Thoughtful Proclaimer
A Bottom-Up Guide to Preparing Bible Messages That Transform You from the Inside Out
by
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The most important thing that a Proclaimer can do is to find God, the Commander’s Intent for Scripture and to let it transform their lives. Then they must make that intent clear and memorable to others, showing them how to live transformed lives in light of God’s message to them, and offering them motivation to live out God’s intent, through the power of the Holy Spirit, based on a grateful response to Christ’s sacrifice.
So a primary focus for the Thoughtful Proclaimer is what does the passage say, and more importantly, why does the passage say that? We ask what God has for us to proclaim from His Word at this time and to this people? What is God’s primary purpose for this passage of Scripture? Why did God inspire it to be in Scripture? What exactly is the Commander’s Intent for us and our listeners? In this chapter are some of the best methods for determining the Commander’s Intent, the primary purpose for a passage.
Putting our finger on that one primary purpose, the Commander’s Intent, for any passage often requires meditating on the passage—as A.W. Tozer said, “two knees on the floor.” Other times it is easy to spot because the writer states the Commander’s Intent as a universal and timeless principle for everyone. Learning techniques for deciding on the Commander’s Intent will help us do our job better and more easily.
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About the Book
Thoughtful Proclaimer takes you from passage choice to proclamation. This book walks with you through message preparation that transforms both your heart and the hearts of your congregation or class. Aimed at those who proclaim the Word of God in a variety of church and parachurch settings, the Thoughtful Proclaimer method uses a contemplative question-based technique to determine the Commander’s intent, God’s purpose, for every passage of scripture. God’s intent for a passage becomes the point for proclamation of a redemptive and relevant message. Anderson uses humor and story to teach good communication techniques so that every message brings lasting transformation to your listeners.
About the Author
Elizabeth Anderson proclaims the Word of God in a variety of church and para-church settings. She believes that the Bible should transform the message giver before they give a message and that all of the Bible is meant to be taught creatively for the purpose of redemptive transformation. Anderson obtained her Master’s of Divinity from the Alliance Theological Seminary in Nyack, New York and is a candidate for a doctorate from a Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Hamilton, Massachusetts on the subject of in Preaching the Literary Forms of the Bible.