Kevin Stilley

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January 9, 2017 by kevinstilley

Spring 2017 Criswell College Chapel

Check out the great list of speakers for chapel this semester at Criswell College, and then come join us.

Tuesday, January 17                     Dr. Barry Creamer, President, Criswell College (Convocation/Regalia)

Thursday, January 19                   Dr. Dante Wright, Senior Pastor, Sweet Home Baptist Church, Round Rock, TX                    

Tuesday, January 24                    Dr. Jeffrey Bingham, Dean of the School of Theology, SWBTS, Fort Worth, TX

Thursday, January 26                  Dr. Christopher Graham, Assistant Professor of Theology, Criswell College

Tuesday, January 31                     Sanctity of Life Panel Discussion (not all participants secured)

Leanne Jamieson, Director, Prestonwood Pregnancy Center, Richardson, TX

Ann Hettinger, former State Director, CWA Texas, Dallas, TX

TBD, Gladney Center for Adoption, Fort Worth, TX (waiting on confirmation)

Thursday, February 2                  Jerry A. Johnson, President and CEO, National Religious Broadcasters, Washington, D.C.

Tuesday, February 7                    Dr. Jeff Campbell, Assistant Professor of Preaching, Dean of Students, Criswell College

Thursday, February 9                  Dr. Adam Greenway, Dean, Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism and Ministry, Vice President for Academic Services, Southern Seminary, Louisville, KY (SBTC Revitalization Conference)

Tuesday, February 14                  Joshua Crutchfield, Senior Pastor, FBC Madisonville, TX

Thursday, February 16                Great Commission Chapel, Kenya Mission trip testimonies

Tuesday, February 21                  Dr. Bruce Ashford, Provost and Dean of Faculty, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, NC

Thursday, February 23                Dr. Danny Akin, President, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, NC

Tuesday, February 28                  JT Riley, Pastor, Providence Baptist Church, Providence Village, TX

Thursday, March 2                      Aaron Scarbrough, Pastor, Graceview Baptist Church, Burleson, TX

Tuesday, March 7                        Kevin Stilley, Chief Business Officer and Vice President of Finance, Criswell College

Thursday, March 9                      Dr. Steve Hunter, Hope for the Heart Chair of Biblical Counseling and Professor of Counseling & Psychology, Criswell College

Tuesday, March 14                      Spring Break

Thursday, March 16                    Spring Break

Tuesday, March 21                       Great Commission Week Chapel, Shane Pruitt, Director of Missions, Southern Baptists of Texas Convention

Thursday, March 23                    Church Revitalization Chapel preacher TBD (Dr. Meraz will schedule)

Tuesday, March 28                      Dr. Everett Berry, Professor of Theology, Criswell College

Thursday, March 30                    Preaching Award Recipient (TBD)

Tuesday, April 4                           Dr. Joseph Wooddell, Vice President of Academic Affairs, Criswell College

Thursday, April 6                         Dr. Barry Creamer, President, Criswell College

Filed Under: Blog, Education, Preaching / Teaching, Texas Tagged With: Barry Creamer, Chapel, Criswell College, Kevin Stilley, Preaching

July 4, 2014 by kevinstilley

Recommended Books on Preaching

Danny Akin, President of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, has recommended the following books on Preaching.  What books would you remove or add to his list?  Have you read any of the below titles?   What did you think of it?

Azurdia, Arturo. Spirit Empowered Preaching: Involving the Holy Spirit in Your Ministry. Fearn: Christian Focus, 2000.

Broadus, John A. On the Preparation and Delivery of Sermons. Revised by Vernon L. Stanfield. 4th ed. New York: Harper, 1979.

Chapell, Bryan. Christ-centered Preaching: Redeeming the Expository Sermon. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1994.

Clowney, Edmund. Preaching Christ in all of Scripture. Wheaton: Crossway, 2003.

Goldsworthy, Graeme. Preaching the Whole Bible as Christian Scripture: The Application of Biblical Theology to Expository Preaching. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2000.

Heisler, Greg. Spirit-Led Preaching: The Holy Spirit’s Role in Sermon Preparation and Delivery. Nashville: Broadman, 2007.

Lloyd-Jones, D. Martyn. Preaching and Preachers. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1971.

MacArthur, John., Jr. Rediscovering Expository Preaching. Dallas: Word, 1992.

McDill, Wayne. The 12 Essentials for Great Preaching. 2nd. ed. Nashville: Broadman, 2006.

_______. The Moment of Truth: A Guide to Effective Sermon Delivery. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1999.

Olford, Stephen F. with David Olford. Anointed Expository Preaching. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1998.

Piper, John. The Supremacy of God in Preaching. rev. ed. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2004.

Richard, Ramesh. Preparing Expository Sermons. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2001.

Robinson, Hadden W. Biblical Preaching. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1980.

Rummage, Stephen. Planning Your Preaching: A Step-by-Step Guide for Developing a One-Year Preaching Calendar. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2002.

Shaddix, James L. The Passion Driven Sermon. Nashville: Broadman, 2003.

Spurgeon, Charles. Lectures to My Students. repr. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1954.

Stott, John R.W. Between Two Worlds: The Art of Preaching in the Twentieth Century. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1982.

Vines, Jerry. Power in the Pulpit: How to Prepare and Deliver Expository Sermons. Chicago: Moody, 1999.

York, Herschel W. and Bert Decker. Speaking with bold Assurance. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 2001.

Filed Under: Blog, Books, Preaching / Teaching Tagged With: bibliography, Daniel Akin, pastor, Preaching, recommended reading, SEBTS

October 4, 2013 by kevinstilley

Bring the Books! [Charles Spurgeon]

“Paul had a few books which were left, perhaps wrapped up in the cloak, and Timothy was to be careful to bring them. Even an apostle must read. Some of our very ultra Calvinistic brethren think that a minister who reads books and studies his sermon must be a very deplorable specimen of a preacher. A man who comes up into the pulpit, professes to take his text on the spot, and talks any quantity of nonsense, is the idol of many. If he will speak without premeditation, or pretend to do so, and never produce what they call a dish of dead men’s brains—oh! that is the preacher. How rebuked are they by the apostle! He is inspired, and yet he wants books! He has been preaching at least for thirty years, and yet he wants books! He had seen the Lord, and yet he wants books! He had had a wider experience than most men, and yet he wants books! He had been caught up into the third heaven, and had heard things which it was unlawful for a men to utter, yet he wants books! He had written the major part of the New Testament, and yet he wants books! The apostle says to Timothy and so he says to every preacher, “Give thyself unto reading.” The man who never reads will never be read; he who never quotes will never be quoted. He who will not use the thoughts of other men’s brains, proves that he has no brains of his own. Brethren, what is true of ministers is true of all our people. You need to read. Renounce as much as you will all light literature, but study as much as possible sound theological works, especially the Puritanic writers, and expositions of the Bible. We are quite persuaded that the very best way for you to be spending your leisure, is to be either reading or praying. You may get much instruction from books which afterwards you may use as a true weapon in your Lord and Master’s service. Paul cries, “Bring the books”—join in the cry.”

– – From “Paul — His Cloak and His Books”, a sermon preached by Rev. C.H. Spurgeon at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, November 29, 1863.

Filed Under: Bible Exposition, Blog, Books, Ethics / Praxis, History, Preaching / Teaching, Quotes Tagged With: Books, Preachers, Preaching, Reading, Spurgeon

January 11, 2011 by kevinstilley

Discussion Questions from Aristotle’s Rhetoric

Introduction

1.       Is The Rhetoric a reaction toward Isocrates and the sophist?

2.       What is the significance of the The Rhetoric?

Book One

3.       Why is rhetoric the “counterpart of dialectic”? 1354a

4.       Does this definition differ from other ancient rhetoricians?

5.       What is his definition of rhetoric?  1335b.35.

1.)    What are the limitations of this definition?

2.)    Has this definition changed in the culture; in the academy?

6.       What are the three types of rhetoric? 1358b5.

1.)    What is Deliberative (Political) Rhetoric?

2.)    What is Epideictic (Ceremonial) Rhetoric?

3.)    What is Judicial (Legal/Forensic) Rhetoric?

Book Two

7.       Discuss Aristotle’s triad of rhetoric.  Why would this be helpful in the evaluation of current speeches?  What is the liability of its use with speeches/sermons?

1.)    Pathos

i.      It is advisable pedagogy to arouse emotion (anger/fear/indignation) without its resolution?

ii.      It is advisable pedagogy to teach without pathos?

2.)    Ethos

i.      What is his understanding of Ethos?

ii.      Is it limited to character, or broadened to encompass credibility/ability.  (Return to 1356a5).

3.)    Logos

i.      Was his emphasis the content of the speech or the development of logical argumentation?

8.       Are these criteria by which we could evaluate our own classroom rhetoric?

Book Three

9.       What stylistic choices of speech delivery would seem appropriate/inappropriate for contemporary rhetoric?

10.   How applicable, in a contemporary context, is his warning against bad taste in rhetoric? 1406a

Applications

11.   What influence does this work have on the contemporary pulpit?

12.   How could it be used to train pastors?

13.   How could it be used to train professors?

A Suggested Chart of Relations between ancient Rhetoric and the Contemporary Pulpit

Cicero De Oratore 55 BC

Governor of Cilicia 51-50 BC; would have resided in Tarsus

Apostle Paul  II Cor. 2:1-5 AD 55-56

Warns against “persuasive words of wisdom”

Paul influenced by Cicero or sophistic rhetoric?

Augustine’s Book IV of De Doctrina Christiana 426 AD

Dependent on Cicero

Fenelon’s Dialogue’s 1715

Example of revival of ancient tradition and a dependence upon Cicero and Augustine in a modern homiletic

Contemporary Pulpit

1. The ancient tradition is more alive than one may realize.

2. Paul’s  warning against the abuse of rhetoric directly “anticipates” present rhetorical schemes.

Filed Under: Blog, Books, Philosophy, Preaching / Teaching Tagged With: Aristotle, Preaching, rhetoric

November 7, 2009 by kevinstilley

Homiletics – select quotes

You want me to make the Bible come alive? I didn’t know that it had died! If fact, I never even heard that it was ill…. No, I can’t make the Bible come alive for anyone. The Bible is already alive. It made me come alive.
~ R.C. Sproul, in Knowing Scripture

__________

RELATED CONTENT

  • Index To Great Quotes

__________

Book Cover

Filed Under: Blog, Preaching / Teaching, Quotes Tagged With: homiletics, Preaching, quotations, quote

October 16, 2009 by kevinstilley

Preaching – book recommendations

Grace Baptist Church of Cape Coral, Florida (pastored by Tom Ascol) shares on its website the following list of recommended books on Preaching.

  • Preaching & Preachers by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
  • Lectures to My Students by Charles Spurgeon
  • Between Two Worlds: The Challenge of Preaching Today by John Stott
  • On the Preparation and Delivery of Sermons by John Broadus
  • Christ-Centered Preaching: Redeeming the Expository Sermon by Bryan Chapell
  • Rediscovering Expository Preaching: Balancing the Science and Art of Biblical Exposition by John MacArthur, Jr.
  • The Art of Prophesying by Wiliam Perkins
  • The Supremacy of God in Preaching by John Piper
  • Preaching the Whole Bible as Christian Scripture by Graeme Goldsworthy
  • Doctrine That Dances: Bringing Doctrinal Preaching and Teaching to Life by Robert Smith Jr.
  • Feed My Sheep: A Passionate Plea for Preaching by Don Kistler (ed.)
  • Preach the Word: Essays on Expository Preaching in Honor of R. Kent Hughes by Leland Ryken and Todd Wilson (eds.)

Filed Under: Bible Exposition, Blog, Books, Communication, Preaching / Teaching Tagged With: bibliography, Book Recommendation, Preachers, Preaching

June 29, 2009 by kevinstilley

Incorporating Stories Into Christian Writing

I was recently asked to respond to the following note . . .

Hi, I was wondering if [X] had any book recommendations for me on the subject of storytelling and incorporating stories into writing. What I’m looking for is very similar to what pastors would read and study as they prepare for their sermons. . .and exactly what [X] does. . .telling a story at the beginning of sermons and then using that story to illustrate a biblical principle applied to life. I do quite a bit of writing and would like to hone that skill and thought of [X]. Any recommendations?

And here is my response . . .

Hi [Y],

I am a poor second to [X], but hope that my suggestions may be of assistance to you.

I love the way you are thinking about this and have several recommendations.

1. Christian Essayists — You are probably not surprised to know that I think the best resources for developing this portion of our art is to read the works of some of those who are true masters at weaving important truth and narrative. It is interesting to note that some of the best Christian essayists have been writers that are best known not for their essays but for their fiction; C.S. Lewis, Madeleine L’Engle, Dorothy Sayers, etc. L’Engle has actually written a book on this very topic, The Rock That Is Higher: Story as Truth
However, I must warn you to beware of some of their theology (L’Engle was a universalist among other things).

2. Journal / Record Observations – Like you, I am amazed by the manner in which [X] weaves stories into his sermons. Many people are great storytellers, but [X] has the ability to use illustrations that truly illustrate. If you go back through some of his sermons and analyze his illustrations you will soon discover that many of them include him as a participant. In order to effectively employ this he first has to engage life in such a way that he really “Experiences Life”. He seems to have developed the ability to do as Brother Lawrence wrote about in his book The Practice of the Presence of God. This is both a spiritual discipline and an artistic one. I firmly believe that one of the best ways to develop this disciple is to faithfully journal; not as a sequence of events (who, what, when, where, how), but as a record of the sensory experience (hearing, smelling, touching, tasting, seeing) and emotional description. When we are able to adequately describe our experience, and only when we are able to do so, then we are capable of inviting in other vicarious participants. There are lots of books out there on journaling, most of which are garbage. I can’t think of any that I would recommend off-hand. But I do strongly recommend the practice.

3. Learning From the Master – I love the book Teaching as Jesus Taught, by Roy Zuck. No one, not even our [X], ever came close to the storyweaving ability of Jesus. In this book Zuck explores Jesus’ teaching in all its fullness.

4. What You Really Asked For – There are many books out there on developing homiletic skills. In an interesting twist of irony, most of them are pretty boring. Four that might interest you include

a. Preaching and Teaching with Imagination: The Quest for Biblical Ministry, by Warren Wiersbe
b. Between Two Worlds: The Challenge of Preaching Today, by John Stott
c. Biblical Preaching: The Development and Delivery of Expository Messages, by Haddon Robinson
d. Supremacy of God in Preaching, The, by John Piper

Recently there has been a flurry of books on narrative preaching. Some of these might be useful to you, but I haven’t been overly impressed with any of them.

5. Cultural Geography – Although we wouldn’t ordinarily think of cultural geography when addressing the topic of creative religious writing, there is some very interesting material being published in the field of “landscape interpretation.” I wouldn’t run out and buy a bunch of these books if I were you, but you might check out a few titles using interlibrary loan. For starters you might check out Mapping the Invisible Landscape: Folklore, Writing, and the Sense of Place by Kent Ryden (isbn. 0877454140) and maybe one by a father of this discipline such as Yi-Fu Tuan like Space and Place: The Perspective of Experience (isbn. 0816638772) or perhaps one from my old teacher Richard Francaviglia like Believing In Place: A Spiritual Geography Of The Great Basin.

6. Youth Specialties Recommendations – The following link will connect you to books that were recently recommended at a Youth Specialties conference for youth ministers to use in developing storytelling. I have not read these books myself, so I cannot comment on their usefulness, but I thought you might like to see the list : http://www.buildingatheologicallibrary.com/storying-resources/ .

Well, [Y], I hope this helps. And, I commend you for seeking to become a more able communicator of truth. May God help us all to do so.

Blessings and peace,

Kevin

What advice would you have given had you been asked to respond to this request for information?

__________

Book Cover

Filed Under: Blog, Books, Front Page Tagged With: christian writing, homiletics, Preaching, storytelling, teaching

May 16, 2009 by kevinstilley

Charles Spurgeon – recommended titles

Everyone admires and quotes Charles Spurgeon. But have you read Spurgeon?  Grace Baptist Church (Cape Coral, Florida), pastored by Tom Ascol, lists on its website the following list of recommended books by and about Charles Spurgeon:

  • Morning and Evening, by Charles Spurgeon
  • Lectures to My Students, by Charles Spurgeon
  • The Treasury of David (3 vol.), by Charles Spurgeon
  • The Soulwinner, by Charles Spurgeon
  • All of Grace, by Charles Spurgeon
  • Autobiography of C.H. Spurgeon, by Banner of Truth
  • The Forgotten Spurgeon, by Iain Murray
  • Spurgeon v. Hyper-Calvinism: The Battle for Gospel Preaching, by Iain Murray
  • Spurgeon: Prince of Preachers, by Lewis Drummond
  • Spurgeon, by Arnold Dallimore

__________

RELATED

The Eschatology of Charles Haddon Spurgeon (Dictionary of Premillennial Theology)

Select Quotes of Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon on Reading

__________

Check out the Spurgeon Archive

Filed Under: Bible Exposition, Blog, Books, Preaching / Teaching Tagged With: preacher, Preaching, recommended reading, Spurgeon

April 26, 2009 by kevinstilley

Preaching – select quotes

Preaching is truth mediated by personality.
~ Phillips Brooks, quoted by Madeleine L’Engle, in A Circle of Quiet (NY: Harper Collins, 1972), page 155.

Effectiveness in teaching the Bible is purchased at the price of much study, some of it lonely, all of it tiring.
~ D.A. Carson

When a sermon is full of grace and truth it leads Christians to humility before God and refreshes like cold water on a hot day.
~ Kevin Stilley

We can preach the Gospel of Christ no further than we have experienced the power of it in our own hearts.
~ George Whitefield

Filed Under: Blog, Quotes Tagged With: Preaching, quotation, Quotes

July 17, 2008 by kevinstilley

Preaching Textbooks Used By Bryan Chapell and Zachary Eswine

Bryan Chapell and Zachary W. Eswine taught a course on Preaching which is now available free online at Biblical Training.org. The following textbooks were used in the class:

* Christ-Centered Preaching: Redeeming the Expository Sermon, 2nd ed. (Baker, 2005), Bryan Chapell

* Holiness by Grace (Crossway, 2001), Bryan Chapell

* Between Two Worlds (Eerdmans, 1982), John Stott

* Preaching & Biblical Theology (Eerdmans, 1961; rpt. Presbyterian & Reformed, n.d.), Edmund Clowney

* Putting the Truth to Work (Presbyterian & Reformed, 2001), Daniel M. Doriani

* Preaching the Whole Bible as Christian Literature (Eerdmans, 2000), Graeme Goldsworthy

* A Treatise on the Preparation and Delivery of Sermons (4th ed), John A. Broadas

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: homiletics, Preaching

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