Example Over Eloquence: Preaching That Begins With Your Life

In this preaching class Stuart Olyott shows that “preaching is not the most important thing” and that “being an example is much more important than preaching.” Drawing on 1 Timothy 4:11, 1 Peter 5, and Ephesians 2:14–17, he explains why the “sort of life you live” must precede your words, why “little Jesus’s” must speak from a heart-to-heart place, and how true preaching is “the exposition and application of the word of God.” By focusing on character, conscience, and clear, Christ-centered illustration rather than mere lecture, Olyott equips pastors to leave their congregations “longing” rather than “loathing” at the close of a sermon.