Christ-Centered Sermons: Models of Redemptive Preaching

by Bryan Chapell

Highly regarded preacher and teacher Bryan Chapell shows readers how he has prepared expository sermons according to the principles he developed in his bestselling Christ-Centered Preaching . This companion volume provides concrete examples of how a redemptive approach to Scripture is fleshed out in various types of sermons and various genres of the Bible. The example sermons not only demonstrate different approaches but also are analyzed for pedagogical purposes, helping readers move from theory to practice. In essence, the book allows students and preachers to look over Chapell's shoulder as he prepares these messages to learn how to construct their own expository sermons that communicate grace and truth from both the Old and New Testaments.

Genres: Theology, Christian

272 pages, Paperback

First published September 15, 2013

About the author

Bryan Chapell is the president of Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri, the denominational seminary of the Presbyterian Church in America. He began teaching at Covenant in 1984 after ten years in pastoral ministry. Chapell has a BSJ from Northwestern University, an MDiv from Covenant Theological Seminary, and a PhD in speech communication from Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Before becoming president in 1994, he served for six years as vice president for academics and dean of faculty. He is a speaker in churches and conferences around the country, preaching and lecturing on topics including grace, marriage, and journalism. Chapell's online broadcast ministry, Living Christ 360, contains additional resources in his areas of expertise.

Reviews

[Lukas Stock · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some decently helpful tidbits, but overall a real slog. Fairly milquetoast reformed evangelical stuff with a Gen X/Boomer penchant for sappy and/or goofy illustration.

[Megan]

This book might not seem appealing to some at first glance...sermons are usually reserved for preachers, priests, and evangelists and most of us aren't one of these. BUT, I thought as a hopeful writer of devotionals that this would help me center my essays in biblical truth and inspiration and this book offers great suggestions and methods of study.

Loved this book!

[PD · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is excellent. First, it is a companion to Chapell’s textbook Christ-Centered Preaching. This collection of sermons give examples of various sermonic structures with footnotes along the way emphasizing key concepts and references to the textbook.

Second, this book could be encouraging to the non-seminarian or preacher. I know that this collection served as technical honing for me but also was a beacon’s light pointing to safe passage to Christ. Any preacher is a sheep first and must hear the Shepherd’s voice.

If you read this book, however, and you do not exposit the Bible vocationally, then the footnotes may still be interesting to you to see the mind of a seasoned preacher as Bryan Chapell. He literally wrote a textbook on the subject of preaching that thousands of seminarians read across various ecclesiastical spectrums. Of course you could benefit from reading these sermons for yourself and ignore all the technical footnotes.

[Mark Popovitch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though this book “works best” as a companion to Dr. Chapell’s Christ-Centered Preaching, it is an absolutely wonderful stand alone volume of sermons preached to the heart from a great preacher. The sermon “To Make God Come Down” is worth the purchase price alone, but then “Tinsel for Twigs”, “Grits and Grace”, and “The First Repenter” make whatever you pay for this book seem like you underpaid for it. I really can’t recommend it enough for preachers and non-preachers alike. The sermons read incredibly well, and the footnotes throughout offer explanations to help the reader listen to sermon with a keener ear (or a sharper writer of sermons for preachers). Excellent, excellent stuff.

[Timothy · Rating 4 out of 5]

great book, it will be finding its way to my reference shelf for use in further study. I found the book beneficial in many ways, with respect to understand thinking and speaking points from my own attendance in church, it provided for me at least a much better use of my time with respect to a devotional period. since I read it once, I can journey back through it and explore aspects of the word and eventually begin to craft a sermon or two and write lessons for my own study and further enhance and enjoy being a more faithful christian.

[Ryan Linkous · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a helpful companion volume to Chapell's "Christ-Centered Preaching." Most of the sermons are pretty good and few of them were great, especially example sermons 7 and 8.

[Chad Reinhardt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful examples of sermon types. Great ground work for future sermon writers.