Speaking God's Words

Speaking God's Words: A Practical Theology of Preaching by Peter Adam is a good book that lays out a theology of preaching. I especially appreciated his section on understanding preaching as part of the broader ministry of the word (along with counseling, exhorting, evangelizing, etc.) Sometimes I will hear people contend for the primacy of preaching. This was a view that I used to hold. I now hold to the Primacy of Word Ministry, which included preaching. But word ministry comes both publicly and house to house (Acts 20:20). His last two chapters on the purpose of preaching and the demands of preaching are worth the price of the book. He uses John Calvin and Richard Baxter as historical models. This would be a great book to solidify the importance of preaching in the local church and to convince someone of its importance.