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Expositors Collective: Expository Preaching, Bible Teaching and Sermon Preparation

What should a preacher do when the Bible addresses a culturally explosive issue? Can a sermon be useful but insufficiently centred on Christ? How much of the preacher’s own life belongs in the pulpit—and what happens after you preach a sermon that simply did not work?

In episode 450 of the Expositors Collective Podcast, Mike Neglia moderates a lively preaching Q&A with Dr Alan Stoddard, Cody King, Bryan Stupar and Dr Danny Hyde, recorded at the Expositors Collective training event at Reliance Church in Temecula, California.

The panel begins with the challenge of preaching controversial Bible passages faithfully. How can pastors refuse to avoid difficult texts without chasing viral moments, adding needless offence or apologising for Scripture before they have explained it?

From there, the conversation turns to Christ-centred preaching. The panel considers whether moral instruction and practical advice have a place in sermons, why application must flow from the gospel, and how preaching can leave people under condemnation rather than bringing them to the grace and transforming power of Christ.

They also offer candid counsel about personal testimony. Stories can establish trust and illuminate a passage, but they can also make the preacher the hero, manipulate emotions, embarrass family members or turn the pulpit into a therapy session.

Finally, the panel recommends formative books and Bible-study tools, explains how prayer should run through the entire sermon process, and answers an honest question every preacher eventually asks: What do I do after preaching a bad sermon?

This warm, practical and sometimes very funny discussion offers encouragement for pastors, Bible teachers and emerging preachers seeking to handle God’s Word with courage, humility and faithfulness.

Topics include:

• Preaching culturally charged and controversial passages• Avoiding cowardice, unnecessary offence and political tribalism• Moralistic sermons and Christ-centred application• Conviction, condemnation and the transforming power of the gospel• Using testimony without making the preacher the hero• Personal illustrations, emotional manipulation and protecting your family• Essential books and Bible-study resources• Prayer throughout sermon preparation and delivery• Learning from a disappointing sermon• Trusting the Holy Spirit when preaching feels weak

Resources mentioned:

Blue Letter Bible
https://www.blueletterbible.org/

Biblical Preaching — Haddon W. Robinson
https://bakerpublishinggroup.com/books/biblical-preaching-4th-edition/2257110

Communion with God — John Owen
https://banneroftruth.org/us/store/christian-living/communion-with-god/

What Does It Mean to Fear the Lord? — Michael Reeves
https://www.crossway.org/books/what-does-it-mean-to-fear-the-lord-tpb/

Delighting in the Trinity — Michael Reeves
https://ivpress.com/delighting-in-the-trinity

About Expositors Collective:

Expositors Collective equips, encourages and mentors the next generation of Christ-centred preachers through training events, podcast conversations and practical resources for the faithful teaching of God’s Word.

https://expositorscollective.org/

Expositors Collective is part of Calvary Chapel Cooperative, a family of ministries working together to strengthen churches, cultivate healthy leaders and foster cooperation throughout the Calvary Chapel movement.

https://calvarychapelcooperative.com/

As we celebrate episode 450, please consider following Expositors Collective on social media and leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. Your review helps more pastors and Bible teachers discover the programme.

#ExpositoryPreaching #SermonPreparation

Hard Texts, Personal Stories and Bad Sermons: A Preaching Q&A

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Who We Are

Expositors Collective is a growing network of pastors, leaders, and laypeople which exists to equip, encourage, and mentor the next generation of Christ-centered preachers. We provide resources through our weekly podcast, our two-day intentional training seminars, and interactive webinars.

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What We Do

The Team

Mike Neglia

Mike Neglia is the lead pastor at Calvary Cork, having moved to Ireland from Fallbrook, California, in 2003. In addition to discipling others and teaching weekly as the lead pastor, Mike is pursuing a master’s degree at Western Seminary, and hosts the Expositors Collective podcast with weekly episodes designed to equip and edify Bible teachers of all walks of life.
Mike is married to Rachel, and along with their children, enjoy exploring the City of Cork and earning the coveted "customer of the month" title at their local coffee shop. Follow Mike on Twitter and Instagram: @mikeneglia.

Nick Cady

Nick Cady is the lead pastor of White Fields Community Church in Longmont, Colorado. Before moving to Longmont in 2012, Nick spent 10 years in Hungary as a missionary, pastor, and church planter with Calvary Chapel. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Theology from the University of Gloucestershire (UK) and a master’s degree in Integrative Theology from the London School of Theology.

Nick is the author of Theology for the People, a blog and podcast discussing the intersection of theology and culture. Additionally, Nick is on the steering committee of the Expositors Collective, an organization that exists to equip and mentor the next generation of Christ-centered preachers. He also developed Cultivate, a program to assess, train, and deploy new church planters and missionaries.

Dr. John Whittaker

John Whittaker is a preacher, teacher, and pastor. He holds theology and ministry degrees from Boise Bible College, Cincinnati Bible Seminary, and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. John has been serving in ministry for 30 years. He has served as Professor of Preaching and New Testament at Boise Bible College for 19 years. He has also helped plant a church in Kuna, Idaho, where he preached for 11 years; served for 4 years as one of the teaching and campus pastors at The Pursuit; taught classes for Eternity Bible College; and preached in various places around the country and the world. He is the founder of the Bible in Life online discipleship ministry at johnwhittaker.net

When he is not preaching or teaching, you can find John at a local coffee shop meeting with and encouraging other local ministers; hanging out at home with wife and partner in ministry, Louise, his closest friend for 30 years; or throwing a ball to his dogs.

Bryan Stupar

Bryan Stupar was born in 1970 and raised in the surf culture of Huntington Beach, California. He came to faith in Jesus at 16 and married his best friend, Sherry, in 1991.
At 23, he moved to San Luis Obispo on California’s Central Coast to plant Calvary SLO Church, which has grown into an influential ministry with a strong emphasis on church planting and missions.
Bryan serves on the leadership team of Expositors Collective and, since 2023, has been travelling across the United States investing in and equipping preachers.
He is the father of two daughters, Brianna and Brooke, and enjoys time with his family, photography, coffee shops, and the surf.

Alan Stoddard

Alan Stoddard serves as the lead pastor of Imagine Church in Cresson, Texas, having previously pastored churches elsewhere in Texas and New Mexico. Alan graduated from Southwestern Seminary in Ft. Worth, Texas, and Gordon-Conwell Seminary in South Hamilton, Massachusetts. His doctoral work at Gordon-Conwell was on “Reinforcing Expository Preaching with Sermon-based Small Groups."