Starting Strong: Thriving in the First Years of Preaching

Send us Fan Mail Weddings and funerals gather people who may rarely step inside a church, yet they're often moments when people can be directed to God and hear the hope of the gospel. In this episode, we're joined by Reverend Eugene Hor to discuss how to faithfully and wisely preach at weddings and funerals. Eugene shares practical insights on proclaiming Christ with warmth, clarity, and...

Send us Fan Mail Season 2, Episode 1: Hard Seasons in Life with Paul Grimmond How do you preach to people whose lives are marked by grief, disappointment, suffering, or uncertainty? What does faithful preaching sound like when your congregation is walking through life's hardest seasons? In the first episode of Season 2, we’re joined by Paul Grimmond (Vice Principal/Head of Ministry at Moore T...

Send us Fan Mail Bonus Episode: Healthy Habits for Emerging Preachers — with William Taylor Preaching isn’t just about what happens in the pulpit. It’s about the habits formed long before you step into it. In this bonus episode, William Taylor - pastor, Bible teacher, and long-time trainer of emerging preachers shares the foundational habits that sustain faithful gospel ministry over the long haul...

Send us Fan Mail How can preaching do more than teach — how can it shape a church’s direction, culture, and heart for mission? In this bonus episode, Russ Grinter, Darren Middleton, and Phil Campbell join forces to discuss how faithful preaching can set and sustain gospel vision in a local church. Together, they explore how vision casting happens not through flashy slogans or strategies, but throu...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 10: Heart Application with Murray Capill Preaching isn’t finished until God’s Word reaches real lives. But how do we move from explaining the text to showing its transforming power in the everyday? In this season finale, we’re joined by Murray Capill, pastor, author, and long-time lecturer in preaching, to explore the heart of application . Murray unpacks why application i...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 9: Key Tips for Beginners with Dave Martin Every preacher has a first sermon. But what makes the difference between stumbling through and stepping up with confidence? In this episode, we sit down with Dave Martin — experienced pastor and preaching trainer — to hear his most practical advice for those just starting out. Dave shares lessons learned the hard way, what he wish...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 8: Storytelling in Preaching with Mike Raiter Why do some sermons stick in the mind and not just for days, but for years? Often, it’s because they connect truth to story. In this episode, we’re joined by Mike Raiter, preacher, author, and director of the Centre for Biblical Preaching. We explore the role of storytelling in gospel proclamation. Mike unpacks how stories can...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 7: Preaching With Women in Mind with Jenny Salt What do preachers need to keep in mind when they’re preaching to women? How can we communicate the truth of God's word in a way that resonates with the whole church? In this episode, we’re joined by Jenny Salt, lecturer, speaker, and long-time gospel communicator, to reflect on how preaching can honour and engage the wom...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 6: Advanced Rhetoric with Darren Middleton What takes a sermon from faithful to powerful ? From clear to compelling ? In this episode, we’re joined by Darren Middleton, pastor, preacher, and preaching trainer, to explore the role of rhetoric in gospel preaching. Not empty persuasion, but the thoughtful, Spirit-filled use of language to engage hearts and minds with God’s wo...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 5: Preaching Christ from the Old Testament with Jared Hood How do we preach Christ from passages where His name is never mentioned? And how do we avoid either forcing Him into the text or missing Him altogether? In this episode, we’re joined by Dr Jared Hood, Principal of the Presbyterian Theological College and long-time Old Testament preacher and lecturer. Jared helps us...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 4: Outline, Structure & Preaching Wisdom — with Peter Adam What makes a sermon not just true, but clear, compelling, and memorable? Often, it comes down to structure  and a title or outline that sticks. In this episode, Peter Adam, beloved preacher, lecturer, and trusted mentor to generations of gospel workers, helps us think wisely about how to move from text to struc...

Send us Fan Mail How do you find the big idea of a passage — and craft a question that makes people lean in from the very start? In this episode, we’re joined by David Cook, experienced expositor and preaching trainer, to unpack how to identify the central message of a text and frame it in a way that grabs your hearers’ attention. David shares practical steps for developing clear, faithful big ide...

Send us Fan Mail How do you finish a sermon so it lands with clarity, conviction, and lasting impact instead of drifting to an awkward or forgettable close? In this episode, we talk with Rory Shiner, author, pastor, and seasoned preacher, about the art of ending sermons well . Rory shares why your final words can make or break your sermon, practical ways to end with gospel-driven power (without ch...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Starting Strong: Thriving in the First Years of Preaching — the podcast for new and growing preachers who want to handle God’s word faithfully and deliver it engagingly. In this first episode, we’re joined by Richard Chin, National Director of AFES and seasoned Bible teacher, to tackle a vital question: How do you preach in a way that keeps people listening — not just p...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Starting Strong: Thriving in the First Years of Preaching ! In this short intro, your hosts Matt and Oli share who they are, why they’ve launched this podcast, and what you can look forward to in the coming episodes. You’ll get a sneak peek at some of the seasoned pastors, Bible teachers, and ministry leaders who will be joining us. This isn’t just theory. It’s honest c...