PREACHING THE GOSPELS AND ACTS

Instructors: Dr. Jonathan Pennington, Dr. Douglas S. O’Donnell,

Dr. Mike Bullmore, Kevin DeYoung, and Romell Williams, Jr.

CATALOG DESCRIPTION
This course provides a teaching practice and laboratory to provide students with tools, models,
and opportunities for practicing teaching from the Gospels and Acts. It includes viewing online
content delivered by the Charles Simeon Trust and participating in discussions on the content,
which are then supplemented with additional readings that focus attention on the exegetical
demands of this genre, specifically concerning how to study the Gospels and Acts for preaching
and teaching.

COURSE OBJECTIVES
By the end of this course:

1. Students will have an accurate grasp of the main characteristics of the Gospels and Acts
and understand the specialized opportunities and demands of teaching from this genre.
2. Students will improve the quality of their own study and preparation for teaching by
interacting with instructional material from expert practitioners and over preparation on
texts from the Gospels and Acts.
3. Students will, by presenting their own work in the context of collegial and critical small
group, be better able to identify and improve in skills and strategies relevant to
expounding the Gospels and Acts.
4. Students will appreciate the value of offering and receiving constructive feedback.
5. Students will allow the taught Word itself to inform their lives in ways consistent with the
reasons the Holy Spirit saw fit to include them in Scripture.

COURSE FORMAT
This course is divided into four primary components:

1. The first component is the student’s viewing of the eight online videos and the completion
of the relevant Study Questions or Sermon Evaluation. These eight videos include five
instructional sessions and three sample expositions.
2. The second component is the small group sessions where the student will discuss the
assigned Study Questions or Sermon Evaluation as well as prepare and present two Sermon
Preparation Worksheets for the assigned passages.
3. The third component is reading all assigned texts and writing one critical book review.
4. The fourth component and capstone project is to prepare and preach two sermons from
assigned passages from the Gospels and Acts using the tools, skills, and strategies taught
in the course and provide supporting preparation documentation.
REQUIRED TEXTS
There are four required readings:

§ Bauckham, Richard. Jesus and the Eyewitnesses. (704 pages)

§ Pennington, Jonathan. Reading the Gospels Wisely. (282 pages)
§ Stott, John. The Message of Acts. (428 page)
§ Charles Simeon Trust. Study Guide on the Gospels and Acts. (30 pages)

COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Each student is expected to:

1. Actively view each of the eight online videos and thoroughly complete the relevant Study
Questions or Sermon Evaluation.
2. Prepare, present, and submit two Sermon Preparation Worksheets (Texts 1 & 2).
3. Prepare and deliver two recorded sermons on different Gospel texts (as assigned) that
employ the tools, skills, and strategies covered in the course (Texts 3 & 4).
a. Submit a Sermon Preparation Worksheet one week in advance of giving each sermon.
b. Submit audio or video recording of each sermon.
c. Submit a two-page self-assessment of the sermon by answering the following
questions:
i. In what way did the sermon most encourage you personally?
ii. What are the two most important things that could be done to improve?
iii. What were the two best features of the sermon overall?
4. Read Reading the Gospels Wisely (Pennington) and in a ten-page, double-spaced report a)
affirm that you have read the book, b) in 5-6 pages, summarize main point(s) of the
author’s argument(s), being sure to reference specific supporting insights and giving page
numbers in parentheses, and, c) in the remaining 4-5 pages, engage personally with the
content that you have already summarized. You should address the following questions:
1) How do the author’s arguments affirm or challenge my current beliefs or practices in
teaching ministry? 2) What from the book will I implement immediately? 3) Why would
I recommend (or not recommend) this book?
5. A statement affirming that you have thoroughly and completely read each assigned text.

BIBLICAL TEXTS AVAILABLE FOR OUTLINE AND SERMON ASSIGNMENTS

Matthew 4:23 - 5:3 John 5:1-17

Mark 8:22-33 John 18:12-27
Luke 5:1-11 Acts 4:1-22
Luke 18:1-8 Acts 20:17-38
COURSE SCHEDULE
Lesson 1 View INSTRUCTION #1 (Jonathan Pennington)
Discuss/Write Study Questions for INSTRUCTION #1

Lesson 2 View INSTRUCTION #2 (Douglas S. O’Donnell)

Discuss/Write Study Questions for INSTRUCTION #2

Lesson 3 View DEMONSTRATION #1 (Mike Bullmore)

Discuss/Write Sermon Evaluation for DEMONSTRATION #1

Lesson 4 View DEMONSTRATION #2 (Romell Williams, Jr.)

Discuss/Write Sermon Evaluation for DEMONSTRATION #2

Lesson 5 View DEMONSTRATION #3 (Kevin DeYoung)

Discuss/Write Sermon Evaluation for DEMONSTRATION #3

COURSE RESOURCES
In addition to the required readings, we recommend consulting:

Arthurs, Jeffrey D. Preaching with Variety: How to Re-Create the Dynamics of Biblical Genres. Grand
Rapids: Kregel, 2007.

Bauckham, Richard. Jesus and the Eyewitnesses, Second Edition. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2006.

Bauckham, Richard (ed.). The Gospels for All Christians: Rethinking the Gospel Audiences. Grand
Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997.

Burridge, Richard A. Four Gospels, One Jesus?: A Symbolic Reading. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1994.

Burridge, Richard A. What Are the Gospels?: A Comparison with Graeco-Roman Biography.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992.

Chapell, Bryan. Christ-Centered Preaching: Redeeming the Expository Sermon, Second Edition. Grand
Rapids: Baker Books, 2005.

Duduit, Michael. Handbook of Contemporary Preaching. Nashville: Broadman, 1992.

Hughes, R. Kent. Acts: The Church Afire. Wheaton: Crossway, 2014.

Pao, David. Acts and the Isaianic New Exodus. Eugene: Wipf & Stock, 2016.
Robinson, Haddon W. Biblical Preaching: The Development and Delivery of Expository Messages,
Second Edition. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2001.

Scharf, Greg R. Prepared to Preach: God’s Work and Ours in Proclaiming His Word. Fearn: Christian
Focus, 2005.

Snodgrass, Klyne R. Stories with Intent: A Comprehensive Guide to the Parables of Jesus. Grand Rapids:
Eerdmans, 2008.

Stott, John. The Message of Acts. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 1994.