Can a sermon be biblically accurate, practically helpful, and still miss the point?

At an Expositors Collective training event at Reliance Church in Temecula, California, Cody King and Mike Neglia conducted a revealing experiment: two different sermons from the same passage, Ruth chapter 2.

Before this recording, Cody intentionally delivered a moralistic sermon focused on Ruth’s work ethic and Boaz’s integrity. It included true observations and practical applications—but Jesus remained largely at the margins.

The recording begins with Mike preaching Ruth 2 through a redemptive lens. Ruth is not merely a diligent worker, but an empty-handed outsider who is seen and welcomed. Boaz is more than a model employer; he is a redeemer whose generosity points beyond himself to Jesus Christ, our true and greater Redeemer.

Cody then invites the audience to compare the two approaches. Their responses expose the episode’s central insight: everything in a sermon can be true without being true enough. A message may communicate accurate information and sound advice while failing to lead people to the grace, beauty, necessity, and sufficiency of Jesus.

Cody explains what Christ-centred preaching means, why Jesus is the true hero of Scripture, and how moralistic preaching can quietly replace the gospel with self-improvement. He offers practical guidance for connecting individual passages to the Bible’s grand story of creation, fall, redemption, and consummation—without forcing allegory or artificially inserting Jesus into the text.

This episode will help pastors and Bible teachers distinguish moral instruction from gospel proclamation, honour authorial intent, preach Christian obedience as the fruit of grace rather than the price of acceptance, and show how Scripture finds its fulfilment in Christ.

In this episode:

• Two contrasting sermons from Ruth 2• How a sermon can be accurate but incomplete• Why mentioning Jesus is not the same as making Jesus central• Moralistic preaching and Christianised self-improvement• Seeing Christ in Scripture without forcing allegory• The Bible as one grand redemptive story• The preacher as a steward of God’s mysteries• Three questions for preparing a Christ-centred sermon

Three questions for sermon preparation:

1. Where does this text fit within redemptive history?
2. What problem does this text reveal that Jesus alone can solve?
3. How does the gospel empower and transform our response?

Key Scriptures:

Ruth 2John 5:39Luke 24:25–271 Corinthians 2:1–21 Corinthians 4:1–22 Corinthians 4:5

About Cody King

Cody King is a Bible teacher, church planter, and assistant pastor at Reliance Church in Temecula, California. One of the church’s founding pastors, he previously planted and served as lead pastor of Redemption Calvary in Commerce City, Colorado.

A graduate of Calvary Chapel Bible College, Cody is passionate about expository preaching, biblical literacy, discipleship, and helping people experience transformation through understanding and obeying God’s Word. At Reliance Church, he oversees Men’s Ministry and the Calvary International Training Institute while also serving through teaching, counselling, discipleship, and pastoral care.

Cody King at Reliance Church
https://reliancechurch.org/team/

About Expositors Collective

Expositors Collective equips, encourages, and mentors the next generation of Christ-centred preachers through training events, weekly podcast conversations, and practical resources for personal study and the public proclamation of God’s Word.

https://expositorscollective.org

Calvary Chapel Cooperative

Expositors Collective is a ministry of the Calvary Chapel Cooperative, a family of ministries fostering fellowship and shared work to strengthen churches, cultivate healthy leaders, support church planting, and encourage cooperation throughout the Calvary Chapel movement.

https://calvarychapelcooperative.com

#ChristCenteredPreaching #CodyKing 

Artificial intelligence is already changing how pastors research, write, communicate, and manage the practical demands of ministry. But does using AI necessarily make a preacher less faithful, less authentic, or less dependent upon God?

Mike Neglia speaks with pastor, theologian, and AI developer Miles DeBenedictis about the opportunities and ethical challenges that artificial intelligence presents for Christian ministry. Rather than offering either uncritical enthusiasm or fearful rejection, Miles encourages pastors to think carefully about authorship, disclosure, human responsibility, and the nature of consciousness itself.

The conversation explores practical uses of AI in sermon preparation and church administration, including research assistance, prayer-request processing, Bible translation, and tools that can preserve more time for prayer, pastoral care, and the ministry of the Word. Mike and Miles also consider the dangers of pastoral deepfakes, cloned voices, deceptive content, autonomous AI agents, and outsourcing the spiritual and intellectual work that belongs to the preacher.

At the heart of the episode is a deeper theological question: what does it mean to be human? Miles argues that the church needs a robust biblical anthropology—grounded in the image of God—if it is going to respond wisely to claims about machine intelligence and artificial consciousness.

The episode concludes with a practical look at SermonBrief, a research tool designed to assist preachers without writing their sermons for them, and a memorable reminder that AI generally amplifies the habits, convictions, and character already present in the person using it.

Special offer for Expositors Collective listeners

Receive 20% off SermonBrief for your first year with the code:

EXPOSITORS

Learn more and sign up:

SermonBrief
https://sermonbrief.com/

About Miles DeBenedictis

Miles DeBenedictis is the senior pastor of Cross Connection Church in Escondido, California, where he has served since 2008. He has nearly three decades of pastoral and Bible-teaching experience and is pursuing doctoral studies in artificial intelligence ethics at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Miles is also the founder and CEO of Nomion AI, which develops technology for churches, pastors, and Christian organizations. His ministry and technology work has included collaboration with Enduring Word and Blue Letter Bible.

Cross Connection Church
https://ccchurch.com/

Miles DeBenedictis on Substack
https://pastormiles.substack.com/

Nomion AI
https://nomion.ai/

Line Upon Line — Miles DeBenedictis teaching archive
https://www.lineuponline.com/

Miles DeBenedictis at Blue Letter Bible
https://www.blueletterbible.org/audio_video/debenedictis_miles/

The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
https://www.sbts.edu/

Resources mentioned

Ministry and preaching resources

SermonBrief — AI-assisted sermon research created to support the preacher’s study without writing the sermon
https://sermonbrief.com/

Docent Group — the sermon-research service that helped inspire aspects of SermonBrief
https://www.docentgroup.com/sermon-research

Dispatch — church communication and administrative tools developed by Nomion AI
https://dispatch.church/

Enduring Word Bible Commentary
https://enduringword.com/

Blue Letter Bible
https://www.blueletterbible.org/

Line Upon Line
https://www.lineuponline.com/

Tools, Not Taskmasters: A Christian Dominion Diagnostic for AI — Miles DeBenedictis
https://pastormiles.substack.com/p/tools-not-taskmasters-a-christian

Books mentioned

The Master and His Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World — Iain McGilchrist
https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300245929/the-master-and-his-emissary/

The Matter with Things: Our Brains, Our Delusions, and the Unmaking of the World — Iain McGilchrist
https://channelmcgilchrist.com/matter-with-things/

Mere Christianity — C. S. Lewis
https://www.harpercollins.com/products/mere-christianity-c-s-lewis

In this practical session from the Expositors Collective training event at Reliance Church in Temecula, California, Bryan Stupar introduces the inductive Bible study method. He defines it as slowing down to observe what the Bible says, understand what it means, and respond with worship and obedience.

Inductive Bible study helps us move from asking, “What do I want the text to say?” to asking, “What is God communicating through this passage?” Instead of beginning with our preferred conclusion and searching Scripture for support, we begin with the biblical text and allow it to guide us toward its intended meaning.

Bryan walks through the three movements of inductive Bible study—observation, interpretation, and application—and offers accessible practices that can strengthen personal study and sermon preparation. These include reading repeatedly, listening to Scripture aloud, comparing translations, identifying repeated words, studying context, recognizing literary genres, and allowing Scripture to interpret Scripture.

The ultimate goal, however, is not merely accumulating biblical information. We study Scripture to encounter the risen Christ, know the Father, respond to the Holy Spirit, and become people whose lives increasingly display the love, peace, joy, and kindness of Jesus.

In this episode

• A simple definition of inductive Bible study
• Moving from “What do I want the text to say?” to “What is God communicating?”
• The difference between inductive and deductive approaches
• Why familiarity with a passage is not the same as understanding it
• Recognizing the assumptions and cultural ideas we bring to Scripture
• The importance of slowing down
• Observation: What does the text say?
• Why Bryan listens to a biblical book dozens of times
• Comparing translations and identifying repeated words
• Asking who, what, when, where, why, and how
• Interpretation: What does the text mean?
• Why context is critical
• Allowing Scripture to interpret Scripture
• Understanding literary genres
• Identifying the author’s main point
• Application: How should this text change me?
• Praying Scripture honestly
• Moving from biblical knowledge to spiritual transformation

The three movements of inductive Bible study

Observation: What does the text say?

Read the passage repeatedly. Listen to it aloud. Compare reliable translations. Look for repeated words and phrases. Ask basic questions about the author, audience, setting, structure, and literary form.

Interpretation: What does the text mean?

Study the immediate and broader context. Ask what comes before and after the passage. Let Scripture interpret Scripture, follow cross-references, recognize the genre, and identify the author’s main point.

Application: How should the text change me?

Ask what the Holy Spirit is calling you to believe, obey, confess, or trust God for. Turn the passage into prayer and respond with concrete obedience.

About Bryan Stupar

Learn more about Bryan Stupar and Calvary SLO:
https://www.calvaryslo.com/about/our-team/member/102862/

About Expositors Collective

Expositors Collective exists to equip, encourage, and mentor the next generation of Christ-centred preachers. Through training events, weekly podcast conversations, and practical resources, we help people grow in their personal study and public proclamation of God’s Word.

Explore more resources and upcoming training events:
https://expositorscollective.org

Expositors Collective is a ministry of the Calvary Chapel Cooperative—a family of ministries working together to strengthen churches, cultivate healthy leaders, support church planting, and encourage cooperation throughout the Calvary Chapel movement.

The Cooperative reflects the conviction that churches and ministry leaders flourish through genuine fellowship, shared work, and mutual trust. Its ministries include Expositors Collective, Cultivate Church Planting, When She Leads, and The Pastors Connection.

Learn more about the Calvary Chapel Cooperative:
https://calvarychapelcooperative.com

The Value and Power of Expository Preaching with Dr. Danny Hyde

What gives expository preaching its power?

It is not the preacher’s personality, originality, or exegetical brilliance. According to Dr. Danny Hyde, its power comes from the eternal God, who brings his eternal promise into time through finite human words.

In this message from the Expositors Collective gathering in Temecula, California, Danny explains why faithful exposition matters to both the preacher and the congregation. Expository preaching humbles the preacher beneath the authority of Scripture, disciplines him through the whole counsel of God, and frees him from the pressure to produce something novel every Sunday.

For the congregation, it builds confidence in Scripture rather than the preacher’s personality, teaches people how to read the Bible, and provides the full biblical diet they would not naturally choose for themselves.

Drawing especially from Titus 1:1–3, Danny presents preaching as the astonishing connection between eternity past and eternity future. Through the ordinary words of faithful preachers, God calls people to faith, grounds them in truth, forms them in godliness, and leads them into the hope of eternal life.

In this episode

• What expository preaching actually means
• Explanation, proclamation, and application
• Why the biblical text must govern the entire sermon
• The difference between preaching and merely teaching or lecturing
• How exposition humbles and disciplines the preacher
• Freedom from the “tyranny of novelty”
• Why preachers are servants—not pundits, entertainers, or brand managers
• How faithful exposition builds confidence in Scripture
• Teaching a congregation to read the Bible
• Giving the church the full counsel of God
• Why preaching connects eternity past with eternity future
• How preaching brings God’s purposes to bear on faith, truth, godliness, and hope
• Why theology must become biography

Memorable lines

“The text of Scripture isn’t a springboard for the preacher to show off his diving skills.”

“You are not a pundit. You’re not a therapist. You are not a brand manager, and you’re not an entertainer.”

“Preacher, your job is not to create a message. Your job is to receive a message.”

“Preaching is the connection between eternity past and eternity future.”

“Theology must become biography.”

Key Scripture

Titus 1:1–3

Paul describes his ministry as being for the faith of God’s elect, their knowledge of the truth that accords with godliness, and their hope of eternal life—promised by God before the ages began and manifested at the proper time through preaching.

About Dr. Danny Hyde

Dr. Danny Hyde is a pastor, theologian, author, and experienced expositor committed to the faithful proclamation of God’s Word. In this session, he draws from decades of pastoral ministry to encourage preachers to remain humble beneath Scripture, serve their congregations faithfully, and trust God to work through the ordinary means of preaching.

Dr. Danny Hyde’s Newest Book

Danny’s newest book, A Christian’s Pocket Guide to the Presence of God
https://www.christianfocus.com/en-gb/product/9781527114258/a-christians-pocket-guide-to-the-presence-of-god-paperback

This concise guide traces the theme of God’s presence from Eden to the New Creation, showing how the Triune God draws near to his people through creation, covenant, the incarnation of Christ, and the continuing work of the Holy Spirit.

About Expositors Collective

Expositors Collective exists to equip, encourage, and mentor the next generation of Christ-centred preachers. Through training events, conversations, and practical resources, we help preachers grow in their personal study and public proclamation of God’s Word.

Explore more resources and upcoming training opportunities at expositorscollective.com.

Join our private Facebook group to continue the conversation: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ExpositorsCollective

How do you prepare to preach when sermon preparation is not part of your weekly routine?

In this conversation, Mike Neglia speaks with his friend Noah Beumer, a pastor on staff at Calvary Boise in Idaho, where he currently oversees missions. Before moving into that role, Noah spent many years leading worship, and he now participates in Calvary Boise’s collaborative teaching team.

Noah reflects on the healthy fear and dependence that can accompany occasional preaching. He explains why preachers may sometimes need to pray more and study a little less—not because biblical study is unimportant, but because access to more information does not necessarily tell us what a particular congregation needs to hear.

Mike and Noah also discuss reading the biblical text before reaching for commentaries, finding the big idea of a passage, preparing as a verbal processor, using recording and transcription tools to organise a sermon, and moving from a full manuscript towards a more internalised message.

They also speak about Expositors Collective leadership-team member Dr. John Whittaker and the coaching he provides to Calvary Boise’s teaching team. His investment in preachers and Bible teachers is helping the wider church grow in its understanding, handling and communication of Scripture.

ABOUT NOAH BEUMER

Noah Beumer is a pastor on staff at Calvary Boise in Boise, Idaho, where he oversees missions. He previously spent many years leading worship and now serves within the church’s collaborative teaching team. His ministry experience also includes Bible training, cross-cultural mission work and teaching in a variety of church and small-group settings.

IN THIS EPISODE

Noah’s earliest experiences teaching the Bible

What occasional preachers can contribute to a local church

Why unfamiliarity can drive a preacher towards prayer and dependence

The value of hearing different voices in the pulpit

What Noah means by “pray more and study a little less”

Balancing biblical knowledge with dependence on the Holy Spirit

Reading and praying through the text before opening commentaries

Finding the big idea and deciding what not to include

Preparing a sermon as a verbal processor

Using voice recordings, transcription and AI as editing tools

How collaborative sermon preparation strengthens preachers

Dr. John Whittaker’s coaching of the Calvary Boise teaching team

Moving from a full manuscript towards an internalised message

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Calvary Boise

https://calvaryboise.com/

THE PREVIOUS EPISODE WITH NOAH BEUMER AND MICHAEL MCCALEBB

Episode 74: The Entire Service Is Worship — with Noah Beumer and Michael McCalebb

Mike, Noah and Michael discuss how prayer, song selection, collaboration and communication with the preaching pastor can help make the whole Sunday gathering a unified act of worship.

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/expositorscollective/episodes/Episode-74---The-Entire-Service-is-Worship-e2c622p

JOHN WHITTAKER

John Whittaker’s website

https://www.johnwhittaker.net/

The Listener’s Commentary

https://www.listenerscommentary.com/

John Whittaker’s courses

https://www.johnwhittaker.net/courses

SELECTED EXPOSITORS COLLECTIVE EPISODES WITH JOHN WHITTAKER

Sermon Preparation Strategies — with Nick Cady, John Whittaker and Conor Berry

A practical conversation about moving from the biblical text to the message, finding the big idea, keeping Jesus central, sermon pacing and sustainable study habits.

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/expositorscollective/episodes/Sermon-Preparation-Strategies-w-Nick-Cady--John-Whittaker--Conor-Berry-e3a1gos

How to Discover the Author’s Intended Meaning — with John Whittaker

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/expositorscollective/episodes/How-to-Discover-the-Authors-Intended-Meaning-with-John-Whittaker-e2h5ms1

Teaching the Bible to Real People — with John Whittaker

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/expositorscollective/episodes/Teaching-The-Bible-To-Real-People-with-John-Whittaker-e2c6215

How can preachers help people hear Scripture rather than merely collect information about it?

In this conversation, Mike speaks with New Testament scholar David B. Capes about conversational preaching, the public reading of Scripture, recovering the Old Testament and its language of lament, and recognising the scriptural world that shaped the New Testament writers.

David also explains how Matthew Through Old Testament Eyes helps readers notice Matthew’s use of Israel’s Scriptures. Along the way, he reflects on Christ-centred preaching, faithful listening, friendship across religious differences, and the work of the Lanier Theological Library.

IN THIS EPISODE

David’s first sermon at twelve years old and his early sense of calling

Why effective preaching should sound like a meaningful conversation

The difference between saying something and helping people learn it

Recovering the public reading of Scripture in the church

Why Christians need the Old Testament’s language of lament

How the New Testament writers read and reused Israel’s Scriptures

Reading Matthew with greater sensitivity to its first-century Jewish setting

Christ-centred preaching without forcing Jesus artificially into every isolated verse

Learning to listen carefully to people with whom we disagree

The libraries, lectures, podcasts and study opportunities offered by the Lanier Theological Library

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Matthew Through Old Testament Eyes by David B. Capes (Kregel Academic)

https://www.kregel.com/bible-commentaries/matthew-through-old-testament-eyes/

Devote Yourself to the Public Reading of Scripture by Jeffrey D. Arthurs (Kregel Academic)

https://www.kregel.com/jeffrey-d-arthurs/devote-yourself-to-the-public-reading-of-scripture/

Paul’s Use of the Old Testament by E. Earle Ellis (Wipf and Stock)

https://wipfandstock.com/9781592441945/pauls-use-of-the-old-testament/

TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking by Chris Anderson

(This is the public-speaking book Mike recalled, although its title was not stated during the interview.)

https://www.ted.com/read/ted-talks-the-official-ted-guide-to-public-speaking/

OTHER BOOKS BY DAVID B. CAPES

The Divine Christ: Paul, the Lord Jesus, and the Scriptures of Israel (Baker Academic)

https://bakerpublishinggroup.com/products/9780801097867_the-divine-christ

Old Testament Yahweh Texts in Paul’s Christology (Baylor University Press)

https://www.baylorpress.com/9781481307918/old-testament-yahweh-texts-in-pauls-christology/

Rediscovering Paul: An Introduction to His World, Letters and Theology, second edition (IVP Academic)

https://ivpress.com/rediscovering-paul

Slow to Judge: Sometimes It’s OK to Listen (Thomas Nelson)

https://www.thomasnelson.com/author/4083/david-capes/

ADDITIONAL WORKS REFERENCED

Books by Rabbi Stuart Federow

Federow’s writing was discussed, but no individual title was named during the interview.

https://hebrewjumpstart.com/books

LISTEN AND EXPLORE

Lanier Theological Library and Learning Center — Houston, USA

https://lanierlibraryandlearningcenter.org/

Lanier Theological Library — Yarnton Manor, Oxford, UK

https://yarntonmanor.org/theological-library/

Lanier sabbatical opportunities in Houston

https://lanierlibraryandlearningcenter.org/sabbaticals-2/

Research and writing visits at Yarnton Manor

https://yarntonmanor.org/apply-to-visit/research-writing/

The Stone Chapel Podcast

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-stone-chapel-podcast/id1537425950

Exegetically Speaking — Wheaton College

https://www.wheaton.edu/listen/exegetically-speaking-podcast

A Show of Faith

https://ashowoffaith.org/

David B. Capes’s website

https://davidbcapes.com/

Calvary Chapel Cooperative

https://calvarychapelcooperative.com/

CONNECT WITH DAVID

Email: [email protected]

For information about our upcoming training events visit ExpositorsCollective.com 

Join our private Facebook group to continue the conversation: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ExpositorsCollective

Nancy Guthrie has spent years helping Christians understand how the whole Bible fits together and how every part of Scripture leads us to behold Jesus Christ. She is a Bible teacher, author, host of Help Me Teach the Bible, and a graduate of Reformed Theological Seminary whose Biblical Theology Workshops have equipped Bible teachers across the United States and around the world. 

In this conversation, Nancy joins Mike Neglia to discuss the relationship between biblical theology and faithful Bible teaching. She explains why understanding the Bible’s unfolding story should produce joy and assurance, how God’s plan is even better than Eden, and how teachers can point people to Christ without forcing Jesus into every detail of a passage.

Nancy also shares practical wisdom about sermon preparation and delivery. She reflects on the strengths and limitations of outlines and full manuscripts, the importance of loving people more than our notes, and why going off script is not always as spontaneous as it appears. She recommends resources for growing in biblical theology and introduces the vision behind the Beholding Christ project.

The conversation also looks back on Help Me Teach the Bible, the influential podcast in which Nancy interviewed skilled preachers and teachers about communicating particular books of Scripture faithfully and effectively. She reflects on what she learned from those conversations, including Iain Duguid’s approach to Judges and the gospel of Jesus Christ, and tells a moving story about the courage of Christians in Afghanistan. 

This episode will encourage pastors, Bible study leaders and anyone who wants to understand the Scriptures more deeply, teach them more faithfully and help others see the beauty of Christ throughout the whole Bible.

Resources Mentioned: 

Even Better Than Eden: Nine Ways the Bible’s Story Changes Everything about Your Story
Nancy’s official book page, including the nine biblical-theological themes running from Genesis to Revelation:
https://www.nancyguthrie.com/even-better-than-eden 

Blessed: Experiencing the Promise of the Book of Revelation
Nancy’s official page for her study of Revelation, focused on endurance, judgement, salvation and the coming new creation:
https://www.nancyguthrie.com/revelation 

Why Middle Eastern Women Want to Learn to Teach the Bible
This is the episode containing the Afghan Christian woman, alongside women from several Middle Eastern countries. The Afghan participant discusses helping her husband minister through house churches and reaching women with the gospel.
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/podcasts/help-me-teach-the-bible/women-middle-east-want-learn-teach-bible/ 

Julius Kim on Teaching for Attention and Retention
Nancy Guthrie speaks with Julius Kim about communicating in ways that help listeners pay attention, understand and retain what they hear.
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/podcasts/help-me-teach-the-bible/julius-kim-teaching-retention/ 

Iain Duguid on Judges
Nancy and Iain Duguid discuss teaching Judges, understanding its structure and preaching Christ from one of the Bible’s darkest books.
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/podcasts/help-me-teach-the-bible/ian-duguid-on-judges/ 

In this episode of the Expositors Collective Podcast, Mike Neglia sits down with Pastor Tommy Cota for a conversation about conversion, calling, sermon preparation, and the ongoing work of growing as a Bible teacher.

Tommy shares the remarkable story of how Jesus transformed his life after years of alcohol and drug use and five and a half years in the California state prison system. Following his release from prison in January 2000, and through the faithful prayers of his wife, Diana, Tommy surrendered his life to Jesus Christ on June 11, 2000. During the conversation, Mike and Tommy discover that they both came to faith in Christ at almost exactly the same time, in southern California.

Their conversation traces Tommy's journey from an unlikely small men's Bible study that became an incubator for future pastors, to Calvary Chapel's School of Ministry and eventually pastoral ministry at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa. In 2014, Tommy stepped out in faith to plant Hope Alive Church, with a heart to reach the people of Santa Ana with the hope found in Jesus Christ.

Mike and Tommy also get practical about the craft of preaching. They discuss Tommy's experience teaching through Genesis, the dangers of Bible studies that go on far too long, and why Tommy has intentionally reduced the size of his "commentary stack" during sermon preparation. They reflect on what happens when authors you once considered a little too "out there" start making sense, and the importance of internalising a sermon so thoroughly that, when you step into the pulpit, you aren't "married to your notes."

Along the way, Mike shares some reflections from his own experience teaching through Revelation, as two pastors at different stages of long-term Bible exposition compare notes on trusting the text, learning from others, and continuing to grow as preachers.

Tommy Cota is the pastor of Hope Alive Church in Santa Ana, California. He and his wife, Diana, have been married since 1990 and have three children and three grandchildren. Tommy and several other pastors are also featured in the documentary The Neighborhood, which tells the story of pastors and churches serving communities affected by gangs and violence in Southern California.

For information about our upcoming training events visit ExpositorsCollective.com 

Join our private Facebook group to continue the conversation: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ExpositorsCollective

John Whitaker believes that every sermon should have a purpose and a point - because we aren't just teaching the Bible, we are teaching the Bible to people.  

In this session (recorded in 2025 at our St Pete, Florida preacher training event) John speaks about the need to hone our homiletical skills so that we can connect with our congregations as complicated individuals, rather than a block of abstract "listeners."  Homiletics is the study of how to effectively communicate the message of the Christian faith through preaching and teaching. It involves understanding the biblical texts, the needs and concerns of the audience, and the use of language and other communication techniques to convey the message in a way that is meaningful and impactful.

John is passionate about connecting people with the life-changing message of the Bible. 

 He loves to bring the Bible to life and connect it to your life, so that it helps you live the life God created you for.

John enjoys his life too...

When he’s not preaching or teaching, you might find him at a local coffee shop meeting with and encouraging other local ministers. Or you could find him hanging out at home with his wife and partner in ministry, Louise, his closest friend for 30 years.  Or perhaps you’ll find him throwing the ball for his dogs. 

He loves Mexican food, a quiet day in the woods, his family, but most of all John loves to help people see how God’s word speaks to their life and his greatest thrill in life is to see people come alive to the joy of walking with God honestly, humbly, and transformationally.

Want all the technical details about John?

John is a preacher, teacher and pastor. He holds theology and ministry degrees from Boise Bible College, Cincinnati Bible Seminary, and a doctorate in preaching from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary - the only reason for all of that is to help bring God's word into the lives of people more effectively.  John has been serving in ministry for 30 years. He has served as a Professor of Preaching and New Testament at Boise Bible College for 19 years. During that time, he also helped plant a church in Kuna, Idaho, where he led the adult education ministry and preached for 11 years. He has taught classes for Eternity Bible College and taught and preached in various places around the country and the world. Most recently, he served for nearly 4 years as one of the teaching and campus pastors at The Pursuit, in Boise. 

Recommended Resources: 

 https://www.johnwhittaker.net/

The Listener's Commentary: https://www.listenerscommentary.com/ 

free Mini-Course Deepen your Bible reading and prayer time : https://www.johnwhittaker.net/courses

Connect

For information about our upcoming training events visit ExpositorsCollective.com 

Join our private Facebook group to continue the conversation: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ExpositorsCollective

Preachers do not merely need to understand the gospel accurately. They need the gospel to function at the centre of their hearts, their sermons, their pastoral ministry, and their lives.

Mike Bullmore joins Mike Neglia to discuss his new book, The Heart of Preaching: The Functional Centrality of the Gospel in the Life and Work of the Preacher, published by 9Marks with a foreword by D. A. Carson. Drawing on 25 years as the founding and senior pastor of CrossWay Community Church in Bristol, Wisconsin, Bullmore reflects on how the gospel shapes sermon preparation, delivery, application, pastoral ministry, and the inner life of the preacher.

The conversation explores what it means for preaching to be governed by the content and intent of Scripture, why preachers must not separate divine and human authorial intent, and how to give people the full gospel rather than a reduced version of it. Bullmore also speaks about the mentors who shaped him up close, including John Piper, D. A. Carson, C. J. Mahaney, and Greg Waybright.

In the second half, Mike Neglia asks Bullmore for advice on preaching through the challenging book of Revelation. Bullmore offers wise counsel on moving forward with confidence, even when every interpretive question has not been settled.

Mike Bullmore holds a PhD from Northwestern University and now serves in various venues training the next generation of faithful pastors. He lives in Kenosha, Wisconsin, with his wife, Beverly.

The Heart of Preaching: The Functional Centrality of the Gospel in the Life and Work of the Preacher : https://www.crossway.org/books/the-heart-of-preaching-tpb/

For information about our upcoming training events visit ExpositorsCollective.com 

Join our private Facebook group to continue the conversation: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ExpositorsCollective

Matt Shantz

Lead Pastor of Central Community Church in Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada, and host of the Deep Thoughts podcast.

When a preacher quotes someone from the pulpit, what are they actually endorsing? How do churches move beyond wishing for more Bible teachers to intentionally training them? And what kind of feedback has the power to reshape a preacher's ministry for decades? In this thoughtful and practical conversation, Mike Neglia sits down with Matt Shantz, Lead Pastor of Central Community Church in Chilliwack, British Columbia, and host of the Deep Thoughts podcast, to explore the questions that shape a lifetime of faithful preaching. Together they discuss the ethics of quoting voices outside our theological tradition, the sermon critique that pushed Matt toward greater gospel clarity, the surprising benefits of handwritten notes, and why preaching is often far more exhausting than most people realise. Matt also offers a behind-the-scenes look at how Central Community Church identifies, trains, coaches, and releases new Bible teachers through initiatives like their Preaching Lab, creating a culture where developing communicators is part of the church's DNA. Whether you're preparing this Sunday's sermon, mentoring emerging preachers, or simply trying to grow in the craft and calling of Bible teaching, this conversation is filled with wisdom, humility, and practical encouragement for the long work of ministry.

Deep Thoughts Podcast: https://thedeepthoughtspodcast.wordpress.com/

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