by David Allen | Feb 25, 2025 | Baptist, Bible, Devotional, Pastoral Ministry, Preaching, Theology
This post is part of an occasional series, Questions from My Students, in which I take a real question from a student I’ve had and answer it. Question: Answer:
by David Allen | Jan 8, 2020 | Bible, General, Pastoral Ministry, Preaching, Sermons, Theology
NOTE: This post is slightly revised from David L. Allen, 1-3 John: Fellowship in God’s Family, in Preaching the Word, R. Kent Hughes, ed. (Wheaton: IL, 2013), 275-77. If you are in a leadership position in someone’s church, and especially if you are a pastor, let me...
by David Allen | Jun 16, 2014 | Culture, Pastoral Ministry
I’ve learned a new word this year: “selfie.” For those of you who may still be in the cultural dark on this one, a “selfie” is a self-portrait photograph, typically taken with a hand-held digital camera or camera phone held at arm’s length, and then shared on social...
by David Allen | Jun 3, 2014 | Bible, Pastoral Ministry, Preaching
Pragmatic analysis of texts asks the questions “What is the author’s purpose of a text?” and “What does an author desire to accomplish with his text.” The text-driven preacher is always attempting to accomplish something with every sermon. All verbal or written...
by David Allen | Jun 2, 2013 | Bible, Pastoral Ministry, Preaching, Theology
The text-driven preacher must recognize that there are four basic types of meaning conveyed in every text and context: referential, situational, structural and semantic. Referential meaning is that which is being talked about; the subject matter of a text. Situational...
by David Allen | Jun 1, 2013 | Bible, Pastoral Ministry, Preaching, Theology
The painstaking work of exegesis is the foundation for text-driven preaching.[1] Exegesis precedes theology, and theology is derived from careful exegesis. To preach well, it is vital to understand certain basics about the nature of language and meaning. First, the...
