“Why is it that some can preach for an hour and it seems like five minutes, while others preach for only five minutes and it seems like an hour?” —Haddon Robinson
The Moody Handbook of Preaching answers this question and many others through the experience, knowledge, and understanding of men and women who are experts in their fields and who love God and His church.
Chapters are divided into four sections—Forming a Philosophy of Preaching, Mining the Text, Illustrating Truth, and Developing Methodology—that offer a multidisciplinary approach to preaching. Delve deep into topics such as:
- Why Expository Preaching?
- How Women Hear the Sermon
- Preaching Historical Narrative
- Drama and the Sermon
- Using Technology to Enhance the Sermon
- Sermons that Move
- Exegeting Your Audience
Seasoned pastors and rookie seminarians alike will benefit from this handbook that features the work of graduate and undergraduate professors at Moody Bible Institute as well as three Moody presidents.
Discover insights and greater understanding on your path to better preaching.
JOHN KOESSLER is a professor emeritus at Moody Bible Institute where he served on the faculty since 1994. Prior to joining the Moody faculty, John served as pastor of Valley Chapel in Green Valley, IL for nine years. He is an award-winning author who has written thirteen books and numerous magazine articles. He writes the monthly Theology Matters column for
Today in the Word and is a frequent workshop leader at the Moody Pastor's Conference. John is married to Jane and they have two adult sons. They live in Ludington, MI.
WINFRED NEELY (B.A., D.Min. Trinity International University; M.A. Wheaton) is currently working towards an advanced research degree in Old Testament at the University of Bristol, England. He is an ordained minister of the Gospel and a full time professor of hermeneutics, homiletics, and pastoral studies at Moody Bible Institute of Chicago. Prior to joining the faculty at Moody, Winfred served churches in the City of Chicago and is currently interim pastor of the Judson Baptist Church in Oak Park, IL. He brings to his ministry a global perspective, having served as a missionary/pastor in Senegal, West Africa for nine years. He is also involved in a global equipping ministry, speaking and conducting workshops and training events at churches and conferences in the US and abroad. He and his wife Stephne have been married for forty years and have four adult children and nine grandchildren. He takes acting classes from time to time and is an ardent fan of science fiction films such as Star Wars and Star Trek.
DR. JOSEPH M. STOWELL has a distinguished career in higher education and church leadership. He has served as President of Moody Bible Institute and Cornerstone University and has had the honor of pastoring several churches in the Midwest. An internationally recognized conference speaker, Joe has written devotionals for Our Daily Bread and authored several books, including
Strength for the Journey, The Trouble with Jesus, Simply Jesus, and
Redefining Leadership: Character-Driven Habits of Effective Leaders. He and his wife, Martie, enjoy the pleasure of three children and ten grandchildren.
DR. GEORGE SWEETING (1924-2024) was the former president and chancellor of the Moody Bible Institute (1971-1999). As a world-renowned evangelist, pastor, teacher, and writer, few were better equipped to explain how to grow in your salvation.
How to Begin the Christian Life is a modern classic with more than a million copies in print in English and other languages.
DR. MICHAEL RYDELNIK is Vice President/Academic Dean and Professor of Jewish Studies and Bible at Moody Bible Institute. He is also the Host/Bible Teacher on
Open Line with Dr. Michael Rydelnik, answering listener Bible questions on over 225 stations nationwide across Moody Radio. The son of Holocaust survivors, he was raised in an observant Jewish home in Brooklyn, New York. As a high school student, Michael became a follower of Jesus the Messiah and began teaching the Bible almost immediately. Besides his work on
The Moody Bible Commentary and
The Moody Handbook of Messianic Prophecy as coeditor and contributor, Michael is also the author of
50 Most Important Bible Questions,
The Messianic Hope: Is the Hebrew Bible Really Messianic?, and
Understanding the Arab-Israeli Conflict. Michael and his wife, Eva, live in Chicago, love hiking with their collie and boxer, and have two terrific adult sons, a delightful daughter-in-law, and the cutest grandchildren in the world.
JAMES COAKLEY has taught Bible at Moody Bible Institute for over twenty years in both the Seminary and Undergraduate school. He is married to Gayle and has two adult children and three grandchildren. He is a frequent tour leader to Bible lands and a frequent guest on several Moody Radio programs. He contributed to the
Moody Bible Commentary and the
Moody Handbook of Messianic Prophecy.
ANDREW SCHMUTZER (PhD, Trinity International University) is Professor of Biblical Studies at Moody Bible Institute (Chicago, Illinois). In addition to numerous articles and essays on the Old Testament, he has written the exegetical theology
Be Fruitful and Multiply and two forthcoming commentaries on Ruth and Esther.
GERALD PETERMAN is Professor of Bible and Director of Biblical and Theological Studies at Moody Bible Institute. Before coming to Moody he taught at Palm Beach Atlantic College in West Palm Beach, FL, spent 4 1/2 years doing church planting for the Evangelical Free Church in central Florida and in south central Iowa, and also served eight years in the Air National Guard as a Chaplain. Peterman also serves part-time at his local church. For Moody Publishers he has written
Joy and Tears: The Emotional Life of the Christian (2013) and
Between Pain and Grace: A Biblical Theology of Suffering with Dr. Andrew Schmutzer. Research interests include New Testament Greek Language and Exegesis, Greek and Roman Background to the New Testament, and Biblical Theology. Gerald has been married to Marjory since January 1984, with two adult daughters, Bethany and Grace.
DR. ROSALIE DE ROSSET is a professor of Literature, English and Homiletics at Moody Bible Institute where she has been for forty-two years. She earned her M.A. in English from Northeastern Illinois University, M.Div. from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and Ph.D. in Language, Literacy, and Rhetoric from The University of Illinois at Chicago. In addition to teaching, she regularly appears on Moody Broadcasting Network programs as a guest and co-host, and speaks at conferences and seminars. She lives on the northside of Chicago.
DR. THOMAS H.L. CORNMAN is Vice President and Dean of the Undergraduate School at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Illinois. Tom has authored
Caterpillars and Newfangled Religion: The Struggle for the Soul of Colonial American Presbyterianism, “Laying the Foundation” in
Foundational Faith and was the general editor of
Proclaiming Jesus. Tom and his wife, Sue, live in Wheaton, Illinois.
KELLI WORRALL is the Chair of Music and Media Arts at Moody Bible Institute. She is the co-author (with husband, Peter, Assoc. Professor Education at MBI) of
20 Things We'd Tell Our Twentysomething Selves and the author of
Pierced and Embraced: 7 Life-Changing Encounters with the Love of Christ. Kelli speaks at women’s events and retreats. She and Peter also speak together at marriage and young adult retreats. Connect with Kelli at
www.kelliworrall.com.
BRYAN O'NEAL (M.A., Purdue University; Ph.D., Purdue University) served as the Vice President and Dean of Moody Distance Learning, as well as Interim Dean of Moody Undergraduate School. He edited and contributed to
Standing Firm: The Doctrinal Commitments of Moody Bible Institute and was a contributor to
The Moody Handbook of Preaching, Proclaiming Jesus, and
The Moody Bible Commentary. He and his wife Denise have been married for over 30 years and have three wonderful daughters and one wonderful granddaughter.
MICHAEL EASLEY received his Bachelor of Science in education from Stephen F. Austin State University, and his Master of Theology and Doctor of Ministry degree from Dallas Theological Seminary. He served as Senior Pastor at Grand Prairie Bible Church and Immanuel Bible before becoming the eighth president of Moody Bible Institute. In January 2009, he became the Teaching Pastor at Fellowship Bible Church in Nashville, TN. Dr. Easley has authored two books:
Interludes, Prayers and Reflections of a Servant’s Heart and
The DaVinci Code Controversy. Dr. Easley and his wife, Cindy, were married in 1980, and together they are raising four children.
DAVID B. FINKBEINER is Professor of Theology at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, IL, where he has taught since 1998. He served as Chair of the Theology Department for several years and he ministers in Chicago-area churches through preaching, teaching, and serving as an elder. David earned his Ph.D. in Systematic Theology from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He and his wife, Kathy, have three daughters, Katie, Emily, and Rebecca.
