Styles Of Preaching

 There are several different styles of preaching. The three main styles are Textual, Expository, and Topical. These have to do with not just the way a sermon is preached, but the format by which it is put together and delivered.

Textual is literally going verse by verse. There used to be a preacher on the radio who famously went verse by verse through the Bible, taking time at different times to explain or expound on a particular verse. Textual may have a place if your aim is to kill a lot of time.

Topical means that through your devotional reading or from your personal interaction with people you come up with an idea that you expand on and embellish to make it make sense. You might add a quote or a poem or an illustration to help people understand what you mean. You take examples from real life and from real people. This is not Bible study preaching. This is practical real life preaching that applies the Bible to the world that we live in. To me, this is the best kind of preaching. Topical is "This is that" preaching.

Expository is letting the Bible speak for itself. Every story is a Bible story. Plenty of verses are used. Every example is a Bible character. Expository is a good method for serious Bible study. But once you have heard about how David killed Goliath the story never changes. Expository is the letter of the law.

Preaching is part art and part science. A wise preacher will find what works and do that and he will not continue down a road that puts people to sleep.

One more thought. Pastor Wayman Mitchell was a topical preacher. He preached practical righteousness. He used real people as examples. He worked hard to become a preacher. We are the fruit of his efforts.