Introduction
j j j j j j j j j j The purpose of this Discussion Board post is to choose two preachers and
to analyze the sermon excerpts to determine where they fit into a sermon.
Billy Graham
j j j j j j j j j j Billy Graham lived between 1918 and 2018 and was an evangelist who
encouraged people to commit their lives to Christ.[1] According to A Legacy of
Preaching, “In Billy Graham’s understanding, the gospel was centered in what God
had done for us in Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God, who was sent by the
Father to become the final and complete sacrifice for human sin.”[2] When reading
Billy Graham’s excerpt from his sermon “Things That Never Change,” it seemed
that this part of the sermon followed the “Aiming for Faith Response.” According to
Twelve Essential Skills for Great Preaching, “The overarching aim of preaching is to
call for faith in the hearer. Preaching for faith means planning every element of
sermon design to achieve that aim.”[3] Graham focuses on five promises of hope
as they relate to God and how those promises can be applied to the life of a
person if they choose to have Christ as their Savior.[4] Graham ‘s ultimate objective
is to bring people into the family of faith and save their soul.
Jerry Falwell
j j j j j j j j j j Jerry Falwell was a social activist, educator, and Baptist minister who
founded Liberty University during his years on earth between 1933 and 2007.[5]
According to A Legacy of Preaching, “His sermons were filled with words of
encouragement, practical application, calls to action, and a belief that dynamic
faith could move mountains.[6] When reading Jerry Falwell’s excerpt from his
sermon “Never Quit,” it seemed that this part of the sermon followed the outline of
“Drawing Pictures, Telling Stories.” According to Twelve Essential Skills for Great
Preaching, this skill deals “with the preacher’s skill at vividly and imaginatively
portraying biblical and contemporary scenes and stories.”[7] Falwell paints the
picture of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego having Christ with them in the
furnace, and then he connects that to a story about Mr. Moody, and then draws a
line to present day life.[8] This section from his sermon follows the story outline of
situation, stress, search, solution, and new situation.[9] Falwell ends this section of
his sermon with an encouraging and challenging phrase to the congregation.[10]
Falwell’s sermon really draws a nice picture of the theme of his message by
incorporating a bible story with a modern day connection.
[1] John N. Akers, “Billy Graham: Evangelist to the World” ” in A Legacy of
Preaching: Volume Two Enlightenment to the Present Day, Benjamin K. Forrest,
Kevin L. King, Bill Curtis, and Dwayne Milioni (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2018),
444.
[2] Ibid., 455.
[3] Wayne McDill, 12 Essential Skills for Great Preaching, 2nd Ed. (Austin, TX:
WORDsearch, 2013), 189.
[4] Akers, “Billy Graham” in A Legacy of Preaching, 459.
[5] Edward E. Hindson, “Jerry Falwell: Preaching Dynamic Faith” ” in A Legacy of
Preaching: Volume Two Enlightenment to the Present Day, Benjamin K. Forrest,
Kevin L. King, Bill Curtis, and Dwayne Milioni (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2018),
525.
[6] Ibid., 525.
[7] McDill, 12 Essential Skills, 153.
[8] Hindson, “Jerry Falwell” in A Legacy of Preaching, 536.
[9] McDill, 12 Essential Skills, 154.
[10] Hindson, “Jerry Falwell” in A Legacy of Preaching, 536.
