Preaching is an essential element of the church and this is my love story of it. Sorry the pictures did not come over.

1. The Joy of Preaching
More !an a lecture, but Spi"tual Vibrancy

2. Preaching: A Love Story
By De"ck R. Dickens

3. Some have made less of
preaching
"People won't sit for
more than 20
minutes"!
"We should make our
preaching 'seeker
sensitive'"!
"Preaching is
antiquated"

4. Yet, !ey ju# don't under#and

5. The beginning of my
journey

6. At 15 I became a Christian

7. At 15 I became a Christian
I $dn't even know John 3:16

8. At 15 I became a Christian
I $dn't even know John 3:16
I truly was a baby in Christ, a child needing milk

9. At 15 I became a Christian
I $dn't even know John 3:16
I truly was a baby in Christ, a child needing milk
A soul needing nourishment

10. At 15 I became a Christian
I $dn't even know John 3:16
I truly was a baby in Christ, a child needing milk
A soul needing nourishment
And I was hungry

11. But I found a desert

12. There were fun and
games

14. But I needed more

16. I was growing hungry and thirsty

17. I was growing hungry and thirsty
and nothing met my need

18. I needed the nourishment
that came from God's Word
"But it was difficult to
understand."!
"How did it fit
together?"!
"How could I ever
grasp it?"

19. I needed help

20. But I wasn't %&ing any help

21. But I wasn't %&ing any help
Was Ch"#ianity !' (allow? Were we !at t"te?

22. How was I chan%d forever?

23. I discovered solid Biblical
Preaching

24. The Sermons
Were verse by verse from the Bible!
Taught me Scripture!
Demonstrated careful study of God's Word

25. The more the pastor taught...

26. The more the pastor taught...
*e more I grew

27. The more the pastor taught...
*e more I grew
The more he taught...

28. The more the pastor taught...
*e more I grew
The more he taught...
*e more I sat in awe and wonder of God

29. The more the pastor taught...
*e more I grew
The more he taught...
*e more I sat in awe and wonder of God
The more he taught...

30. The more the pastor taught...
*e more I grew
The more he taught...
*e more I sat in awe and wonder of God
The more he taught...
*e more I loved + Bible and God

31. Forever, O LORD, y,r word ' firmly fixed in + heavens
- Psalms 119:89 (ESV)

32. Y,r Word ' a lamp to my feet and a light to my pa!
- Psalms 119:105 (ESV)

33. I began to see...
God as much more
magnificent !
The Bible clearer!
My complete need of
Jesus

34. And I Worshipped God

35. I experienced...

36. I experienced...
Joy in my Salvation

37. I experienced...
Joy in my Salvation
An Awe of Jehovah

38. I experienced...
Joy in my Salvation
An Awe of Jehovah
Tears over my sin

39. I experienced...
Joy in my Salvation
An Awe of Jehovah
Tears over my sin
Brokenness

40. I experienced...
Joy in my Salvation
An Awe of Jehovah
Tears over my sin
Brokenness
An overwhelming sense of God's grace

41. And I grew in spiritual vibrance!
my love for God!
my dedication to Jesus!
and my knowledge of my great God

42. I fell in love with preaching

43. “What is the chief end of preaching? I
like to think it is this: It is to give men
and women a sense of God and His
presence.” ~ Martyn Lloyd-Jones

44. “The preaching of Christ is the whip
that flogs the devil.The preaching of
Christ is the thunderbolt, the sound of
which makes all hell shake.” ~ Charles
Spurgeon

45. ”The preacher is not a chef; he's a
waiter. God doesn't want you to make
the meal; He just wants you to deliver it
to the table without messing it up.That's
all.” ~ John MacArthur

46. Preach the word; be ready in season and
out of season; reprove, rebuke, and
exhort, with complete patience and
teaching. (2 Timothy 4:2, ESV)