Kenneth > Recent Status Updates

Good job answering the why to do things. Quite a bit too wordy though. Several chapters are 45+ pages, with only the last 10 or so pages telling you how to do what he describes.

Ironically refers to parables as the epitome of illustration, ignoring that the purpose of Jesus’s parables was to hide truth, not make it clear.

Good information, mostly idealistic rather than descriptive. It’s a lot of what to strive for with little of how to do it.

The arguments make some leaps that are not logically supported. They may (or may not) be accurate, but the lack of argument is worrisome.

This book seems to resort to pragmatic wisdom more often than biblical principle

Helpful primer on ethical frameworks and the source of Christian ethics

Helpful but not greatly so. I'm finding the scenarios too general and the applications fail to account for specific nuances. Some examples:
Q23 isn't an ethical issue at all. The chapter on cohabitation argues from statistics rather than biblical principles. The chapter on pornography says nothing about shows or films that include nudity.

The chapter on the congregation is probably one of the strongest in the book

I think I can summarize the argument of this book: rely on the Spirit of God to illuminate the Word of God so you can preach the Son of God to the people of God.

The first 5 chapters feel like an extended introduction on expository preaching: The Holy Spirit has an intended meaning in the text, you need the Spirit’s illumination to find it, you need the Spirit’s help to preach it, and the congregation needs the Spirit to receive it.

This book uses far more words than necessary to say: recognize the emotion of the text, match that emotion in your preaching. It reads like a dissertation lightly edited for print rather than rewritten for popular consumption. The chapter conclusions by Jerry Vines add nothing that Dooley didn't already say, meaning they may as well not be included. It seems Vines is only here so that this book will sell.

The discussion of 'tone' in chapter 1 is misleading. This is a book about genres and different hermeneutics for different genres. And it's really good, albeit a bit repetitive from chapter to chapter. I found his advice immediately helpful to improve my preaching.

Never has a guide of grammar been so fun!

Also:
What does the text teach us to do in relation to what it says about God? in relation to our own fallen condition?

This book is very thorough. The target audience seems to be people who have never studied or thought about preaching and are now setting themselves to that task.

Good way to identify timeless truths: What did the writer intend for the original audience? Why did the Holy Spirit include it for modern readers? What implications are true for all people? What issues have bearing on every person in every generation?

Chapter 1 presents an amazing biblical theology of preaching!

A short book with simple advice, yet tremendously helpful

I was a bit hasty on my first update. To correct that:
The overall summaries are a bit basic. They provide enough information to follow the flow each New Testament book but lack the depth to discover the nuances that accompany the arguments of each book.

The overall summaries are rather basic, failing to provide enough depth to really follow the flow of the argument/story of each New Testament book.