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The Passion-Driven Sermon: Changing the Way Pastors Preach and Congregations Listen
Seasoned pastor and educator James L. Shaddix presents a philosophical and theological argument for the practice of biblical exposition as the pastor’s primary approach to preaching ministry in the local church. Shaddix emphasizes listening for God’s voice in the sermon, God-centered vs. man-centered preaching, and/or preaching for real life-change.
- GenresChristianity
192 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2003
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November 17, 2020
My Review:
The Passion-Driven Sermon, a treatise on the importance of expository preaching, is authored by Jim Shaddix. Shaddix, who is currently a Professor of Preaching at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and a Senior Fellow for the Center for Preaching and Pastoral Leadership, previously served as Dean of the Chapel at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and has co-authored another work on Biblical preaching, Power in the Pulpit. The Passion-Driven Sermon was written in response to a steady shift in evangelicalism towards man-centered, pragmatic, and non-expository preaching. The book’s primary claim is that Bible-centered expository preaching is the preeminent means by which faithful pastors glorify God and shepherd their flock. While Shaddix succeeds in boldly presenting a focused case for expository preaching, he often overstates his case with unsupported assertions.
The Passion-Driven Sermon is intended to be read primarily by preaching pastors and is written at a beginner level with a confident and friendly tone. Throughout the book Shaddix contrasts two key phrases, “good stuff,” helpful life advice and practical wisdom, and “God stuff,” the body of truth that is revealed in the Bible (Shaddix, 65). His plea for the exaltation of “God stuff” in preaching is presented in three sections: “Biblical foundation, philosophical framework, and practical implications” (Shaddix, 4). He devotes three chapters to each section. Across each section, Shaddix’s approach centers on his exegesis of 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 and is supplemented with personal anecdotes.
Shaddix is often so eager to voice his convictions that he sometimes overstates his case with unsupported assertions. One such example can be seen in this passage: “In the language of the New Testament, the verb 'determined' (1 Cor. 2:2) is in the aorist tense, indicating a fact which had come to its conclusion. In other words, preaching only Christ and Him crucified was something the apostle had decided before ever arriving on the church field… Paul had settled the issue of what his preaching content would be long before he ever stepped into the pulpit at Corinth. And that message was both Scripture-driven and Christocentric” (Shaddix, 25). Here Shaddix overstates in two places. First, he concludes that Paul’s Christ-centered preaching philosophy had been settled “long before… [arriving at] Corinth” (emphasis added, Shaddix, 25). While the aorist tense does denote punctiliar action, nowhere does this passage state or imply that Paul’s Christ-centered preaching philosophy had solidified a long period of time before arriving at Corinth. The aorist tense of the word “determined” could have described Paul setting his mind moments before his arrival. Secondly, Shaddix’s assertion that Paul’s message was “Scripture-driven” is unsupported by 1 Corinthians 2:1-2. Rather than detailing Paul’s philosophy of “Scripture-driven” preaching in another paragraph, Shaddix inserted this textually unsupported claim alongside his apt emphasis on Paul’s “Christocentric” preaching philosophy. While both of these overstatements do not compromise the veracity of his claims, they do characterize the occasionally unfounded assertions in the book as a whole.
Perhaps the most prominent feature throughout The Passion-Driven Sermon is Shaddix’s relentless and repeated focus on his thesis. His focus on the importance of emphasizing the same core truths in each sermon can be seen here: “The fear of repetition leads us to promote a hermeneutical paradigm [- maximizing secondary application and minimizing primary intent -] that we would otherwise shun” (Shaddix, 19). Although this statement describes the importance of not straying from the Gospel in preaching every week, it characterizes the commitment and focus Shaddix has in expounding his thesis throughout The Passion-Driven Sermon. This focus can be seen from beginning to end: He advocates for the “authority of the Word” (Shaddix, 26), stresses the importance of the “meat of the gospel” (Shaddix, 56), exalts “God stuff” over “good stuff” (Shaddix, 79), and trumpets expositional preaching as the best way to showcase the Word of God (Shaddix, 142). All of these instances are simply different ways of driving home the importance of Bible-centered, Christ-exalting expositional preaching. The Passion-Driven Sermon does not consist of one main thesis and supporting argumentation, rather, it is a constant re-emphasis of the importance of expositional preaching by repeatedly proclaiming the thesis in different ways. This strategy of relentless repetition ultimately proves effective, given that Shaddix’s primary aim is to inspire and exhort towards an ideal, not to teach a method.
Overall, The Passion-Driven Sermon is a flawed, yet sufficiently effective treatise on the importance of Bible-centered, Christ-exalting expository preaching. The book's value lies in the clarity and force of its message, a message for both preacher and congregant. The reader’s next step, regardless of their role in the local church, is to engage more critically with the weekly sermon event and pray earnestly for Christ to be chiefly exalted through the preaching of His Word. The Passion-Driven Sermon shows, with bold focus and occasional overstatement, that Bible-centered expository preaching is the preeminent means by which faithful pastors glorify God and shepherd their flock.
My Favorite Quotes:
"The fear of repetition leads us to promote a hermeneutical paradigm [- maximizing secondary application and minimizing primary intent -] that we would otherwise shun!" (p. 19)
"There is a difference between Jesus as a good example or pattern and Jesus as the crucified Lord who lays claim to every person's life." (p. 20)
"To be sure, [the cross of Jesus Christ] will bring comfort to the hurting heart. But it will be a lasting comfort because it grows out of the crucified life." (p.49)
"Dear preacher, preach for spiritual health, not for practical help!" (p. 56)
'When the minister goes to the pulpit, he is the shepherd in the act of feeding' - Charles Jefferson (p. 60)
"How fast believers grow depends totally on how much truth they embrace and apply to their lives." (p.72)
"It is far more important for the shepherd to teach people to 'think Christianly' than to act rightly." (p. 115)
"[Sermons that use Scripture casually] fail to claim the listeners by the eternal truths of the text and the historical realities which encase them." (p. 150)
"The most effective musical worship leaders are those who enter into worship themselves and then simply invite the rest of us to join in with them." Same advice applies to preachers. (p. 159)
"This book, instead, has been a humble attempt to extract a practical theology of pastoral preaching from the Bible. Its foundational premise is that preaching - and the sermons that express it - must be driven by a passion for the glory of God." (p.175)
The Passion-Driven Sermon, a treatise on the importance of expository preaching, is authored by Jim Shaddix. Shaddix, who is currently a Professor of Preaching at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and a Senior Fellow for the Center for Preaching and Pastoral Leadership, previously served as Dean of the Chapel at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and has co-authored another work on Biblical preaching, Power in the Pulpit. The Passion-Driven Sermon was written in response to a steady shift in evangelicalism towards man-centered, pragmatic, and non-expository preaching. The book’s primary claim is that Bible-centered expository preaching is the preeminent means by which faithful pastors glorify God and shepherd their flock. While Shaddix succeeds in boldly presenting a focused case for expository preaching, he often overstates his case with unsupported assertions.
The Passion-Driven Sermon is intended to be read primarily by preaching pastors and is written at a beginner level with a confident and friendly tone. Throughout the book Shaddix contrasts two key phrases, “good stuff,” helpful life advice and practical wisdom, and “God stuff,” the body of truth that is revealed in the Bible (Shaddix, 65). His plea for the exaltation of “God stuff” in preaching is presented in three sections: “Biblical foundation, philosophical framework, and practical implications” (Shaddix, 4). He devotes three chapters to each section. Across each section, Shaddix’s approach centers on his exegesis of 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 and is supplemented with personal anecdotes.
Shaddix is often so eager to voice his convictions that he sometimes overstates his case with unsupported assertions. One such example can be seen in this passage: “In the language of the New Testament, the verb 'determined' (1 Cor. 2:2) is in the aorist tense, indicating a fact which had come to its conclusion. In other words, preaching only Christ and Him crucified was something the apostle had decided before ever arriving on the church field… Paul had settled the issue of what his preaching content would be long before he ever stepped into the pulpit at Corinth. And that message was both Scripture-driven and Christocentric” (Shaddix, 25). Here Shaddix overstates in two places. First, he concludes that Paul’s Christ-centered preaching philosophy had been settled “long before… [arriving at] Corinth” (emphasis added, Shaddix, 25). While the aorist tense does denote punctiliar action, nowhere does this passage state or imply that Paul’s Christ-centered preaching philosophy had solidified a long period of time before arriving at Corinth. The aorist tense of the word “determined” could have described Paul setting his mind moments before his arrival. Secondly, Shaddix’s assertion that Paul’s message was “Scripture-driven” is unsupported by 1 Corinthians 2:1-2. Rather than detailing Paul’s philosophy of “Scripture-driven” preaching in another paragraph, Shaddix inserted this textually unsupported claim alongside his apt emphasis on Paul’s “Christocentric” preaching philosophy. While both of these overstatements do not compromise the veracity of his claims, they do characterize the occasionally unfounded assertions in the book as a whole.
Perhaps the most prominent feature throughout The Passion-Driven Sermon is Shaddix’s relentless and repeated focus on his thesis. His focus on the importance of emphasizing the same core truths in each sermon can be seen here: “The fear of repetition leads us to promote a hermeneutical paradigm [- maximizing secondary application and minimizing primary intent -] that we would otherwise shun” (Shaddix, 19). Although this statement describes the importance of not straying from the Gospel in preaching every week, it characterizes the commitment and focus Shaddix has in expounding his thesis throughout The Passion-Driven Sermon. This focus can be seen from beginning to end: He advocates for the “authority of the Word” (Shaddix, 26), stresses the importance of the “meat of the gospel” (Shaddix, 56), exalts “God stuff” over “good stuff” (Shaddix, 79), and trumpets expositional preaching as the best way to showcase the Word of God (Shaddix, 142). All of these instances are simply different ways of driving home the importance of Bible-centered, Christ-exalting expositional preaching. The Passion-Driven Sermon does not consist of one main thesis and supporting argumentation, rather, it is a constant re-emphasis of the importance of expositional preaching by repeatedly proclaiming the thesis in different ways. This strategy of relentless repetition ultimately proves effective, given that Shaddix’s primary aim is to inspire and exhort towards an ideal, not to teach a method.
Overall, The Passion-Driven Sermon is a flawed, yet sufficiently effective treatise on the importance of Bible-centered, Christ-exalting expository preaching. The book's value lies in the clarity and force of its message, a message for both preacher and congregant. The reader’s next step, regardless of their role in the local church, is to engage more critically with the weekly sermon event and pray earnestly for Christ to be chiefly exalted through the preaching of His Word. The Passion-Driven Sermon shows, with bold focus and occasional overstatement, that Bible-centered expository preaching is the preeminent means by which faithful pastors glorify God and shepherd their flock.
My Favorite Quotes:
"The fear of repetition leads us to promote a hermeneutical paradigm [- maximizing secondary application and minimizing primary intent -] that we would otherwise shun!" (p. 19)
"There is a difference between Jesus as a good example or pattern and Jesus as the crucified Lord who lays claim to every person's life." (p. 20)
"To be sure, [the cross of Jesus Christ] will bring comfort to the hurting heart. But it will be a lasting comfort because it grows out of the crucified life." (p.49)
"Dear preacher, preach for spiritual health, not for practical help!" (p. 56)
'When the minister goes to the pulpit, he is the shepherd in the act of feeding' - Charles Jefferson (p. 60)
"How fast believers grow depends totally on how much truth they embrace and apply to their lives." (p.72)
"It is far more important for the shepherd to teach people to 'think Christianly' than to act rightly." (p. 115)
"[Sermons that use Scripture casually] fail to claim the listeners by the eternal truths of the text and the historical realities which encase them." (p. 150)
"The most effective musical worship leaders are those who enter into worship themselves and then simply invite the rest of us to join in with them." Same advice applies to preachers. (p. 159)
"This book, instead, has been a humble attempt to extract a practical theology of pastoral preaching from the Bible. Its foundational premise is that preaching - and the sermons that express it - must be driven by a passion for the glory of God." (p.175)
May 8, 2025
Jim Shaddix is a mentor and discipler to many great preachers and pastors of today. I recommend this book as it is timelessly written.
My issue with books like this and others is the convolution of the idea and definition of preaching being deducted simply to pulpit ministry.
My issue with books like this and others is the convolution of the idea and definition of preaching being deducted simply to pulpit ministry.
December 29, 2023
This book is a great reminder of leaning on the Scriptures for life transformation in the church not on teaching methods or best practices, even though they have their place.
Shaddix summarizes well from the beginning what he believes to be the key in preaching (and hearing preaching): "Exposure to the truth of God's Word rightly unfolded is the only way that those of us who listen to sermons will ever be re-created into the image of Christ."
As I started this book, I was hesitant because it appeared the author wanted to dispatch all teaching methods and best practices around communication. However, having read the book that is not at all what he is suggesting. He is merely consumed (and rightly so) with prioritizing the exposition of the Scripture and letting the "God stuff" be what the speaker says not the "good stuff."
It's worth the read just for this reminder.
Shaddix summarizes well from the beginning what he believes to be the key in preaching (and hearing preaching): "Exposure to the truth of God's Word rightly unfolded is the only way that those of us who listen to sermons will ever be re-created into the image of Christ."
As I started this book, I was hesitant because it appeared the author wanted to dispatch all teaching methods and best practices around communication. However, having read the book that is not at all what he is suggesting. He is merely consumed (and rightly so) with prioritizing the exposition of the Scripture and letting the "God stuff" be what the speaker says not the "good stuff."
It's worth the read just for this reminder.
May 13, 2023
Sorry Shaddix…
____
My ⭐️ rating criteria
- ⭐️: I absolutely did not like or totally disagreed with the book and would recommend that no one else read it
- ⭐️⭐️: the book was below average style or content, wouldn’t read it again, but wouldn’t beg people not to read it necessarily
- ⭐️⭐️⭐️: a fine book, some helpful information (or a decent story, for the handful of novels I read), didn’t disagree with too much, enjoyed it decently well
- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: a very good book, information was very helpful, mostly agreed with everything, was above-average enjoyable to read
- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: life-changing book, I enjoyed it more than most other books, I want to read it again in the future, I will be telling everyone to read it for the next few weeks
____
My ⭐️ rating criteria
- ⭐️: I absolutely did not like or totally disagreed with the book and would recommend that no one else read it
- ⭐️⭐️: the book was below average style or content, wouldn’t read it again, but wouldn’t beg people not to read it necessarily
- ⭐️⭐️⭐️: a fine book, some helpful information (or a decent story, for the handful of novels I read), didn’t disagree with too much, enjoyed it decently well
- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: a very good book, information was very helpful, mostly agreed with everything, was above-average enjoyable to read
- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: life-changing book, I enjoyed it more than most other books, I want to read it again in the future, I will be telling everyone to read it for the next few weeks
January 1, 2019
The way this book is laid out is as helpful as the content it contains. Shaddix passionately drives preachers to consider their calling and purpose in preaching, not for the sake of entertainment, but for the benefit of the hearers, and the glory of God. This is another helpful preaching book.
July 27, 2014
This is a book with both strengths and weaknesses. To be honest, this is not a classic.
Jim Shaddix is a pastor and teacher of preaching at New Orleans Baptist Seminary. He co-authored Power in the Pulpit, a preaching manual, with Jerry Vines. This book, The Passion Driven Sermon, is not a manual, but a theology of preaching. In this book he wrestles with what preaching is, and what it should be.
The Passion Driven Sermon, according to Shaddix, should be a sermon driven by passion for the glory of God. His passion is evident throughout the book as he addresses issues relating to preaching and the Bible, preaching and the pastor’s role as shepherd, then preaching and the sermon.
There are some real strengths in this book. His style is uncompromising. The recurring idea throughout is that preaching should be filled with “God’s stuff” rather than just “good stuff.” The passion for God, for His glory and for His Word, is commendable. The repeated swipes at non-expository felt needs preaching is certainly needed in certain circles.
However, there are also real weaknesses in this book. Often the swipes taken at non-expository felt needs preaching swipe too broadly. The reader soon has the sense that any specific relevance to the daily life of the listener is a compromise that should be rejected.
Is it not possible to preach Christ and Him crucified, to preach theocentric and Biblical sermons, making clear the claim of Christ on the lives of the listener, but to do so with relevance and application? True expository preaching demands both Bible and relevance.
Pendulums swing far, often too far – but it is important to get the point of the swing. Shaddix’s book is a pendulum swing away from man-centered, unbiblical, rhetorically driven ear-scratching preaching. He swings too far and rejects too much, but we should hear his message anyway.
We do need the message of this book today, but I would be nervous if a preacher followed this book to the letter. After reading this, it would be healthy to read another book that places the importance of relevance in Biblical exposition back in its rightful place.
To be honest, at times it felt like Shaddix was in a bad mood when he wrote the book. Strengths and weaknesses, but not a classic.
Originally reviewed on http://www.biblicalpreaching.net
Jim Shaddix is a pastor and teacher of preaching at New Orleans Baptist Seminary. He co-authored Power in the Pulpit, a preaching manual, with Jerry Vines. This book, The Passion Driven Sermon, is not a manual, but a theology of preaching. In this book he wrestles with what preaching is, and what it should be.
The Passion Driven Sermon, according to Shaddix, should be a sermon driven by passion for the glory of God. His passion is evident throughout the book as he addresses issues relating to preaching and the Bible, preaching and the pastor’s role as shepherd, then preaching and the sermon.
There are some real strengths in this book. His style is uncompromising. The recurring idea throughout is that preaching should be filled with “God’s stuff” rather than just “good stuff.” The passion for God, for His glory and for His Word, is commendable. The repeated swipes at non-expository felt needs preaching is certainly needed in certain circles.
However, there are also real weaknesses in this book. Often the swipes taken at non-expository felt needs preaching swipe too broadly. The reader soon has the sense that any specific relevance to the daily life of the listener is a compromise that should be rejected.
Is it not possible to preach Christ and Him crucified, to preach theocentric and Biblical sermons, making clear the claim of Christ on the lives of the listener, but to do so with relevance and application? True expository preaching demands both Bible and relevance.
Pendulums swing far, often too far – but it is important to get the point of the swing. Shaddix’s book is a pendulum swing away from man-centered, unbiblical, rhetorically driven ear-scratching preaching. He swings too far and rejects too much, but we should hear his message anyway.
We do need the message of this book today, but I would be nervous if a preacher followed this book to the letter. After reading this, it would be healthy to read another book that places the importance of relevance in Biblical exposition back in its rightful place.
To be honest, at times it felt like Shaddix was in a bad mood when he wrote the book. Strengths and weaknesses, but not a classic.
Originally reviewed on http://www.biblicalpreaching.net
January 30, 2016
This book calls for pastors to preach to the glory of God and for congregants to demand sermons that are preached to the glory of God. A frequent theme in the book is that preaching should not give us good stuff (i.e., things like common sense wisdom, how-to messages for the living of life, material from books the pastor has read, and other things that may sound good and useful but come from the minds of man) but should rather give us God-stuff (i.e., the Bible). This is a good call that is very needed in these times of biblical illiteracy, a condition that can be traced directly to pulpits from which things other than the Word of God sound.
On the negative side, there is quite a bit of repetition in the book, and, for some reason, I found it difficult to read. That may just be my problem; the book is not poorly written; it's just that I repeatedly found myself anticipating the next word to be something other than what it turned out to be. This is not a typical problem in my reading, but in this book, it caused me to have to reread a lot of sentences. Perhaps other readers would not have that problem.
I recommend this book for pastors. We have got to get back to preaching the Word of God from our pulpits lest the Christianity in America devolve into simply a way of living rather than the worship of the living God who has saved us through the blood of His Son, Jesus.
On the negative side, there is quite a bit of repetition in the book, and, for some reason, I found it difficult to read. That may just be my problem; the book is not poorly written; it's just that I repeatedly found myself anticipating the next word to be something other than what it turned out to be. This is not a typical problem in my reading, but in this book, it caused me to have to reread a lot of sentences. Perhaps other readers would not have that problem.
I recommend this book for pastors. We have got to get back to preaching the Word of God from our pulpits lest the Christianity in America devolve into simply a way of living rather than the worship of the living God who has saved us through the blood of His Son, Jesus.
September 24, 2009
I was skeptical of this book at first. I have read several books on preaching including Power in the Pulpit (co-authored by Jim Shaddix). What else is there to say about preaching that I haven’t already heard or read? I thought. However I am pleased to say that I was pleasantly surprised and edified by reading The Passion Driven Sermon. Instead of focusing on the details of sermon delivery, in this book Shaddix keeps the main thing the main thing. His high view of Scripture and the Church flows through the pages of this book. He constantly exhorts his readers to keep preaching Christ-centered and Bible centered through exegetically sound and Bible-focused arguments. As the book’s subtitle suggests, Shaddix not only offers timely words of wisdom to pastors, but his high view of preaching allows even for helpful instruction for those in the congregation. While there is certainly more that could be said on this subject, for preacher and parishioner alike, The Passion Driven Sermon is a worthwhile read.
November 21, 2012
This book is written by a pastor and hoomiletics professor. It is n't difficult reading. Shaddix wants to encourage preachers to preach for the purpose of bringin glory to God. The book details how he believes it should be done. I read it for a D.Min. class at Union University. It is an encouraging reminder of the importance of the preaching event to pastors and congregations in an age that minimizes preaching.
May 15, 2011
Good book on the personal life of pastors and on the nature of biblical preaching.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews