Preaching with Relevance: Without Dumbing Down

And so the battle rages in the heart of every pastor who longs to teach the deep truths of God's Word to a needy congregation, yet finds them reluctant to listen. Must the pastor sacrifice solid biblical preaching in order to be relevant?

No, says veteran pastor and teacher of pastors, Keith Willhite. The pastor must preach biblically AND relevantly. Relevance is inherent in the text--God took care of that--but clear communication of relevance in contemporary culture is the responsibility of the pastor. Without lowering the standard on exegetical and expository content, Willhite offers ten strategies for crafting and presenting sermons that will help listeners understand the meaning of the passage, affirm the sermon's homiletical message, and apply God's truth.

"If you want to be relevant without being biblical, no problem. Or if you want to be biblical, but not relevant, no problem. But the preacher's task is to be both biblical and relevant. Finally, this book offers strategies on how to do it."--Howard G. Hendricks

Keith Willhite (Ph.D. in communications, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind.; Th.M. Dallas Theological Seminary) is "an ordinary guy who stands up in front of people and tells them where to go," at least according to his daughter when she was three. Keith teaches preaching and communications at Dallas Theological Seminary, where he serves as Chairman and Professor of Pastoral Ministries. Prior to teaching, Keith spent 10 years in the pastorate. He and his wife, Denise, live in Texas with their two children.