Topical sermons—when a preacher chooses a topic and then finds Bible verses to teach it—can be powerful. They can be helpful. They can be faithful. But they should also be occasional.

In “Why Everyone Started Talking About Expositional Preaching,” TGC senior writer Sarah Zylstra chronicles the resurgence of a different style—when preachers, as it were, let the Bible choose the topic. This ancient approach (as the name indicates) exposes God’s people to God’s Word, one passage at a time. The main thrust of the passage becomes the main thrust of the message—or, as TGC Council member David Helm puts it, “The shape and emphasis of the text informs the shape and emphasis of the sermon.” Why this conviction? Because it is the words of God, not the cool ideas or ingenuity of man, that transform lives. Is this the primary preaching style at your church?

As Zylstra shows, through the influence of ministries such as Proclamation Trust and the Charles Simeon Trust, more and more Bible teachers are discovering the delight and freedom of stepping consecutively through books of the Bible (after all, you don’t have to creatively outdo yourself each week!). The pace can vary but the purpose is the same: to hold a microphone to God’s mouth and let him speak.

Read Zylstra’s article and pray that your pastor would labor diligently to let God’s Word set the agenda for your church. Over the long haul, nothing will be better for your soul.