Here’s a novel idea: preaching needs to have application so we are not just listening to someone spout for an hour and then have nothing to gain from it. Surely this should be common knowledge. Unfortunately, as Pastor Mike Fabarez articulates, this isn’t always so. The pulpit can be more a platform for young seminarians to pontificate the grand doctrines of God in bewildering language that almost no one understands. Fortunately, there are remedies for such preaching.

This book is about the pastor and his task to realign his sermon preparation and delivery with the idea of application at the forefront. As Dr. Fabarez says, it does the congregation no good if the pastor explains the text for 40 minutes and spends 20 minutes going over how they should respond to it. Sometimes, this should be the opposite.

Reading through this book has opened my eyes. Sitting under Pastor Mike at Compass Bible Church, I’ve been blessed to grow from his tutelage. I’ve also noticed this pattern in his preaching: an introduction, an explanation of the text, the application, the conclusion. This is simple, but it is also most powerful. Getting to the core of what the Bible means to the average person instead of showering the congregation with useless knowledge (after all, it is useless unless it is applied) has to be more effective in calling the Christian to step up to his or her own calling.

Fantastic book for the layman and the professional. If you don’t like paradigm shifts, don’t pick up this book. 5/5.