Common sense preaching [Hardcover]

Dee Bowman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 1999

From the Forward: Now, thanks to Dee Bowman's book Common Sense Preaching, preachers young and old are blessed with a practical handbook that guides us through the thrilling process of sermon preparation and delivery. It is a book that teaches us how to balance form and substance.

Above all, Bowman's approach to preaching is biblically based. A reverential respect for both God's will and God's word permeates every page. He brings to life the great preachers of the Bible and analyzes their sermons with profound insight, emphasizing the powerful way they preached. "Preaching that does not storm the will," writes Dee, "is not good preaching." Furthermore, he demonstrates how the personalities of these great preachers contributed to their love and compassion for people, and he encourages preachers to follow their godly examples . . . .

Common Sense Preaching evidences a thorough acquaintance with sound rhetorical principles, drawn from a broad range of sources reaching back as far as Aristotle, and sifts through the mind- boggling mass of material on preaching written by contemporary authors. It is full of fresh insights gleaned from the author's many years of experience in pulpit preaching, radio and television broadcasting, and college teaching. In fact, no one is better suited than Dee Bowman to write a book on preaching. His life is consumed with the exposition of God's word.

Read Dee's book with delight and profit from its pages. It will help you to be a better Christian as well as a better preacher (Melvin D. Curry, Jr., Chairman of the Florida College Bible Department, 1975-91).

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

What activity could be more significant than strong, sound, Biblical preaching? The command to "Preach the Word" is important because "it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe" (1 Cor. 1:21). Paul said, "I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth" (Rom. 1:15-16). Of course, the message is the most essential ingredient in Biblical preaching. Preaching is needed in our day because people are lost and Christians need to grow in the knowledge of God. Men and women can be saved and Christians can develop spiritually only through receiving the message of Christ which comes from God. None will be saved by sophistry or theatrics. Readers of this book will constantly be reminded of that theme. It is important, however, that we present the message as effectively as we can. We must preach with clarity, understanding our listeners, and appealing to their hearts and minds. While it is true that good hearts will receive God's truth, the facts of life teach that even the best of students achieve more with good teachers. How can we be better preachers of the gospel? We do not wish to detract from God's message by our ineffective manner of presentation. This book is intended to help us do our jobs as gospel preachers in the most powerful way each of us can.

Dee Bowman will help us to be more successful in this great work. If we will honestly and carefully apply the "common sense" suggestions in this book, alongside the Scriptural requirements for preaching, we will "storm the will" of beloved listeners and lead men to the Lamb of God who takes away sins (C. G. "Colly" Caldwell, President of Florida College, Temple Terrace, FL).

From the Back Cover

Dee Bowman often has said, "I never intended to be a preacher." But as a talented communicator in broadcasting and one with a great love for God's word, it may have been providential that he became one. His rare skills unconsciously draw rapt attention from his audiences as he delivers clear, understandable points. He carefully uses the power of the gospel to "storm the will" of his listeners.

Recognizing that his delivery came from both forensic skill and careful preparation, President C. G. "Colly" Caldwell, then academic dean at Florida College, invited Bowman in 1985 to teach homiletics to the upper division Bible students at Florida College. It has been an enriching experience, both for his students and Bowman.

Born in Estelline, Texas, in 1934, Dee began his career at 16 working as a janitor at a local radio station. When the sportscaster was sick, Dee read the sports news and a career in broadcasting was launched. Over 20 years later, he left the airwaves and began a full-time work in 1971 with a church in Lubbock. Five years later he and his family moved to Deer Park, Texas, to serve the Southside Church of Christ as evangelist. During his association with Southside, Bowman developed a structured two-year program for young men who wanted a Paul-Timothy relationship to hone their ability to preach. The Florida College courses offered the opportunity to put the Bowman program into an academic setting.

During his 14-year tenure at F.C., his approach has been received enthusiastically. Mr. Bowman holds a degree in communications from the University of Alabama. He continues each year to hold gospel meetings with churches throughout the U.S. He and his wife, Norma, have two children, Denise and Russ, and three grandchildren.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 222 pages
• Publisher: Florida College Press; 1st edition (December 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0967423104
• ISBN-13: 978-0967423104
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,192,088 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Recommend, March 18, 2000

By 

David McClister, minister at Palmetto, FL and... (Jackson, Tennessee) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Common sense preaching (Hardcover)

Brother Bowman is uniquely qualified to write a book on the art of preaching. He has been for a number of yearas one of the most effective preachers among our brethren (churches of Christ), traveling throughout the U.S. and always in great demand for meetings and lectures. He has also, for the past 14 years, been conducting a special class on the art of preaching each spring at Florida College (Temple Terrace, Florida). This book is a compilation of the material he has used in that class, along with a special "preacher training program" that he has conducted for a number of years in Pasadena, Texas.

I just finished reading the book myself, and I highly recommend it to all preachers, young and old, who are interested in improving their sermon preperation and presentation skills. Chapter titles include:

1. In The Beginning 2. Who Is Qualified To Preach? 3. Types of Sermons 4. Preparing the Sermon 5. Style and Personality 6. The Preacher and His Audience 7. Rhetoric: The Power of Persuasive Speaking 8. Preaching In This Age

Here is a quotation from the "Foreward" written by another man I consider to be a great preacher, Melvin Curry:

"Now, thanks to Dee Bowman's book ... preachers young and old are blessed with a practical handbook that guides us through the thrilling process of sermon preparation and delivery. It is a book that teaches us how to balance form and substance."

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Book For All Christians, April 22, 2003

By 

Brent A. Moody (Bowling Green, Kentucky United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Common sense preaching (Hardcover)

Dee's book is wonderfully written. It is hard to put it down. The book is filled with helpful instruction to new preachers. I use it almost every time I prepare a lesson. He gives basic outlines for different types of sermons. I have found these outlines very beneficial when observing my own outlines. It also gives young men, like my self, a little more confidence in our ability, since the book offers ways to find your own strengths and weaknesses, as well as how to continually improve both areas. Dee's book would benefit all readers, since in some aspect of our lives all christians need to be spreading the message of Christ.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Common Sense for All Kinds, March 23, 2000

By 

David McClister, minister at Palmetto, FL and... (Jackson, Tennessee) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Common sense preaching (Hardcover)

Brother Bowman has an accurate understanding of what preaching is and offers a well-balanced, well-rounded approach. The guidelines he presents wisely avoid forcing all preachers into a single mold and instead will help any preacher--young or old, new or experienced--be the best preacher he can be. We have long needed a book like this.