30) The Listener Question: Topical to Expository
(03:01) The Anchor Text: 2 Timothy 3-4
(05:08) The Case for Expository Preaching
(07:56) Broad Exposure to the Whole Bible
(09:02) Teaching People How to Read Their Bibles
(10:19) Brian's Own Church: 70 Years of Topical Preaching
(12:20) Start Short, Familiar, and Compelling
(14:18) Larger Chunks, Shorter Series
(16:49) "Why Are You Giving Us a Bible Study?"
(18:28) The Band of Brothers Illustration
(19:48) Sermon Length as the Hidden Variable
(21:10) Simplicity, Spurgeon, and Ryle
(22:43) Patience — A Multi-Year Horizon
(25:19) Preacher and Congregation Growing Together
(26:39) They're Being Patient With You, Too
(27:30) Sprinkling Topical Sermons Back In
(28:34) Don't Preach a Commentary — Point to Christ
(30:02) Working on the Craft of Communication
(31:37) Final word and Prayer