News / Education
Book on Spirit-led preaching wins award
Author is assistant professor of preaching and speech at Southeastern Seminary
His interest in the subject led him to write his Ph.D. dissertation in 2003 on “A Spirit-Driven Methodology of Expository Preaching.” It was a critique on his Ph.D. instructor’s definition of expository preaching, which did not include the Holy Spirit.
His instructor was Daniel Akin, who rewrote his own definition after agreeing with Heisler’s dissertation. A couple of years later, Akin became president at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C., and hired Heisler as an assistant professor of preaching and speech.
Four years later, Heisler completed his first book from the dissertation called Spirit-Led Preaching, released by B&H Publishing Group, the publishing arm of LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine his dissertation would turn into an award-winning book, Heisler said. But PreachingToday.com named it its “Book of the Year” in the category focused on preacher’s souls.
“I found out about the award in January. I was told in an e-mail a week ahead of it being announced,” Heisler said. “I didn’t know it was up for an award. Brian Larson (the editor of PreachingToday.com) asked me to do workshops on it. He had kind words to say about the book and how it has helped his preaching.”
Spirit-Led Preaching examines how the Holy Spirit illuminates and empowers the preacher, opens the hearts of the hearers, and applies the message to their lives. According to Heisler, to ignore the Holy Spirit’s role in sermon preparation and delivery would be a considerable oversight.
“The Word becomes flesh in us and is indwelling,” Heisler said. “The Word will not pass with power through us until it has first dwelt with power in us.”
Heisler said he sees young preachers in his class wanting quick pieces of information to take to the pulpit. But Heisler said preaching is much more than that and feels his book helps them to focus on what’s truly important in preaching.
“I call it the Crock-Pot saturation factor,” Heisler said. “A microwave has very quick results with the least amount of effort. A Crock-Pot is based on simmering the food in such a way that the flavor comes out, the meal is tastier, and you get the sense it has spent the day saturating and soaking. The result is a really great tasting meal.
“In preaching, a lot of students who show up in the classroom want the microwave approach,” he said. “ I’m here, give me three quick ways, seven quick steps, five key principles, and I’ll go out and do it. Mechanics are the nuts and bolts where you put together the introduction, illustration, application, and conclusion. It’s powerless if the foundation of the dynamic is not in place. I can’t sit over you in your study and make you pray and make you fast and make you humble yourself before the Lord. I can’t make you broken before the Lord. That’s something God will do to you. If you do not have it, you miss the entire power cord of preaching.”
Heisler said he has received great feedback on the book. Liberty University and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary are two schools using it.
“Students tell me it’s what has been missing in their preaching,” he said. “Pastors have been aware something has been missing and have said it’s been a great help. People have thanked me for writing a book that emphasizes the spiritual role in preaching in a way that has not been done comprehensively.”
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