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Influence Of Preaching’S Rhetorical Appeal On Evangelical Listeners’ Motivation, Nicholas Anene Oji Jan 2024

Influence Of Preaching’S Rhetorical Appeal On Evangelical Listeners’ Motivation, Nicholas Anene Oji

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Preaching is a form of rhetorical narratology aimed at persuading its audience via sermons to experience a renewal of the mind and the transformation of their life. While previous research established the fact that listeners comprehend sermons through their rhetorical appeal, it has been unclear how this has motivated evangelical listeners to act. The purpose of this qualitative narrative study was to explore how the rhetorical appeal of preaching influences evangelical listeners’ motivation at evangelical churches in Savannah, Georgia. A comprehensive approach to exploring a sermon’s rhetorical appeal was utilized by focusing jointly on individual perception and social context. The …


Apologetic Knowledge: The Modern Church Planter, Matthew Dilley Dec 2023

Apologetic Knowledge: The Modern Church Planter, Matthew Dilley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This project addresses a critical need within the ministry field, focusing on pastors affiliated with the church planting networks Excel Leadership Network and Transformation Ministries. The context is shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on church planting, with a shift to online services and emerging challenges in ministry. The problem is the significant lack of knowledge of apologetics among church planters, hindering their ability to effectively articulate and defend the Christian faith in today's postmodern world, particularly when engaging with non-believers. This DMIN action research project aims to create a concise video curriculum that equips pastors with fundamental apologetics knowledge. …


The Transformative Preaching And Teaching Of The Old Testament Through Its Expositional Approach, Sony Olivier Nov 2023

The Transformative Preaching And Teaching Of The Old Testament Through Its Expositional Approach, Sony Olivier

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The aura of the Old Testament preaching and teaching today has been absorbed by the enthusiasm of its fulfillment in the New. Thus, the interest in exploiting the Old Testament principles as fulfilled in Christ through its expositional preaching and teaching needs to be revised. As revealed in the book of Acts, the commitment to preach the complete Word of God, the Old Testament, is vividly clear as Christ being the center of their preaching and teaching. Therefore, in today’s context, proclaiming the whole counsel of God’s Word calls for every preacher to consider Scripture in its entirety duly, from …


The Paradigm Of Personal Application: A Method For Cross-Generational Sermon Application At Cambria Baptist Church, David B. Locke Aug 2023

The Paradigm Of Personal Application: A Method For Cross-Generational Sermon Application At Cambria Baptist Church, David B. Locke

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

God tasked pastors with the command to preach the Word to conform God's people to His image. In completing this task, pastors seek to apply God's Word to God's people. The unique context of each congregant’s life complicates this task. As a healthy, rural church in southern Michigan, Cambria Baptist Church maintains a multigenerational congregation. Because a broad age group attends the Sunday service, the pastors at Cambria cannot specifically apply the sermon to each situation. Therefore, the purpose of this DMIN action research project was to create and implement a paradigm by which congregants of each generation can effectively …


Assessing The Views Of Haitian Evangelical Leaders Regarding Christ-Centered Preaching From The Old Testament, Stevenson Dorcélus-Cetoute Dec 2021

Assessing The Views Of Haitian Evangelical Leaders Regarding Christ-Centered Preaching From The Old Testament, Stevenson Dorcélus-Cetoute

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Preaching is an absolute necessity, great preaching more so to transform society and advance God’s kingdom. Great preaching is that what points to Christ in every text from Scripture New Testament as well as Old Testament. Based on Luke 24 and other fundamental texts this study shows preaching Christ from the Old Testament is warranted. The purpose of the study however was to find out the attitude of Haitian leaders/pastors/preachers regarding Christocentric preaching and also ascertain if they are willing to know more whatever their knowledge is currently on the issue. This quantitative study uses the survey method, and we …


Holy Spirit Filled Preaching Opens The Door For A Miracle, Alvin Alastair Burks Dec 2021

Holy Spirit Filled Preaching Opens The Door For A Miracle, Alvin Alastair Burks

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The problem is that many preachers should strive to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Not being filled with the Holy Spirit hinders the power of God in spiritual manifestation, be it healing, preaching, teaching, etc, in the lives of believers. The purpose is to teach preachers how to be filled with the Holy Spirit in their preaching and education as the adversary desires to tempt the preacher with sin, causing the quenching of the Holy Spirit in the preacher’s life. As the preacher is filled with the Holy Spirit, God's people have a chance to experience the available preaching …


A Study On Bible Study Group To Improve Expository Preaching Preparation: The Case Of 701 Korean Church Bible Study Group, Young Shik Choi Dec 2021

A Study On Bible Study Group To Improve Expository Preaching Preparation: The Case Of 701 Korean Church Bible Study Group, Young Shik Choi

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The rapid growth in number of Korean churches have led the period of quantitative revival. However, at same time, diverse problem emerged such as materialism and secularization. The main reason was due to the lack of spiritual growth of the church members. In this regard, expository preaching which provides clear understanding of the scripture and applications to live as healthy Christians is inevitable. Many preachers in the past have had interest in and tried expository preaching but they could not write down their script with elements of expository preaching due to the lack of understanding and training in this field. …


Effective Sermon Application In A Charlotte Exurb Baptist Church, David Keuss Aug 2021

Effective Sermon Application In A Charlotte Exurb Baptist Church, David Keuss

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This thesis explores an improvement in expository sermon application using two technical tools added to the sermon divisions of sermon series messages. The background of applicational improvements is explored, the problem at Sandy Plains Baptist Church of Gastonia is outlined, and the solution employed. The problem is a spiritual comfort or plateau among members with previous life applications of sermons. The goal was to provide two new resources that would overcome the spiritual status quo in Sunday worship attendee’s lives. This method was tested utilizing Likert scale surveys, unpaired T-tests, and facilitator notations. The thesis project provides guidance to other …


Charismatic And Expository Preaching: A Case Study Of Two Preaching Methods Within The Local Church, Lewis D. Mathis Apr 2021

Charismatic And Expository Preaching: A Case Study Of Two Preaching Methods Within The Local Church, Lewis D. Mathis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Preaching by far is the primary tool used within the Body of Christ to spread the gospel throughout the world and draw people to the ecclesia (church). For centuries the fundamental approach to heralding the Word of God has been rooted in expository preaching. This theologically sound approach has been shadowed by the rise of the Charismatic Movement and its preaching. Therefore, this thesis project study foci will be on "Charismatic and Expository Preaching: A Case Study of Two Preaching Methods within the Local Church." This study is necessary to determine if these two forms of preaching can co-exist or …


Shared Oversight: Equipping Elders To Shepherd The Flock, Eric Michael Hartman Mar 2021

Shared Oversight: Equipping Elders To Shepherd The Flock, Eric Michael Hartman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Leadership structures vary greatly across various faith traditions, but how much flexibility is biblically warranted? Far from being silent, the Bible is descriptive and prescriptive with regard to a plurality of leadership within a congregation. These elders, also called overseers, are to shepherd the flock (Acts 20:17, 28). The problem is that there is often lack training to that end. This study constructed a process for training elders and/or potential elders within a congregation to better understand the nature of plurality and parity of those tasked with caring for God’s people. The four training sessions covered the following: (1) The …


Preaching To Millennials: A Content Analysis Of Preachers' Communication As It Relates To Millennial Congregants, Matthew Joel Hastings Jan 2021

Preaching To Millennials: A Content Analysis Of Preachers' Communication As It Relates To Millennial Congregants, Matthew Joel Hastings

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The American church is facing a decline in attendance (Barna, 2014). This truth is especially prevalent in the millennial generation, the largest yet also the least religious American generation. Many of whom describe themselves as spiritual but not religious. The church has a unique opportunity through the weekly sermon that other organizations do not have. This opportunity provides the ability to verbally communicate in person with the entire organization at one time. The purpose of this qualitative content analysis study was to better understand how preachers who led the fastest growing churches in the Southern Baptist Convention used communication tactics …


Healing Through Preaching: Recovery For Red Oaks Baptist Church, Darin Scott Wilt Nov 2020

Healing Through Preaching: Recovery For Red Oaks Baptist Church, Darin Scott Wilt

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this Doctor of Ministry thesis, Healing Through Preaching: Recovery for Red Oaks Baptist Church, is to address the need for healing Red Oaks Baptist Church’s members through a coordinated preaching and counseling ministry. Research shows there is a lack of information available on how to preach to a church after a traumatic event such as a church split or revitalization effort. The literature available addresses church problems that may have led a specific situation but does not help the pastor use the preaching of scripture to lead the church in recovery and to use God’s word to …


Self-Efficacy Among Christian Educators, Jonathan Blake Tolbert Oct 2020

Self-Efficacy Among Christian Educators, Jonathan Blake Tolbert

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Christian educators often lack specialized training in message delivery which leads to a lower self-efficacy. Christian educators devote their lives to fulfillment of the Great Commission; it is the job of the church universal to provide resources and support that equip the saints to boldly share the Gospel with great confidence. When self-efficacy is low, confidence is low. Theological foundations are often strong and well-developed by the local church. The practical aspect of preaching, meaning delivery, is an area that is underrepresented in academic research. This project presents specialized training in message delivery as a catalyst for improving self-efficacy. The …


Prayerlessness: Using Expository Sermons To Change The Way Believer's Pray, Joshua Kenton Smith Oct 2020

Prayerlessness: Using Expository Sermons To Change The Way Believer's Pray, Joshua Kenton Smith

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In America, the church is operating with less supernatural power than it once did or currently does in other parts of the world, especially as it relates to those like East Barbourville Baptist Church who belong to the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). For example, the Annual Church Profile data of the SBC for the 2018 year reveals that its overall membership has reached a thirty-year low. Likewise, the data reveals a decline in baptisms for the tenth year in a row. Yet, the church has access to more ministry tools and better training than any previous generation, so what is …


An Examination Of Preaching And Church Leadership Within Royal Baptist Church, Jeffie L. Powell Jr Apr 2019

An Examination Of Preaching And Church Leadership Within Royal Baptist Church, Jeffie L. Powell Jr

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Throughout this qualitative investigation, the researcher will examine prevalent preaching and leadership styles to promote congregational growth and development. Additionally, a proposed organized dossier for Royal Baptist Church will be implemented, delineating a biblical, practical, compelling leadership style. To explore for analysis, the researcher will assess their contemporary church leadership style juxtaposing favored leadership styles found in the literature. After creating a baseline, the researcher will interview seven ministers via face–to–face, telephone, video messaging, and email, assessing their church preferred leadership style, comparing their preferred preaching and leadership style against techniques found in the literature. Lastly, the researcher will provide …


The Trinity...The Biblical Mandates For Preaching, Teaching, Worshipping And Evangelism In The Local Church, Pedreto Graham-Brown May 2017

The Trinity...The Biblical Mandates For Preaching, Teaching, Worshipping And Evangelism In The Local Church, Pedreto Graham-Brown

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Trinity is viewed as the bedrock of the Christian faith. Notwithstanding, the worship of the Trinity in local churches today are hardly mentioned by pastors in their sermon. The researcher chose this topic to introduce the importance of assimilating the worship of the Trinity in the areas of the four key biblical mandates. The researcher surveyed 50 Southern Baptist Pastors and 10 members were selected from each church to participate. It was discovered that both pastors and members lack the essential understanding of incorporating the worship of the Trinity in these four areas of the ministry. The results of …


Exploring Intercessory Prayer As It Relates To Spiritual Warfare Preaching At Mount Zion Christian Church, Vernon Langley May 2016

Exploring Intercessory Prayer As It Relates To Spiritual Warfare Preaching At Mount Zion Christian Church, Vernon Langley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The focus of this thesis is exploring the influence of intercessory prayer; from the standpoint of spiritual warfare preaching. Present day homiletics concentrates on the method of sermons by applying information within the message to a great story and powerful scriptural passages which is imperative to make the sermon thought provoking and applicable to contemporary congregations. However, there is another element to preaching the gospel, which has gotten considerably less attention in modern day study. How the evaluations of Divine powers of intercessory prayer operate behind the discourse, and spiritual powers of darkness that endeavor to obstruct the reception of …


Homiletical Discipleship: Developing An Approach To Small Group Study Based On Sunday Morning Exposition, Lance Cole May 2016

Homiletical Discipleship: Developing An Approach To Small Group Study Based On Sunday Morning Exposition, Lance Cole

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Jesus promised to make Peter a “fisher of men,” while The Great Commission calls us to make disciples of all nations. The purpose of this project is to create a discipleship approach for the local church that helps teach the church’s members based on the Sunday morning sermon. One disciple making problem is that many people attend a church to spectate and not participate. Some sit for years listening to the pastor preach without having any desire to be an active disciple. Others completely leave the church after a short time. This approach for churches will teach them how to …


Effectively Ministering To Congregants With Attention Deficit Disorder (A.D.D.), Jason Whitehurst Jul 2012

Effectively Ministering To Congregants With Attention Deficit Disorder (A.D.D.), Jason Whitehurst

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A survey of recent medical studies show a rise each year in the number of people diagnosed with A.D.D., or Attention Deficit Disorder. However, pastors have not been adequately educated on how to effectively communicate, counsel, and minister to those with A.D.D. The goal of this project is to educate pastors and church leaders about the nature of A.D.D., the statistics, the symptoms, so that they may better understand how to minister to these people in their congregation. Medical statistics, findings, and new approaches to preaching and ministering will be utilized in this project to fulfill the goal.


Insights From Charles Spurgeon's Preaching For A Changing Culture, John Lewis May 2012

Insights From Charles Spurgeon's Preaching For A Changing Culture, John Lewis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This project has been done in order to increase the amount of literature available that demonstrates how to preach to a 21st century culture and to enlighten preachers to the timeless truths that transcend from the great 19th century preacher Charles Spurgeon. A close evaluation of Charles Spurgeon's biblical preaching reveals a model for pastors to emulate in a post-modern context in the local church. Spurgeon was a master communicator and a survey of his mid to late 1800's preaching reveals those areas of his ministry that are still useful in the New Millennium. By reviewing Spurgeon's sermons and writings, …


Kingdom Consequences: Socio-Political Dimensions Of Evangelistic Preaching, Kenneth Kinton May 2012

Kingdom Consequences: Socio-Political Dimensions Of Evangelistic Preaching, Kenneth Kinton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examines biblical, historical, and theoretcial trends in evangelistic preaching. This has been accomplished using biblical evidence, as well as insights from theologians and scholars within the realm of society, politics, and Christianity. The study provides a suggested methodology of sermon preparation for communicating to the modern Church.


An Examination Of The Preaching And Teaching Style Of Jesus In Relation To Current Evangelical Homiletics, Daniel Light Apr 2004

An Examination Of The Preaching And Teaching Style Of Jesus In Relation To Current Evangelical Homiletics, Daniel Light

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Much of current evangelical pulpit ministry has veered away from the style and content demonstrated by Jesus in His preaching and teaching. The purpose of this project is to encourage pastoral preachers and teachers to prepare and practice their preaching and teaching according to the model provided by Jesus as revealed in the Gospels. Based on an examination of available literature concerning Jesus’ ministry as a communicator, and interviews with leading evangelical pastors, the project offers personal perspectives and practical advice concerning greater effectiveness in pastoral preaching and teaching by using Jesus as a model.