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8 tips for preachers and Bible Study leaders from Tim Keller

A friend of mine passed on some talks by Tim Keller, a pastor in New York, about preaching. As a young preacher I'm always looking out for advice about how to improve and this series of talks he gave really delve into what makes a good preacher.

1. Prepare the preacher before preparing the sermon. He wasn't talking about prayer (although it's good to pray in order to prepare) but more about how a preacher develops. Most of the time preachers only plan for specific sermons. They prepare in a task oriented way. Keller argues that the best sermons are the ones that aren't specifically prepared. In other words, if you read widely, sermons are "discovered". In many ways they find you. Reading widely also helps the preacher become more rounded. The preacher who reads one opinion is in danger of being narrow and rigid, the preacher who reads two opinions can easily become confused but the preacher who reads six opinions is more likely to become balanced.

2. Read magazines across the spectrum. A good preacher immerses themselves in the world to which they preach. Keller argues that for his ministry in New York the best sources for doing this are magazines: political magazines (liberal and conservative), current affairs, post modern magazines. Anything your congregation will be reading and basing their opinions on. We need to apply this to our context.

3. Read book reviews rather than books. Magazines are a great way of sourcing information quickly and so are book reviews. Which preacher has the time to read lots of books? Even if you're a full-time minister it's impossible to keep up (physically and financially). The best way to overcome this is to read good book reviews. Reviews in broadsheet newspapers that go into detail about the latest books. This gives you the information to know where new books are coming from.

4. Read church history. Church history is largely neglected outside of theological college and yet it's a mine of great ideas. Reading church history shows you what's been important to the church throughout history. It also stops pride, when you realise that your insights have already been discovered and written about. It's humbling to realise we stand on the shoulders of the giants who have gone before us.

5. Listen to shed loads of sermons. It's easy to listen to sermons by contemporary preachers and be tempted to copy them. Listening to sermon tapes from the 50's and reading classic sermons stops you doing that (obviously you can't download Luther's sermons on MP3). People will think you're odd if you deliver a Jonathan Edwards' sermon off pat. To hone the craft of good preaching it's essential to listen to / read the masters.

6. Movies, plays, novels are windows into our culture. TV may provide a few tit bits but the good stuff is in the creative arts. They're also a good bridge over which to take the gospel. More aspects of the gospel are in books, plays and films that we think. They're especially good at analysing the nature of human sinfulness and need.

7. Don't right people off just because you don't agree with them on everything. I thought this was a great observation and much needed in evangelical circles. There's a massive temptation amongst evangelicals to caricature people. Just because we don't agree with everything a theologian says doesn't mean they have nothing to say. For example, just because someone like NT Wright may misinterpret aspects of the cross doesn't mean he doesn't have great things to say about the resurrection.

8. Read rapidly through the Bible. This is something I really struggle with, but it makes sense, not only to develop in our relationship with God but also in a strategic way. If you're reading through the Bible rapidly you're keeping the big picture in view all of the time. The better we understand the big picture of the Bible, the better we'll be at understanding the details.

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