Inductive Preaching: Helping People Listen [Paperback]

Ralph L. Lewis (Author), Gregg Lewis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 1983

"I spend hours in my study and on my knees preparing sermons, but when I preach them no one listens. What's wrong? Why aren't I getting through? Why do I see blank stares, daydream reveries, nodding heads as soon as I open my mouth to preach? I know my messages are biblically sound. I'm sure I'm preaching what God has laid on my heart. But it's not being received. What's wrong? What can I do?"

Sound familiar? If you're a preacher, you probably know the feeling. But it doesn't have to be that way. You can learn to preach in a way that will be readily, even eagerly, received by your congregation.

It's all here: what inductive preaching is, how it works, why it's effective, who's used it--including Jesus, Peter, Paul, Augustine, St. Francis, Wesley, Edwards, and Moody, to name only a few. Also included are:

• Step-by-step guidelines for constructing an inductive sermon
• Two sample inductive sermons
• A list of 96 inductive preachers from 20 centuries
• A strategy for making traditional sermon structures inductive
• A checklist of inductive characteristics.

The principles in this book can dramatically increase your sermon effectiveness--turn apathy into involvement, make listeners out of the listless. Inductive preaching is preaching that works!

"Thoroughly and convincingly sets forth the case for inductive preaching." --James W. Cox, Professor of Christian Preaching, Southern Baptist Seminary

"Will be a real service for anyone wishing to convince modern man about the gospel--a resource for all of us who preach and teach for years to come." --Jay Kesler, President of Youth for Christ

"I have read many books on preaching during my 34 years of teaching the subject. This is one of the first which I have read from beginning to end without stopping. If you plan to preach next Sunday you had better read this book today." --Lloyd M. Perry, Director, Doctor of Ministry Program, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

Product Details

• Paperback: 228 pages
• Publisher: Crossway Books (August 1, 1983)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 089107287X
• ISBN-13: 978-0891072874
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #686,008 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I've never received so many comments on my sermon!, March 23, 2009

By 

Daren Redekopp (Manitoba) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Inductive Preaching: Helping People Listen (Paperback)

I read this book one week and wrote a sermon the next, following its advice. Not only have I never received so much feedback from a sermon, but I have never so enjoyed preaching a sermon. What a gift. I can't wait to preach again.

4.0 out of 5 stars Great read for preachers or teachers, January 4, 2012

By 

Carl A. Smith (Brookhaven) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Inductive Preaching: Helping People Listen (Paperback)

This is an excellent book which I found very helpful and practical for preparing messages for Sunday morning. I see where it could also be very beneficial for teachers or others who desire to reach their audience effectively. The only reason I rated it 4 out of 5 was that some of the chapters just seem to run on and re-iterate the same point.

4.0 out of 5 stars Powerful alternative to traditional deductive preaching approaches, January 23, 2011

By 

Laurence T. Baxter "Step Up to the Call" (Indiana USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Inductive Preaching: Helping People Listen (Paperback)

Inductive Preaching, though not a new book, is a fresh approach to preaching that aims to be faithful to the truth of Scripture and relevant to the interests and needs of the audience. The approach is one in which the preacher draws his audience in by the use of a number of questions, moving much more indirectly to his main "points", but aiming to draw the listener to actually reach the conclusion for himself. By doing so the listener is far more likely to be engaged, to learn from the sermon, and in fact to 'own' the main points and conclusion. The inductive approach is in direct contrast to the more common deductive approach in which the conclusion is told right up front, with the rest of the time in the sermon spent logically defending or proving the conclusion. The authors help us get a feel for induction as it is used often in the text - asking good questions as often as he comes out and tells us. The use of the inductive method is particularly useful for today's adult learners, especially in a postmodern culture.

The chapters of the book include: The Need; A Promising Solution; Old Parts and New Hope; The Story of Induction; God's Way?; Master's Model; Web and Flow; More Web and Flow; Unbeatable Combination; In the Study; Behind the Pulpit; End to Our Means; plus four appendices with examples and ideas for inductive preaching. It's interesting that the book actually starts off with consideration of the need of the listener and the challenge of connecting with the audience. "How can a minister involve hearers in his preaching? ... This is a key challenge in preaching today." Most books on expository preaching blast pandering to human need and err on the side of neglecting the fact there is actually and audience, much less one whose mind is prone to wander.

The book also makes a case that Jesus and other examples in the Bible make strong use of the inductive method. Another very interesting and helpful part of the book describes how to use a combination of inductive and deductive methods in the same sermon. For example a speaker may move inductively toward the conclusion in the first half of the talk, then take the remainder of the talk to deductively discuss the implications of the main point. There is also an appendix aimed at converting the structure of traditional sermons to a more inductive form. The book also does discuss sermon preparation and delivery, and so it's useful on its own as a textbook on the art of preaching. I would definitely recommend Inductive Preaching to preacher and teachers who struggle from time to time with an audience that doesn't seem engaged or involved in their messages.