The 10 Best Books on Preaching, According to Logos Users

When it comes to books on preaching, there’s no shortage of resources available. But which books are actually the most helpful?

To help you find some of the most cherished, we asked our Logos community to share their favorite preaching resources. Here are their top recommended books on preaching.

10 book recommendations on preaching

1. Christ-Centered Preaching: Redeeming the Expository Sermon, Bryan Chapell

This book received the highest number of recommendations.

In it, Chapell provides a usable framework for preaching Christ from every text, helping expositors identify the “fallen-condition focus” and redemptive aim of every passage.

See also Chapell’s Mobile Ed courses on “Delivering and Preparing Christ-Centered Sermons.”

2. Preaching and Preachers, Martyn Lloyd-Jones

“The Doctor” is often regarded as one of the greatest preachers of the twentieth century. This book originates from a series of lectures he delivered at Westminster Theological Seminary in the spring of 1969. In it, he defends the primacy of preaching, offering a theological account that grounds convictions and informs practice.

3. Biblical Preaching: The Development and Delivery of Expository Messages, by Haddon W. Robinson

Robinson’s Biblical Preaching is a seminal work on expository preaching, training an army of preachers in the expository method. Known for his emphasis on locating and preaching the “big idea” of a passage, Robinson provides a systematic approach for letting Scripture speak for itself.

Tune into David Helm’s Logos Live interview on expository preaching.

4. Preaching Christ from the Old Testament: A Contemporary Hermeneutical Method, by Sidney Greidanus

Greidanus provides a comprehensive approach to interpreting and preaching from the Old Testament in view of Christ. He argues that since the Old Testament witnesses to Christ (e.g., Luke 24:44–47), preachers must craft sermons that authentically integrate the text’s message with God’s ultimate revelation in Jesus Christ.

Users also mentioned several of Greidanus’s individual works where he applies this methodology to specific Old Testament books, e.g.,

• Genesis
• Leviticus
• Psalms
• Ecclesiastes
• Daniel

5. Privilege the Text!: A Theological Hermeneutic for Preaching, by Abraham Kuruvilla

Kuruvilla advises preachers to bridge the gap between their modern audiences and the ancient biblical text by helping their audience inhabit the theology of the passage. So he defines preaching as

the communication of the thrust of a Scripture passage discerned by theological exegesis, and its application to a specific body of believers, that they may be conformed to the image of Christ, for the glory of God—all in the power of the Spirit.¹

His approach involves understanding a passage, discerning its theology, and, from there, applying it to one’s people.

Users also mentioned other titles by Kuruvilla:

• A Manual for Preaching: The Journey from Text to Sermon
• A Vision for Preaching: Understanding the Heart of Pastoral Ministry
• As well as his various commentaries.

6. On Preaching: Personal and Pastoral Insights for the Preparation and Practice of Preaching, by H. B. Charles

Written in thirty concise and easy-to-read chapters, Charles draws on decades of preaching experience to offer practical tips and personal insights for effective preaching and sermon preparation.

7. Preaching with Bold Assurance: A Solid and Enduring Approach to Engaging Exposition, by Hershael York and Bert Decker

Hershael York and Bert Decker provide a model for exposition that emphasizes both textual integrity and communication skill. Unlike some approaches that neglect one or the other, this book argues that both content and delivery are crucial in communication.

They outline three elements for effective preaching:

1. Understand the passage (text)
2. Build the message (sermon)
3. Engage the audience (delivery)

8. Preaching and Biblical Theology, by Edmund P. Clowney

Biblical theology recognizes the Bible as a progressive revelation where God’s message unfolds across historical stages, building upon the previous ones and culminating in Christ. The ultimate function of biblical theology in preaching is to center preaching on its essential message: Jesus Christ.

In contrast, Clowney warns against preaching that moralizes by missing Scripture’s redemptive historical context.

Try writing sermons in Logos. Get started with a free trial today!

9. Why Johnny Can’t Preach: The Media Have Shaped the Messengers, T. David Gordon

Gordon examines how contemporary preaching has been eroded by modern media’s impact on culture and communication. He challenges preachers to consider how cultural shifts have impacted their ability to read texts carefully and contemplatively, calling for a renewed attention to clear, thoughtful proclamation.

10. Commentaries

Although not technically books on preaching, several users mentioned some of their favorite commentary series for sermon prep.

• See Logos’s Best Commentaries page to find commentaries for your next sermon series.
• Consider also my list of “Top Preaching Tools & Resources That Belong in a Pastor’s Library,” which includes some of my personally recommended commentary series.
• Or consider purchasing a Logos library to build a pastoral library in bulk.

Find your next commentary with Logos’s Explore Commentaries page.

5 honorable mentions

Although this is a list of user-recommended books, I reserve the right to make some additions. The following are some classics on preaching not mentioned above:

1. The Christian Ministry, by Charles Bridges

This is one of my all-time-favorite books on pastoral ministry. Although Bridges addresses more than a pastor’s public preaching ministry, much of his book is dedicated to this subject.

2. Lectures to My Students, by Charles Spurgeon

Derived from his weekly Friday afternoon lectures at the Pastors’ College in London, the “Prince of Preachers” provides invaluable insights for preachers. Many consider this an essential read for pastors and preachers.

3. Between Two Worlds, by John Stott

In this modern classic, Stott masterfully addresses the preacher’s task of faithfully bridging the ancient text to one’s contemporary audience.

4. The Supremacy of God in Preaching, by John Piper

Piper argues that God-centered and God-exalting proclamation is the key to preaching that actually transforms lives. Consider also his book, Expository Exultation: Christian Preaching as Worship.

5. Preaching: Communicating Faith in an Age of Skepticism, by Timothy Keller

Keller’s preaching was famous for its ability to diagnose modern society’s need for the gospel and then to apply the gospel effectively to that need.

Conclusion

In his classic, The Christian Ministry, Charles Bridges says of preaching

How much responsibility attaches itself to the subject matter and the mode of our pulpit addresses! It cannot be of light moment, whether our people are “fed with knowledge and understanding,” or with ill-prepared and unsuitable provision. The pulpit is the ordinary distribution of the bread of life for their daily nourishment, and much wisdom indeed is here required.²

Indeed! How weighty a task it is to bring God’s Word to God’s people. I pray the above resources equip you in that awesome work.

Which preaching resource will you add to your library next?

Related content

• What Is Homiletics? An Intro to the Art & Science of Preaching
• 4 Steps to Faster Sermon Prep (Without Sacrificing Quality)
• How to Prepare a Sermon: 32 Hacks for Preachers
• On Expository Preaching | David Helm
• Top Preaching Tools & Resources That Belong in a Pastor’s Library