Wednesday, January 28, 2009

10 Questions with Ray Ortlund

Colin Adams asks Ray Ortlund 10 questions about preaching. Here are the questions; go to the post for the answers:
  1. Where do you place the importance of preaching in the grand scheme of church life?
  2. In a paragraph, how did you discover your gifts in preaching?
  3. How long (on average) does it take you to prepare a sermon?
  4. Is it important to you that a sermon contain one major theme or idea? If so, how do you crystallize it?
  5. What is the most important aspect of a preacher’s style and what should he avoid?
  6. What notes, if any, do you use?
  7. What are the greatest perils that preacher must avoid?
  8. How do you fight to balance preparation for preaching with other important responsibilities (e.g., pastoral care, leadership responsibilities)?
  9. What books on preaching, or exemplars of it, have you found most influential in your own preaching?
  10. What steps do you take to nurture or encourage developing or future preachers?
For more of Colin's series of 10 questions for expositors, check out:
For more on Ortlund, you can sign up for the podcast of his sermons, and also read his edifying blog.