The Heart of the Preacher: Preparing Your Soul to Proclaim the Word

Cultivating the Preacher’s Heart

You can teach the craft, but you must first form the heart.

Many preachers want to preach better, but they don’t always know how to go about improvement, and most books on preaching focus on the mechanics of the craft.

But preaching involves more than the steps to take a text to sermon, because every time a preacher stands up to preach, their character shines through—for better or for worse.

In The Heart of the Preacher, Rick Reed focuses on the personal heart preparation required before any preacher is ready to preach. He explores issues preachers often wrestle with—like discouragement, insecurity, and pride. He then offers practices to fight these challenges and form a heart that carries the fruit of the Spirit into the pulpit.

It takes more than a good speaker to preach. It takes a Spirit-filled person. This book will help you check your heart and cultivate the most important aspect of preaching: your character.

160 pages

No one will be able to take from the shoulders of responsible pastors the heavy loads of ministry. But Rick Reed writes from pastoral experience and leadership to help us understand what will test the pastoral heart and what God provides to strengthen it. Pastors who are willing to look clearly and unflinchingly into the challenges for continued ministry that reside in their own hearts will find The Heart of the Preacher invaluable and re-invigorating for ministry.

—Bryan Chapell, Pastor, Grace Presbyterian Church, President emeritus, Covenant Seminary

Contents

• Foreword by Bryan Chapell
• Introduction
• Part I: The Testing of a Preacher’s Heart
  • Ambition
  • Comparison
  • Boasting
  • Insignificance
  • Laziness
  • Stagnating
  • Speaking One Language
  • Fear
  • Retreating
  • Criticism
  • Disengaged Listeners
  • Blue Mondays
  • Failure
  • Pain
  • Quitting
• Part II: The Strengthening of a Preacher’s Heart
  • Practice Personal Soul Care
  • Devote Yourself to Prayer and the Word
  • Stay on the Expository Path
  • Right-Size Your Expectations
  • Develop Internal Security
  • Listen to Your Closest Ally
  • Make the Most of Saturday Nights
  • Do the Work of an Evangelist
  • Don’t Kill the Horse
  • Keep Your First Love
• Conclusion