On Preaching with H.B. Charles Jr.

Welcome to The On Preaching Podcast, the podcast dedicated to helping you to preach faithfully, clearly, and better. 

The sermon preparation is a twofold process of getting the text right and getting the truth across. 

In terms of biblical exegesis (getting the text across), I commend to you the inductive Bible study process: 

• Observation: What does the text say? 
• Interpretation: What does the text mean?
• Application: How does the text apply?
• Correlation: How does the text relate?

In this episode, H.B. focuses on doing observations. The tools you need for this part of your word work are a Bible, something to take on, and the illumination of the Holy Spirit. 

What should you look for in observations? 

1. Key words.
2. Key places. 
3. Key people. 
4. Vital statistics. 
5. Figurative language. 
6. Literary genre. 
7. Diagnostic questions. 
8. Circles of context. 
9. Cross-references. 
10. Passage structure. 
11. Rhetorical functions. 
12. What's not stated. 
13. Dominating theme. 
14. Authorial intent. 
15. Gospel focus. 
16. Practical implications. 
17. Sanctified brainstorming. 

For contact, information, or resources, visit hbcharlesjr.com. You can also sign up for the Cutting It Straight weekly newsletter at hbcharlesjr.com. 

Welcome to The On Preaching Podcast, the podcast dedicated to helping you preach faithfully, clearly, and better. 

In this episode, H.B. discusses theological disciplines for expository preaching. 

As a student and advocate of expository preaching, I believe that it is the most faithful way to handle God's word. 

The bottom line of this episode is that faithful exposition is theologically informed. It should be doctrinal, not merely devotional. Beyond the exegetical text work, theological reflection should shape your sermon preparation. 

What are the theological disciplines for expository preaching? 

1. Biblical Theology
2. Historical Theology 
3. Systematic Theology 
4. Practical Theology

For contact, information, or resources, visit hbcharlesjr.com. 

Welcome to The On Preaching Podcast, the podcast dedicated to helping you preach faithfully, clearly, and better. 

In this episode, H.B. talks about how to find sermon illustrations. 

We preachers often look for illustrative material by subject (prayer, love, forgiveness, etc). But there is another way. You can also look for illustrations by focusing on four persons or groups. 

1. You.
2. Somebody. 
3. Nobody.
4. Everybody. 

For contact, information, or resources, visit hbcharlesjr.com. 

Welcome to The On Preaching Podcast, the podcast dedicated to helping you preach faithfully, clearly, and better. 

In this episode of the podcast, H.B. discusses four sentences that will improve your preaching. That may seem to be a big promise. But carefully crafting these sentences will truly help you to get the text right and get the truth across. 

What are the four sentences that will improve your preaching? 

1. The Text Summary
2. The Main Idea 
3. The Probing Question 
4. The Transitional Sentence 

For contact, information, and/or resources, visit hbcharlesjr.com. 

Welcome to The On Preaching Podcast, the podcast dedicated to helping you preach faithfully, clearly, and better.

In this episode, H.B. discusses how to overcome sermon writer's block. Writer's block typically refers to authors, composers, or artists. But it can also happen to preachers, with the accompanying spiritual implications.  

You can struggle to understand the text, craft the message, or prepare yourself to preach. How do you overcome sermon writer's block? 

1. Guard your heart.
2. Plan your preaching. 
3. Take a break. 
4. Fight the resistance. 
5. Practice purposeful distraction. 
6. Keep on working. 
7. Remember your why. 

For contact, information, or resources, visit hbcharlesjr.com. 

Welcome to The On Preaching Podcast, the podcast dedicated to helping you to preach faithfully, clearly, and better. 

In this episode, H.B. interviews a new friend, Grant R. Castleberry, Pastor of the Capital Community Church in Raleigh, North Carolina. Grant is also the President and featured speaker/writer at Unashamed Truth. 

For contact, information, or resources, visit hbcharlesjr.com. 

Welcome to The On Preaching Podcast, the podcast dedicated to helping you preach faithfully, clearly, and better. 

In this episode, H.B. gives several tips for stating the points, headings, or movements of the main body of your sermon. Effective sermons have clear structure. The structure of the sermon does not have to be explicit. But a good sermon outline benefits both the preacher and the hearer. 

How should you state your sermon outline? 

1. Use simple statements.
2. Use clear statements. 
3. Use biblical statements. 
4. Use provable statements. 
5. Use complete statements. 
6. Use distinct statements. 
7. Use parallel statements. 
8. Use present-tense statements. 
9. Use action statements. 
10. Use memorable statements. 

For contact, information, or resources, visit hbcharlesjr.com. 

Welcome to The On Preaching Podcast, the podcast dedicated to helping you preach faithfully, clearly, and better. 

In this episode, H.B. discusses impactful sermons he has personally heard over the years. The sermons affirm the power of hearing the word of God preached. They remind us that the Holy Spirit is at work through our preaching. They also show us that the Lord uses people with different backgrounds to preach effectively. 

Sermons discussed in this episode...

1. "Will Your House Stand?" by H.B. Charles Sr.
2. "Will You Give Jesus Your Lunch? by Richard D. Sanders 
3. "What Can that Boy Tell Me?" by E.V. Hill 
4. "Reclaiming Lost Ground" by E.K. Bailey 
5. Romans 8:31-34 by John MacArthur 
6. "What Do We Preach?" By Ralph Douglas West 
7. Psalm 119 by R.A. Williams Jr. 
8. BONUS: "Don't Stoop at Standing Time" by Melvin Wade Jr. 

For contact, information, or resources, visit hbcharlesjr.com. 

Welcome to The On Preaching Podcast, the Podcast dedicated to helping you preach faithfully, clearly, and better. 

In this episode, H.B. discusses eleven questions you should ask to properly interpret your sermon text. 

1. What is the book about?
2. What is the literary genre? 
3. What are the word meanings? 
4. What is the literal reading? 
5. What is the immediate context? 
6. What is the grammatical structure? 
7. What is the historical background? 
8. What is the primary theme? 
9. What is the authorial intent? 
10. What is the analogy of faith? 
11. What is the gospel focus? 

For contact, information, or resources, visit hbcharlesjr.com. 

Welcome to The On Preaching Podcast, the podcast dedicated to helping you preach faithfully, clearly, and better. 

In this episode, H.B. talks about practical ways to learn to preach - or to preach better. 

How can I learn to preach better? 

1. By studying the Bible.
2. Through prayer to God. 
3. By listening to good preaching. 
4. By preaching. 
5. By studying preaching. 
6. In conversation with other preachers. 
7. Through constructive feedback. 

For contact, information, and resources, hbcharlesjr.com.