What is preaching? What makes a great sermon? In this last episode on influential books, Cole and Terry discuss John Piper's Expository Exultation, Tim Keller's Preaching, and Abraham Kuruvilla's A Manual for Preaching to model going from the text to the sermon and how to make the sermon stick. 

Jonathan Edwards is famous for his sermon, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," but there is so much more to this great American preacher and theologian. Many argue that Edwards is the greatest mind America has ever produced, others view him primarily as a defender of the Great Awakening. In this episode, Cole, Terry, and Cliff wrap up the Awakening series with a discussion of Edwards's ministry and legacy. 

Edwin Friedman's book Failure of Nerve is a hidden gem for personal and organizational leadership. In this episode, Cole and Terry discuss the key ideas and the ways Friedman's work compares and contrasts with Christian wisdom for leaders. 

Maybe one person bears the responsibility more than any other for the preaching of the Great Awakening: George Whitefield. In England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and America, Whitefield tirelessly preached the Gospel with incredible spiritual power. As Cole, Terry and Cliff discuss his life and legacy, you'll see the powerful implications for the church today. 

Charles Taylor's massive book A Secular Age has been highly influential in understanding the cultural world we live in today. You may not wade through the whole thing, but you'll want to grasp a few key terms and ideas he presents. In this episode, Cole and Terry discuss secularism, the porous and buffered self, and the immanent frame. 

Also mentioned in this episode: 

"Cracks in the Secular" - James K. A. Smith, Comment 

In the middle of the 18th Century, America went through a time of spiritual revival known as the Great Awakening. This movement of God has affected the country ever since. What was so special about that time? What really happened? In this episode, Cole and Terry are joined by Dr. Cliff Sanders, the founder and president of the School of Wesleyan Studies to talk about John Wesley's role in the Great Awakening. 

In this episode on influential books, Cole and Terry discuss biblical theology through the lens of G. K. Beale's The Temple and the Church's Mission and Michael Morales's Exodus: Old and New. 

If you were going to write a letter to the American church, what would you say? Eric Metaxas did just that. Cole and Terry discuss his new book, the interesting questions it raises, and what they might include in a letter of their own. 

We get asked a lot - how do you read and remember all these books? In a short Friday episode, Cole and Terry talk about reading, highlighting, and remembering great books. Everyone has to develop a system of their own, but these are some tried and tested methods for getting more out of your reading. 

How should Christians engage the culture? In Rules for Reformers, Douglas Wilson lays out a plan for cultural engagement and Christian fidelity. Cole and Terry discuss Wilson's voluminous work, his writing on marriage and family, and his impact on their lives.