Preachers Talk - A podcast by 9Marks & The Charles Simeon Trust

Preacher Mailbag #7 (Ep. 83) Feb 13, 2025

How should pastors listen to preaching without getting distracted or overly critical? Should kids ever not be present in a sermon, given the content? As for personal illustrations, is it ever ok to be the hero? Dave and Ed take listener-submitted questions from Jeremy.
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On Short Bible Talks (Ep. 82) Jan 30, 2025

Preachers often have opportunities to give short talks at events from the bible. What is the preacher to do in such situations? What are the challenges? And how can these talks improve our regular preaching? Ed, Dave, and Jeremy discuss.

On Preaching in Cross-Cultural Contexts (Ep. 81) Dec 19, 2024

How does one preach cross-culturally? What even counts as cross-cultural? On this episode, Ed and Jeremy sit down with Walter Carter III to discuss the benefits and challenges of preaching outside one's regular pulpit ministry.

On Wielding the Gospel Well (Ep. 80) Nov 21, 2024

What is the preacher supposed to do with the gospel in a sermon? How can they use it to further the point of the text and not ruin it? Ed, Dave, and Jeremy take up these questions and give examples from their own pulpit work.

On Preaching Short Passages (Ep. 79) Nov 07, 2024

How does one go about preaching short texts? Why would a preacher consider doing so? Listen in as Dave, Ed, and Jeremy discuss these questions and more.

On Beginning a New Preaching Role (Ep. 78) Oct 24, 2024

How should a seasoned preacher approach a new preaching role? What does pastoral wisdom look like in such a position? Ed, Dave, and Jeremy draw on their own successes and failures to answer these important kinds of questions.

On Re-preaching Sermons (Ep. 77) Oct 03, 2024

Can a preacher re-preach a sermon? If so, where and when? What might the benefits and pitfalls be of such a practice? Listen in as Dave, Ed, and Jeremy talk it out.

On Obedient Playfulness (Ep. 76) Sep 19, 2024

What do we do with the strange, gross, and just plain weird parts of the bible? Why is playfulness an important element in the preacher's pursuit of faithfulness to the text?
Listen in as Ed, Dave, and Jeremy revel in the need for obedience and playfulness in preaching.

On Preaching the Main Point (Ep. 75) Sep 05, 2024

What does one do once they have gotten to the heart of the text? How does one effectively wield the main point of a passage?
This week Dave, Ed, and Jeremy tackle these important challenges.

Preacher Mailbag #6 (Preachers Talk, Ep. 74) Apr 18, 2024

Just how much of the text should a preacher read before he preaches it? What about rereading while you preach? And how do you deal with a text that has multiple popular interpretations? These are just a few of the questions Jeremy found in the mailbag to discuss with Ed and Dave

On Preaching Apocalyptic Literature (Preachers Talk, Ep. 73) Apr 04, 2024

There is no denying it, preaching apocalyptic literature is tough, so why should we do it? What are the unique benefits and challenges to preaching it well?
In this episode Dave, Ed, and Jeremy discuss this important genre of literature.

On Life and the Pulpit (Preachers Talk, Ep. 72) Mar 21, 2024

Every pastor lives the majority of life outside the pulpit. How does it affect the preacher? How does the preacher embrace the moment they are in without it dominate the preaching? Dave, Ed, and Jeremy wrestle with the tension between life and the pulpit.

On Preaching Epistles (Preachers Talk, Ep. 71) Mar 07, 2024

Most of us who were trained in preaching were trained to preach Epistles. What are the challenges of preaching them? Why is preaching them beneficial for the church? Hear Ed, Dave, and Jeremy discuss this beloved section of Scripture

On PhDs and Preaching, with Robert Kinney (Preachers Talk, Ep. 70) Feb 22, 2024

Does a preacher need a PhD? What are the benefits...and substantial challenges to getting one? Dave and Jeremy are joined by Robert Kinney to discuss this important topic.

On Preaching Long Passages (Preachers Talk, Ep. 69) Feb 08, 2024

How should a preacher go about preaching long passages? Why should anyone do so in the first place? Dave, Ed, and Jeremy have a short conversation on long texts.

On Preaching Gospels/Acts (Preachers Talk, Ep. 68) Jan 25, 2024

What makes Gospels/Acts so interesting and yet so challenging to preach? How can the preacher preach them well? Ed, Dave, and Jeremy answer these kinds of questions, providing examples from their own preaching.

On Preaching Amidst Church Conflict (Preachers Talk, Ep. 67) Dec 14, 2023

How does a preacher do his job well when he knows there is strife in the congregation? Dave, Ed, and Jeremy tackle this difficult topic, giving insight into what to do...and what to avoid.

Preacher Mailbag #5 (Preachers Talk, Ep. 66) Nov 30, 2023

Should there be a primary preacher in a pulpit or is team teaching ideal? How do you preach when you just don't feel like it? These questions, and many more, are pulled out of the mail bag and tossed around between Ed Copeland, Dave Helm, and Jeremy Meeks.

On Preaching Wisdom Literature (Preachers Talk, Ep. 65) Nov 16, 2023

Wisdom is intensely practical, and yet also intensely difficult to preach sometimes. How can a preacher do it well? Why should we preach it in the first place?
Listen in as Dave Helm, Ed Copeland, and Jeremy Meeks wrestle with an often neglected area of literature.

On Clarity, with Robert Kinney (Preachers Talk, Ep. 64) Oct 19, 2023

Why is clarity important in preaching? What leads to a lack of clarity and how can the preacher strive for it? Listen in as Dave Helm and Jeremy Meeks discuss the issue with Robert Kinney.

On Preaching in Diverse International Contexts, with John Folmar (Preachers Talk, Ep. 63) Oct 05, 2023

Preaching is never easy, but the diversity of one's audience can make it a particular challenge...and joy. John Folmar joins Dave and Jeremy to discuss preaching and training others to do the same in Dubai.

On Adornment, with Robert Kinney (Preachers Talk, Ep. 62) Sep 21, 2023

What does it mean to make our sermons pleasing and moving? Should we do that in the first place? If so, why? Robert Kinney joins Dave and Jeremy as they wrestle with some of the artistic elements of persuasion.

On Preaching as Pastoral Ministry, with Mark Dever (Preachers Talk, Ep. 61) Sep 07, 2023

Preachers Talk is back! In this episode, Dave and Jeremy are joined by a special guest, Mark Dever.

On Preaching Prophets (Preachers Talk, Ep. 60) Jul 13, 2023

It's not uncommon for a pastor's preaching schedule to linger on the Gospels and epistles and look past the major and minor prophets. In this episode of Preachers Talk, Jeremy chats with Dave and Ed about why they love preaching prophetic literature—and why your pastor should, too.

On Weddings (Preachers Talk, Ep. 59) Jun 29, 2023

Weddings are wonderful celebrations, but the preaching at a wedding can be a challenging affair. How does one choose a text? How should the preacher approach the moment? Dave, Ed, and Jeremy draw from long experience to help preach well at a wedding.

On Training Preachers, with Michael Lawrence (Preachers Talk, Ep. 58) Jun 15, 2023

Is it even possible to train preachers? If so, why is going to seminary only helpful but insufficient?
In this episode of Preachers Talk, Dave and Jeremy discuss all this and more with their guest Michael Lawrence.

On Preaching Old Testament History (Preachers Talk, Ep. 57) Jun 01, 2023

Many people love bible stories, but preachers can be reluctant to preach them. Why are they challenging and why should preachers take up the challenge? Listen in as Ed, Dave, and Jeremy discuss preaching Old Testament History and share examples from their own pulpit work.

On Funerals (Preachers Talk, Ep. 56) May 18, 2023

How do you determine what to preach in the challenging, unique, and evangelistically-loaded moment of a funeral? Dave, Ed, and Jeremy share their wisdom on how to be sensitive to God's word and the moment in a way that serves all who hear.

Preacher Mailbag #4 (Preachers Talk, Ep. 55) May 04, 2023

How should a preacher deal with people talking about football rather than the sermon after church? Just how artful should sermons be anyways? Jeremy digs into the mailbag once again to fire your questions at Ed and Dave.

On AI and Preaching (Preachers Talk, Ep. 54) Apr 20, 2023

If AI could write a sermon for you, should you let it? What if it wrote one better than you could? Listen in as Dave, Ed, and Jeremy figure out how AI can be utilized in preaching...and why we should avoid it.

On Avoiding Boredom (Preachers Talk, Ep. 53) Apr 06, 2023

In this episode of Preachers Talk, the hosts discuss on avoiding boredom

On Text Size Selection (Preachers Talk, Ep. 52) Mar 23, 2023

Should we preach books fast or slow? Listen to Ed, Dave, and Jeremy discuss the benefits and dangers of the extremes while seeking to free the preacher from the burdens of thinking there is a perfect way to divide preaching units.

On Audience (Preachers Talk, Ep. 51) Mar 09, 2023

How should the preacher take the audience into consideration as he prepares his sermon?
Hear Ed, Dave, and Jeremy wrestle with the joys and complexities of preaching with one's particular audience in mind.

On Biblical Context (Preachers Talk, Ep. 50) Feb 23, 2023

On Homiletical Structure (Preachers Talk, Ep. 49) Feb 09, 2023

On Cultural Context (Preachers Talk, Ep. 48) Jan 19, 2023

On Preaching During the Holidays (Preachers Talk, Ep. 47) Dec 08, 2022

On Historical Context (Preachers Talk, Ep. 46) Nov 17, 2022

On Engaging the Listener | Preachers Talk, Ep. 45 Oct 20, 2022

On Literary Context | Preachers Talk, Ep. 44 Oct 06, 2022

On Preachers Mailbag #3 | Preachers Talk, Ep 43 Jul 14, 2022

On Cultural Relevance | Preachers Talk, Ep. 42 Jun 30, 2022

On Exposition for All (with Mervyn Eloff) | Preachers Talk, Ep. 41 Jun 09, 2022

On Beginning Well | Preachers Talk, Ep. 40 May 26, 2022

On Preaching Discourse | Preachers Talk, Ep. 39 May 05, 2022

On Preaching Hard Texts | Preachers Talk, Ep. 38 Apr 07, 2022

On Preaching Poetry | Preachers Talk, Ep. 37 Mar 03, 2022

Poetry takes up a significant amount of Scripture. It can be of great help to the hearer and a gift to the preacher. This week Ed, Dave, and Jeremy explain why poetry is so useful and how they preach it.

On Effective Illustration | Preachers Talk, Ep. 36 Feb 17, 2022

What are illustrations for? How can preachers use them to good effect in their preaching? In this episode Dave, Ed, and Jeremy seek to answer these questions and more while giving examples from their own work.

On Preaching Narrative | Preachers Talk, Ep. 35 Feb 03, 2022

Everyone love stories. The Bible is full of stories. In this episode of Preachers Talk, Jeremy Meeks chats with Dave Helm and Ed Copeland about how to preach the Bible’s narratives well.

On Training Women for Exposition (with Colleen McFadden) | Preachers Talk, Ep. 34 Jan 20, 2022

This week, Jeremy and Dave sit down with Colleen McFadden to discuss how to train women to teach the Bible in complementarian settings.

On Introductions | Preachers Talk, Ep. 33 Dec 17, 2021

Every preacher begins a sermon, but most could begin them better. On this episode Ed, Dave, and Jeremy discuss what should be in our introductions and why.

On Getting Started Late | Preachers Talk, Ep. 32 Dec 03, 2021

Is preaching just a "young man's game"? On this episode Jeremy, Ed, and Dave consider the benefits to older preachers, both those who start late and those who have been at it for a while.

On Application (with Michael Lawrence) | Preachers Talk, Ep. 31 Nov 19, 2021

Every pastor knows they should apply the text. How should we do it well? How can we do it better?

Preacher's Talk Mailbag #2 Oct 28, 2021

In this episode Jeremy goes through the mailbag, asking a wide variety of questions submitted by listeners to Dave and Ed.

On Concession and Refutation | Preachers Talk, Ep. 29 Oct 07, 2021

Sermon listeners have objections to what preachers say, believer and unbeliever alike. Dave, Ed, and Jeremy answer the question - What should and can the preacher do in order to name and navigate these objections?

On Argument | Preachers Talk, Ep. 28 Sep 02, 2021

What is it the preacher is trying to do when he preaches? David Helm, Ed Copeland, and Jeremy Meeks discuss the vital task of making an argument in preaching. They tackle what it is and how they go about doing it in their own work.

On Pride vs. Contempt of Praise (with Mike Bullmore) | Preachers Talk, Ep. 27 Jul 29, 2021

How do we pursue humility while we also pursue excellence in preaching? On this episode Dave Helm and Jeremy Meeks sit down with Mike Bullmore to wrestle with the task of preaching without pride.

On Doing Your Own Work | Preachers Talk, Ep. 26 Jul 08, 2021

Though the question of what it means to do your own work in the pulpit has been raised a lot recently, Dave Helm, Ed Copeland, and Jeremy Meeks had a conversation months ago about this perennially important topic.

On Cross-Cultural Preaching (with John Onwuchekwa) | Preachers Talk, Ep. 26 Jun 24, 2021

God’s Word is for everyone. But how do we preach to people who are quite different from our ordinary audience?
In this episode of Preachers Talk, Jeremy Meeks, Ed Copeland, and John Onwuchekwa tackle the challenging topic of cross-cultural preaching.

On Preaching as an Assistant | Preachers Talk, Ep. 25 Jun 10, 2021

On Power for Proclamation | Preachers Talk, Ep. 24 May 14, 2021

What does it mean to preach in a way that demonstrates the Spirit and power (1 Cor. 2:4–5)? In this episode of Preachers Talk, Dave Helm, Ed Copeland, and Jeremy Meeks discuss the significance of the Spirit’s power in preaching.

On Power for Preparation | Preachers Talk, Ep. 23 Apr 30, 2021

Preachers need the Holy Spirit’s help as they prepare. In this episode of Preachers Talk, Jeremy Meeks chats with Ed Copeland and David Helm about “power for preparation.”

On Ethos | Preachers Talk, Ep. 22 Apr 08, 2021

In this episode of Preachers Talk, Jeremy Meeks chats with David Helm and K. Edward Copeland about a preacher’s need for “ethos.” What’s ethos? David defines it as that vital and indispensable attribute of credibility.

Preachers Talk Mailbag #1 Mar 25, 2021

In this episode of Preachers Talk, Jeremy Meeks pulls from the mailbag and asks Ed Copeland and David Helm questions about preaching. If you have questions about preaching, send them to feedback@preacherstalk.org.

On Conclusions | Preachers Talk, Ep. 20 Mar 11, 2021

In this episode of Preachers Talk, Jeremy Meeks chats with David Helm and K. Edward Copeland about how to thoughtfully conclude a sermon.

On Typology | Preachers Talk, Ep. 19 Feb 25, 2021

Typology is a legitimate means from getting to your text from the gospel—through people, objects, events, or patterns. Jeremy Meeks chats with David Helm and K. Edward Copeland about preaching and typology.

On Rhetoric (with Robert Kinney) | Preachers Talk, Ep. 18 Feb 11, 2021

How important is a preacher’s rhetoric?
Jeremy Meeks chats with David Helm and Robert Kinney of The Charles Simeon Trust about this under-discussed topic.

On Guest Preaching | Preachers Talk, Ep. 17 Jan 28, 2021

In this episode of Preachers Talk, David Helm sits in the interviewer’s chair and chats with Ed Copeland and Jeremy Meeks about how to approach guest preaching.

On Biblical Quotations and Allusions (with Michael Lawrence) | Preachers Talk, Ep. 16 Jan 14, 2021

In this episode of Preachers Talk, Jeremy Meeks chats with David Helm and Michael Lawrence about how preachers ought to approach the Bible’s many quotations and allusions.

On The Preaching Moment (Preachers Talk, Ep. 15) Dec 17, 2020

When God’s people gather for corporate worship to sit under God’s Word, it’s different than a Bible study or a Sunday School class. It is—or at least it should be—transcendent.

Episode 14: On Historical Trajectory Dec 03, 2020

While preparing a sermon, preachers need to pay careful attention to their text’s historical trajectory. What’s “historical trajectory”?

Episode 13: On the Personal Process of Writing a Sermon Nov 12, 2020

In this episode of Preachers Talk, Jeremy Meeks asks Ed and David how the “sermon sausage gets made.” From Sunday to Sunday, how does this sermon-prep and sermon-writing process work?

Episode 12: On Discerning the Structure of A Biblical Text Oct 22, 2020

How do you figure out the structure of a biblical text? After you figure out the structure, how then do you create an outline for your sermon?
In Episode 12 of Preachers Talk, Jeremy Meeks chats with David Helm and K Edward Copeland about this.

Episode 11: On Finding Your Voice Oct 08, 2020

Every preacher has been shaped by others preachers. That’s inevitable. But how can preachers find their own voice even as they appreciate their various influences?

Episode 10: On Preaching the Gospel Sep 24, 2020

Must you preach it in every sermon? How do you prevent every sermon from sounding the same or flattening your text?

Episode 9: On Giving and Receiving Feedback on Preaching Aug 20, 2020

In this episode of Preachers Talk, Jeremy Meeks talks with David Helm and K. Edward Copeland about the value of giving and receiving feedback on preaching.

Episode 8: On Planning a Preaching Calendar Jul 23, 2020

How do you decide what to preach? How long should you stay in a book? Doesn’t planning sermons several months out “quench the Spirit”?

Episode 7: On Preaching over the Long Haul Jun 25, 2020

David Helm and Ed Copeland have both been preaching at the same place for more than 20 years. In this episode of Preachers Talk, Jeremy Meeks chats with them about how all preachers should think about preaching for the long haul.

Episode 6: On Preaching in a Troubled Age May 29, 2020

The nation is reeling, and Sunday is coming. So what should preachers do?

Episode 5: On Preaching in a Distracted Age May 21, 2020

We live in a distracted age in which many people are addicted to images and intimidated by reading.
In this episode of Preachers’ Talk, Jeremy Meeks chats with Ed Copeland and David Helm about the subversive act of preaching in a distracted age.
Preachers' Talk is a podcast for preachers, and those who love preaching.

Episode 4: On Preaching in a Pandemic Apr 23, 2020

Preachers' Talk is a podcast for preachers and all those who love preaching, created by a partnership between Simeon Trust and 9Marks.
https://simeontrust.org
http://9marks.org

Episode 3: On Inebriated Preaching Mar 26, 2020

What does it mean to be “drunk in the pulpit”? It means to lean on the Bible more for support than illumination.
On this episode of Preachers’ Talk, listen to David Helm, Jeremy Meeks, and K. Edward Copeland discuss “inebriated preaching.”

Episode 2: On Defining "Expositional Preaching" (with H. B. Charles) Feb 20, 2020

Preachers' Talk: a podcast by the Charles Simeon Trust and 9Marks.
Learn more at simeontrust.org.

Episode 1: On the State of Preaching Today (with Jonathan Leeman) Jan 22, 2020

In the inaugural episode of Preachers’ Talk, Jonathan Leeman chats with three friends from Simeon Trust—David Helm, Ed Copeland, and Jeremy Meeks—about preaching.
https://simeontrust.org
http://9marks.org

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