The Right Tools to Preach Like an Old Testament Prophet

Good contextualization is hard work. Like an onion, there are so many layers to consider when communicating the message of the Bible. If you miss just one of these layers, your message could end up falling flat. And contextualization isn’t just a modern concept; the Old Testament prophets are instructive when it comes to preaching. They were commissioned by God to convey his Word to his people at a specific time and place. That commission hasn’t changed in the thousands of years since then.

God’s Word is always contextual. Scripture may be unchanging, but its application is not. In his new book, Excellent Preaching, Craig Bartholomew helps pastors shape their preaching through the intersection of two trajectories: the message of the text and the context in which and to which they are preaching. As he puts it, “I can think of few things more important than a renaissance of preaching in our day.”

The right tools

In Excellent Preaching, Bartholomew imagines the contextualization of Scripture to your congregation’s life in relation to a series of concentric circles. To compliment the insights found in Excellent Preaching, we’ve carefully selected 14 other resources that fit into each of these areas.

Your place in the biblical story

With DIY Bible Study, you’ll be able to step into the grand narrative of Scripture to see how our God has wrestled with—and saved—humanity. Application-focused content, accompanied by stunning graphics, helps you see what the Bible meant to its original readers and what it means for us today.

Your place in time

In Mending a Fractured Church, Michael Bird and Brian Rosner provide a guide to maintaining unity without compromise. What does it really mean for the church to have unity? How should we deal with diversity? Which differences are worth dividing over? In a time when the church is divided more than ever, Bird and Rosner look to the Bible for examples of how to behave when Christians differ.

Your area

Spreading the gospel isn’t a just a local phenomenon, it’s a global mission. In The Gospel Works Everywhere, you’ll hear 14 inspiring stories from around the world. You’ll learn how missionaries around the globe are sharing the gospel in their specific cultural contexts. See how the good news continues to change lives everywhere.

Your culture

If Jesus truly is Lord over everything, then our faith is relevant to every dimension of culture. In Every Square Inch, Bruce Ashford helps us remove the barrier between “sacred” and “secular,” and to allow the gospel to inform everything we do. We are to live our lives firmly in the midst of our cultural contexts, proclaiming Jesus with our lips and promoting him with our lives.

Your congregation

As the centerpiece of this bundle, Excellent Preaching explains how to preach so that the powerful message of the Bible penetrates the daily lives of your congregation. Craig Bartholomew draws on years of preaching experience and rigorous scholarship to bridge the gap between a biblical foundation and relevant application.

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Bridge the gap between Scripture and culture with Excellent Preaching by Craig Bartholomew and 14 other ministry resources. For a limited time, get 70% off the Excellent Preaching Bundle!