Preaching with Purpose: The Urgent Task of Homiletics

Great book. I really enjoyed it immensely. When a speaker takes the time to prepare in advance he isn't as led by whim and impulse and actually leaves MORE room for the Holy Spirit to work because the speaker is relying less on himself and MORE on preparation and study. The principles given in this book have considerably freed up time and energy to focus on other important aspects of what I do. As with ANY book, other than the Bible, there are parts that are more applicable than others. There are going to be things that just may not be practical for your ministry or for your style but there ARE a lot of principles that should become a mark of maturity and as a sign of growth.

Jay Adams covers the fundamentals in great preaching in this book. There is no fluff or beating around the bush. He simply states the basics of great preaching and the purpose by which it comes. I recommend it to any preacher, if nothing else, as a refresher in what is important in preaching. Covering the basics, he also gives references if you want to do further digging in.

Like Pee Wee Herman, you either love Jay Adams or hate him. He (Adams) never backs away from a fight, and never hesitates to state his case with force and assurance. Thankfully, these qualities make "Preaching With Purpose" a delightful book. Adams cuts through the padding found in so many homiletics texts and serves the prime rib sans gluey gravy. The title pretty much gives the book away (as a good title should): Adams expects you to learn to find the God-given purpose ("telos" in Greek) in every text. Purpose is not just for your choice of verses however; it extends to your gestures, illustrations, etc. This "telic" purpose of preaching immediately eliminates much of the rambling and sidebars that obscure the plain message of the Gospel, much like Adams' compact style eliminates much of the wasted ink in many preaching textbooks. In 162 pages (including the index) he covers everything from choice of text to style of delivery. The section on finding illustrations (hint: he doesn't like books of illustrations, so you won't find any recommended titles here...) is alone worth the price of the book! I have yet to see a preacher who couldn't benefit from continued study of homiletics. Why not start here?