WSOLC – Western Seminary Online Campus
Course Number: PTS 510E – Spring 2015
Course Title: Preparing and Preaching Expository Sermons
Instructor: Michael Pohlman, Ph.D.
Lectures by: Arturo Azurdia III, D.Min.
Credit Hours: 2
COURSE SCHEDULE
This course is only offered in a 16 week schedule. You can see a “Course Schedule by Week” in this syllabus. After enrollment in the course you can see a course schedule with specific dates in the learning center for your assignments.
Course DESCRIPTION
In this course you will learn how to organize and develop life-changing sermons based upon and bounded by careful biblical interpretation. You will also learn how to communicate the relevance of the biblical message to your contemporary audience, and to deliver that message in a natural and effective manner. Prerequisite: DBS 506. 2 credit hours.
Course OBJECTIVES
- By the end of the course, you should be able to:
1. Clearly express key biblical and theological foundations for Christian preaching,
2. Articulate the science and art elements of sermon preparation,
3. Demonstrate a developing ability to preach and teach effectively, working from both Scripture to life and from life to Scripture,
4. Analyze theologically some of the contemporary issues confronting the church and society, with the aim of learning how to communicate effectively in the light of that analysis
TEXTBOOKS
Why Johnny Can’t Preach by T. David Gordon. (Philipsburg: P & R Publishing, 2009) (read entire book). ISBN 13: 978-1596381162. MSRP: $9.99.
Christ-Centered Preaching by Bryan Chapell. (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2005) (pp 25-57, 103-173, 269-328). ISBN 13: 978-0801027987. MSRP: $29.99.
Heralds Of The King edited by Dennis E. Johnson. (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2009) (read entire book). ISBN 13: 978-1433504020. MSRP: $19.99.
Important Note: Required and recommended course texts are subject to change at any time. You are encouraged to purchase these titles through the Amazon.com associate program; you may use the links provided above, or the search option found on the Western website under “Students/Online”: http://www.westernseminary.edu/students/online
Course Format
1. Course Audio/Video Materials.
Shortly after your course registration, you will receive instructions about how to download your course using the Integr@te program (not earlier than three weeks from your start date).
2. Learning Center.
You will also be given access to a web-based learning center which functions as your classroom for the course. There you will find:
· The course syllabus. Please Note: The syllabus in your learning center is the governing course syllabus. Syllabi downloaded from the seminary website, or received from any other source, are for informational purposes only.
· A week-by-week schedule to help you successfully complete the course on time with the least amount of stress. To discuss changing the assignment due dates within the schedule, please contact Jon Raibley:
· A progress report for each lesson, by which you will indicate whether you completed your lesson requirements. While still allowing great scheduling flexibility, progress reports help us help you should you begin to fall behind.
· Assignment summaries and links for uploading assignments.
· Links to discussion forums, your course instructor and other students, the distance learning support team, as well as links to other helpful communication and instructional resources.
3. Responsibilities.
Before the end of the first week of the session, you need to log onto the online learning center to complete and upload the course affirmation file. By federal law, we now need to ensure that students participate in courses for the full length of the course. So failure to complete the course affirmation on-time will result in a loss of course points and may impact your financial aid eligibility.
Students will receive on-time completion points for finishing their course work according to the schedule. This means students in the 8 week sessions are required to have all their course work into their course instructor by the end of week 7. Students in the 16 week sessions are required to have all their work into their course instructor by the end of week 15. If you have not been granted an extension, graded assignments turned in after 8:00 a.m. on Monday of the final week may be subject to a late penalty of up to 10% per day. No online completion points will be granted after that time.
4. Course Instructor.
You will be assigned a course instructor who will participate as appropriate in classroom activities; review, grade, and provide feedback on course assignments; and interact with you on any questions you have about the course. When you receive your course materials, you will also receive contact information for your course instructor. Please contact your course instructor within two weeks of your course start date and maintain regular contact throughout the course.
Assignments
1. Participation Requirements. For each lesson, complete the items as instructed in your learning center, and submit the progress report verifying that you’ve done so. These progress reports are our primary means of verifying your attendance, and each is worth up to one point toward your final grade. If the progress report is submitted by the due date on your course schedule, you’ll receive 100% of the report grade. If you submit the progress report late, but within two weeks of the due date, you will receive 80%. If you submit the progress report more than two weeks late, you will receive 50%. And, of course, if you fail to submit a progress report at all, you will receive 0%. Certain changes are allowed within the course schedule, to allow for flexibility. You may contact Jon Raibley for details: .
In addition, you are to complete three activities that will allow us to verify your participation at key points within the course, in compliance with federal regulations. Failure to complete these activities within the designated times may impact the amount or timing of federal financial aid you receive.
§ First week participation: Within the first week of the posted course dates, complete and upload the affirmation file.
§ On-time verification. By the date listed in the schedule, submit your final assignments and complete the verification assignment, to confirm that you finished the course work on time.
§ Course evaluation and reflection. Within the final week of the posted course dates, complete the course evaluation and reflection assignment; a link will be emailed to you at that time.
Points: 19 points possible (13 for progress reports, 1 for affirmation file, 5 for on-time verification
Time: 30 hours estimated viewing and listening time
2. Reading and Reflection: Read the following texts by the assigned week, at a familiarity level (approximately 45 pages per hour). For each book, prepare a two page, double-spaced paper that distinctly answers the following questions:
1) What are the primary emphases of the author (synthesis)?
2) With what do I agree/disagree (analysis)?
3) What is the value of this book for me as a potential preacher (evaluation)?
Week 6: Why Johnny Can’t Preach by T. David Gordon. (Philipsburg: P & R Publishing, 2009) (read entire book)
Week 10: Christ-Centered Preaching by Bryan Chapell. (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2005) (pp 25-57, 103-173, 269-328)
Week 14: Heralds Of The King edited by Dennis E. Johnson. (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2009) (read entire book)
Points: 30 points possible (10 per reflection paper)
Time: 25 hours estimated time
3. Lessons from Sermons: Listen to each of the following sermons by the assigned week. Write a 1-2 page paper, with a paragraph on each speaker, answering the question, “What did you learn about expository preaching as a result of listening to this speaker?” This is not a summary of the message’s content, but an evaluation of the preaching process. You might include brief examples of how the speaker applied (or failed to apply) principles from your class lectures or readings, and how this impacted the sermon’s effectiveness.
Lesson 3: Sinclair Ferguson, “The Christian’s New Identity” (Col 3:1-4).
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=fpc-091006am
Lesson 5: Ray Ortlund, Jr, “What The Bible Is All About” http://www.preachingtheword.com/av/mediafiles_31225008/highbandwidth852.mp3
Lesson 7: Art Azurdia, “The Unequaled Greatness Of The Son Of God” (Heb 1:1-3). http://www.spiritempoweredpreaching.com/sermons.htm
Lesson 8: Don Carson, “Rejoice to Suffer for the Name” (Acts 5:41):
http://s3.amazonaws.com/tgc-audio/carson/20090720_%20Acts_5.41_rejoice_to_suffer.mp3
Lesson 10: Jerry Bridges, “Four Essentials to Finishing Well”
http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/conference-messages/four-essentials-to-finishing-well/download/audio/full
Lesson 11: “Lessons from Sermons” paper due
Points: 50 points possible
Time: 10 hours estimated time
4. Ruth Sermon Series Reflection: As part of your media requirements, you will listen to an audio sermon series which Dr. Azurdia preached on the book of Ruth. Write a two page, double-spaced paper regarding your observations on preaching a sermon series. What challenges, patterns, and techniques did you see in the series? What are the lessons you can learn about preaching a series? What would you want to avoid as you preach such a series?
Points: 50 points possible
Time: listening time included in media requirements: 3 hours estimated for paper.
5. Preaching: Prepare a sermon according to the criteria established throughout this course. In no more than 15 minutes, preach the sermon and videotape it. The sermon must be presented in front of a live group, and the quality of the video and audio must be sufficient for evaluation. Sermons will have to be re-presented and re-taped if the recording quality is inadequate. The Online Campus office can evaluate a test recording and provide suggestions for improvement; contact them for more information. By lesson 10, post your sermon on the online learning center.
Points: 50 points possible
Time: 8 hours estimated time
6. Personal Sermon Review: View your copy of the videotape twice, once with audio and once without. By lesson 13, submit a half-page review of your sermon. Include strengths, weaknesses, and a list of things you promise Art you’ll never do in preaching again.
Points: 25 points
Time: 2 hours estimated time
7. Sermon Evaluation with Course Instructor:
Participate in a meeting or phone call with the course instructor in which you discuss your sermon and suggestions for improvement.
Points: 25 points possible
Time: 2 hours estimated time
8. Preaching Apologetic:
Congratulations! You have been unanimously called as the new pastor of a congregation. Happily, you accept the call. As your ministry commences, however, it quickly becomes plain that this congregation has not experienced a consistently sound ministry of preaching for several years. Consequently, this congregation possesses no clear understanding of what preaching is. Moreover, to your dismay, nor do the church elders.
Nonetheless, two very important facts encourage you: 1) the elders possess a willingness to learn and mature; and, 2) they very much desire the same for the entire congregation. And so, therefore, you wisely conclude that your instruction of the congregation must begin with the elders themselves.
Your task, then, on behalf of these elders, is to write a persuasive paper (10 pages in length) that provides them with a clear biblical apologetic for preaching, and also articulates the practical implications of choosing this biblical priority for ministry (the implications for you, the elders, and the entire congregation).
Points: 50 points possible
Time: 10 hours estimated time
Grading Scale
A+ / A / A- / B+ / B / B-99-100% / 95-98% / 93-94% / 91-92% / 88-90% / 86-87%
C+ / C / C- / D+ / D / D-
84-85% / 81-83% / 79-80% / 77-78% / 74-76% / 70-73%
Assignment Summary
Assignment / Approx. Hours / Points Possible / Lessons Due1. Participation Requirements / 30 / 13 / Each lesson
Course Lectures
Policy Affirmation, On Time Verification, Course Evaluation / 6
2. Reading & Reports
(3 papers @ 10 pts each) / 25 / 30 / Lessons 5, 9, 13
3. Lessons from sermons / 10 / 50 / Lessons 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11
4. Ruth Sermon Series Reflection / 3 / 50 / Lesson 11
5. Preaching / 8 / 50 / Lesson 10
6. Personal Sermon Review Paper / 2 / 25 / Lesson 12
7. Sermon Evaluation (meeting or call) / 2 / 25 / Lesson 13
8. Preaching Apologetic / 10 / 50 / End
Totals / 90 / 299
Course Sequence
Important: See the course schedule in the learning center for the due dates of your assignments.
Week / Lessons / Assignments & Notes1 / 1. The New Testament Method / (Progress Reports due each lesson)
Read: Why Johnny Can’t Preach (read first 1/4)
2 / 2. Proclamation of Truth / Read: Why Johnny Can’t Preach (read second 1/4)
3 / 3. ﾠ The Christ-centered Word / Read: Why Johnny Can’t Preach (read third 1/4)
Listen to Sinclair Ferguson, “The Christian’s New Identity”: http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=fpc-091006am
4 / 4. ﾠ The State of Preaching / Read: Why Johnny Can’t Preach (finish book)
5 / 5. ﾠ Preaching / Listen to Ray Ortlund, Jr, “What The Bible Is All About” (Pt 11, 2 Sam 7, 2005-05-29):
http://www.preachingtheword.com/av/mediafiles_31225008/highbandwidth852.mp3
Reading Report 1 due: Why Johnny Can’t Preach
6 / 6. ﾠ Expository Preaching / Read: Christ-Centered Preaching, pp. 25-57
7 / 7. ﾠ God’s Word and Spirit / Read: Christ-Centered Preaching, pp. 103-127
Listen to Art Azurdia, “The Unequaled Greatness Of The Son Of God” (Heb 1:1-3):
http://www.spiritempoweredpreaching.com/sermons.htm
8 / 8. ﾠ Scripture Pointing Us to Jesus / Read: Christ-Centered Preaching, 269-327
Listen to Don Carson, “Rejoice to Suffer for the Name” (Acts 5:41):
http://s3.amazonaws.com/tgc-audio/carson/20090720_%20Acts_5.41_rejoice_to_suffer.mp3
9 / 9. ﾠ Implications for Preaching / Read: Heralds Of The King edited by Dennis E. Johnson,ﾠ pp 9-24
Reading Report 2 due: Christ-Centered Preaching
10 / 10. ﾠ Know What the Passage Says / Read: Heralds Of The King edited by Dennis E. Johnson, pp 25-102
Listen to Jerry Bridges, “Four Essentials to Finishing Well” http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/conference-messages/four-essentials-to-finishing-well/download/audio/full
Preaching disk due
11 / 11. ﾠ Know What the Passage Means / Read: Heralds Of The King edited by Dennis E. Johnson,ﾠ pp 103-148
“Lessons from Sermons” paper due
Ruth sermon series reflection paper due
12 / 12. ﾠ Preaching the Passage / Read: Heralds Of The King edited by Dennis E. Johnson, pp 149-end
Personal sermon review paper due
13 / 13. ﾠ Motivation for Expository Preaching (Dr. Scott Gilchrist) / Reading Report 3 due: Heralds Of The King
Sermon evaluation due: meeting or call
14 / Preaching Apologetic paper due
15 / On-time Verification Due
16 / Course Evaluation and Reflection. If you have not been granted an extension, graded assignments turned in after 8:00 a.m. on Monday of the final week may be subject to a late penalty of up to 10% per day.
Course PolicieS