The Bible places an incredibly high value on preaching and so at Seven Mile Road we are doing our best to take preaching really seriously. This includes weekly discussion on the front and back end as we work to craft Biblically faithful, gospel-centered, pastorally helpful sermons going into Sundays and evaluating each other with honest feedback coming out of Sundays. In addition, this summer, we are running a Preaching Cohort. Here’s what that means and what it will look like.

Preaching Cohort

The aim of the Preaching Cohort is to help guys who have a desire to preach become better students, communicators, and preachers of God’s Word. This applies to those who sense a calling to preach regularly or occasionally. Our aim is to work together as peer learners and help each other along in this process. Each man must therefore be committed to not only his own growth, but the growth of his brother as well.

Schedule

Night One (3hrs)

• Establishing a Biblical Theology of Preaching: Why do we preach? Why is preaching important? How should we preach? Using Scripture and any helpful resources (books, articles, etc) we will first lay down a vision that undergirds our commitment to preaching well.

• Studying Your Passage:Each person will be assigned a passage with a view towards developing a sermon and preaching that section at Seven Mile Road. Each preacher will come to the night having studied his passage (taking notes on verses, reading commentaries, etc). We will talk through the process of studying a passage and will group-study our various passages together. Each person is then responsible to further study his portion and develop an outline/manuscript before the next meeting.

Night Two (4hrs)

• Developing Your Outline/Manuscript:Each preacher will come to the night having developed either a very meaty outline or a full manuscript (based on personal preference). As a group, we will review one another’s outlines and give honest and helpful feedback.

Nights Three & Four (3hrs/each)

• Delivering Your Sermon:Each of us will preach to the others in the group. We will then give honest and helpful feedback. By this point, our focus will not be on content (to be dealt with in previous sessions) but on mechanics of communication and overall delivery.

As the Lord reminds you, please pray for the pulpit of Seven Mile Road and the men who fill it.