Facebook. Twitter. Snapchat. We live in a rapidly changing world, a world that seems to be increasingly inhospitable toward preaching. In the face of digital technology, social media, cultural pluralism, and pastoral burnout, how can Christian preachers proclaim the gospel faithfully and effectively? This book answers that question by bringing together a selection of important voices from across North America, Asia, and the Pacific. It argues that Spirit-empowered preaching is characterized by five attributes: it opens the Scriptures, engages the culture, addresses the listener, dissects the preacher, and elevates the Savior. With contributions from authors like William Willimon, Darrell Johnson, Lynne Baab, Robert Smith Jr., and Paul Windsor, this is an excellent resource for ordained ministers, lay preachers, theological students, and anyone wrestling with the challenge of preaching God's word in a smartphone world. ""John Tucker is to be commended for sensitively editing this highly relevant collection of essays about preaching, many of them flowing from the School of Preaching at Carey Baptist College, Auckland. Text Messages is organized around five themes--text, society, listener, preacher, and Christ. At a time when we hear so much about the 'crisis in preaching', these excellent papers lay a pathway for a positive future."" --Brian Harris, Principal, Vose Seminary, Perth, Australia John Tucker is Principal of Carey Baptist College, Auckland, where he lectures in Homiletics and Church History. He is also the Director of the Carey School of Preaching. His publications include A Braided River: New Zealand Baptists and Public Issues, 1882-2000 (2013) and several chapters and articles on the history and mechanics of preaching.
