David R. Helm teaches that every biblical text has a God-given structure, and faithful preaching requires discovering that structure before crafting a sermon. Just as every human body has a skeleton, every passage has an internal organization—its “bones”—that carries the original author’s intended emphasis. Preachers err in two opposite directions: the jellyfish preacher (no structure, no clarity) and the crab preacher (only structure, no life). The goal is neither, but a well-shaped sermon that reflects the text’s actual organization.

To find structure, a preacher must know what kind of literature he is handling—narrative, poetry, or discourse—as each uses different organizational strategies. Narrative often follows plot, character shifts, or geographical markers. Poetry uses imagery tied to ideas. Discourse relies on logic, grammar, and repeated patterns. Helm demonstrates this through examples: Psalm 1 (tree vs. chaff), Psalm 23 (shepherd vs. host), 1 Samuel 21 (two scenes in two houses), Acts 5 (repeated conflicts leading to judgment), and Acts 11–12 (a “sandwich” structure contrasting Peter and Herod).

Structure reveals a text’s main emphasis, which then shapes the sermon’s movements. The preacher’s task is to identify the bones, understand how they carry meaning, and then “dress” them for preaching—clarifying, arranging, and communicating God’s intended message with simplicity and power.

Pastors & Leaders Conference 2019

Kevin McKay begins by explaining the origins of 9Marks, a ministry that grew out of Mark Dever’s pastoral concern for a small local church. Dever identified nine essential marks of a healthy church—expositional preaching, biblical theology, the gospel, conversion, evangelism, membership, discipline, discipleship, and leadership. These marks emphasize that the local church is God’s primary instrument for displaying His glory.

McKay then grounds this vision in Scripture. A biblical theology of the church shows God’s purpose from creation to new creation: to fill the world with His image through a redeemed people. Though Adam, Israel, and humanity failed, Christ perfectly reflects God, and through His saving work the church is formed as a new creation. Ephesians highlights that the church—united sinners transformed by Christ—displays God’s manifold wisdom even to the heavenly realms (Eph. 3:10).

From this vision flow practical implications. The church’s distinctiveness is essential for evangelism and missions. Pastors must center their ministries on God’s Word, not programs or pragmatism. True success is defined by faithfulness, not numerical growth. Church membership expresses committed love, and simplifying ministry around the Word fosters deep discipleship. McKay concludes that healthy, Word-centered churches are God’s chosen means for fulfilling the Great Commission and displaying His glory.

Pastors & Leaders Conference 2019

Matthias Lohmann teaches that discipleship is helping others follow Jesus by doing them deliberate spiritual good, ultimately aiming to help Christians grow in Christlikeness. Rooted in the Great Commission (Matthew 28), discipleship begins with evangelism, continues through incorporation into the church (baptism), and grows through teaching believers to obey all Jesus commanded. Lohmann stresses that God Himself is the ultimate disciple-maker, and His primary instrument is the Word of God, which reveals Christ. As believers behold Christ in Scripture, the Spirit transforms them into His image (2 Corinthians 3:18).

While growth is God’s work, every Christian bears responsibility for pursuing maturity, not blaming others for lack of growth. Scripture repeatedly commands believers to grow, warning against spiritual stagnation. Still, discipleship happens best in the local church, where God’s Word is preached and believers can instruct, encourage, and admonish one another.

For pastors, Lohmann highlights two major duties: feed the sheep by faithfully preaching Christ from all Scripture, and protect time to disciple others, especially future leaders. He outlines practical principles: choose teachable and committed people, model godliness, admit weakness, encourage and correct, be patient, ask good questions, set goals, give real responsibility, cultivate love, and above all pray, remembering that only God gives growth.

Pastors & Leaders Conference 2019

In this third instructional session on preaching, David R. Helm shifts from exegesis to theological reflection, focusing on how preachers move from a biblical text to the gospel. He argues that Scripture has a unifying interpretive center: the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, according to the Scriptures. While not all scholars agree, Helm grounds his conviction in Jesus’ own teaching (Luke 24), Paul’s view of the gospel (Romans 1), and Peter’s emphasis on the prophetic word (2 Peter 1). These texts show that both Old and New Testament point organically to Christ.

Helm then introduces practical strategies for preaching Christ from any passage. Three main tools guide this movement: themes (such as covenant, kingdom, temple), typology/analogy (persons, events, and objects intentionally prefiguring Christ), and textual promises and fulfillments. Using the book of Acts, he illustrates how Paul functions as a mirror of Christ, paralleling Jesus’ miracles, journey to Jerusalem, trials, and suffering—patterns Paul expects believers to imitate.

Helm further emphasizes preaching with specificity, using a simple diagram of Christ’s life—from eternal preexistence to incarnation, death, resurrection, ascension, reign, and return. Each passage highlights a particular aspect rather than a generic “Jesus point.” Effective preaching, he concludes, unites rigorous exegesis with gospel-centered theological reflection, enabling the church to see Christ’s multifaceted glory.

Pastors & Leaders Conference 2019

Matthias Lohmann, a pastor in Munich, explains how his commitment to expositional preaching, meaningful church membership, and church discipline initially drew criticism from those who preferred a more “cool” and modern style of church. He argues, however, that faithfulness—not popularity—is the true biblical priority. He highlights that throughout Scripture, God consistently distinguishes between those who are “in” and “out” of His people, and the local church must do the same. Membership is therefore biblical and essential, because the New Testament presents the church as a body, flock, household, and temple—images that require identifiable, committed members who care for one another.

He stresses that Christians need the local church for teaching, assurance of salvation, protection, accountability, and evangelistic witness. Membership helps elders know whom they must shepherd and guard from spiritual danger. It also enables the church to display a supernatural unity that testifies to the power of the gospel. The speaker argues that proper teaching, clear expectations, and strong church structure prepare a congregation to practice corrective church discipline when necessary. Discipline, he says, is loving: it warns the sinner, protects the church, preserves its witness, and brings glory to God. He concludes by urging believers to embrace membership and discipline as essential expressions of love for Christ and His church.

Pastors & Leaders Conference 2019

The passage emphasizes that God reveals His grace through the gospel and displays it visibly through the unity of the church. Drawing from Ephesians 1–4, it explains that believers have received a multifaceted salvation: chosen, adopted, forgiven, redeemed, and given hope in Christ. God’s plan is to bring all things together in Christ, creating a new humanity from Jews and Gentiles. This supernatural unity is meant to display God’s manifold wisdom to the world and even to the heavenly powers.

Because of this calling, Paul urges Christians to “walk worthy” by practicing humility, gentleness, patience, and loving forbearance—virtues that preserve unity. Unity is fragile and constantly threatened by pride, selfishness, and spiritual attack; therefore believers must make every effort to maintain it. The church’s unity serves as a visible picture of the gospel, proving to the world that Jesus was sent by God.

Ephesians 4:4–6 grounds this unity in seven unchanging truths: one body, Spirit, hope, Lord, faith, baptism, and God the Father. A church faithful to these essentials avoids dividing over secondary matters and displays a supernatural community unlike anything in the world. Ultimately, the church’s loving unity reflects the unity of the Triune God and brings praise to His glorious grace.

Pastors & Leaders Conference 2019