FIRE Preaching Workshop: The Psalms

​“His delight is in the Law of the LORD, and on His Law he meditates
day and night” Psalm 1:2

On Saturday, 27 July, we held a FIRE Preaching Workshop on the Psalms. This was our third Back to the Bible preaching workshop for the year. In our previous workshops we focused on Genesis and Judges and discussed the beginning stages of the history of Redemption - God’s plan to save mankind from sin.

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Our workshop was attended by 27 excited church men and women, all of whom were eager to learn how to understand the song and prayer book of the Bible. Some of the men present were regular preachers of the Word. We focussed on the intimate relationship between God and His Covenant people in the Old Testament. We looked at the hymns they sang, the prayers they prayed, the way God related to them and how these poetic passages of Scripture point us to Jesus.

We began with a survey of the whole book of Psalms, followed by a presentation of Christ in the Psalms. Hunter presented back to back practical lectures on Exegesis. The day finalised as we had presentations and practicals on preaching from Psalm 1. Our participants could leave the workshop with an outline for a message to use in a sermon or Bible study.

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Some of the responses to the workshop include: “I have learned and grown”;” It was a beautiful experience to drink in the richness of the Psalms with other fellow believers”; “I have been challenged to go back to the Word”; “I realise now that I need more depth in the Word of God”. One participant was so inspired by the exegetical practical on Psalm 63 that he preached from that Psalm the very next day!

One of the greatest encouragements that I always come away with is observing the hunger for God’s Word in the lives of Christians. One man said, “I was greatly blessed and encouraged to draw near to God and to draw people's attention to God through the Psalms “.

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Throughout the workshop, the participants went slowly together with us through each Text. When they had to prepare their own sermons, they all took out their notebooks, carefully read through the Text, spent time looking over difficult parts of the passage, thinking carefully of how to outline a message, and critically evaluating how this Psalm would change the lives of the people to whom they plan on ministering. In fact, they were asking for more and more time to complete their messages!

We look forward to our next FIRE preaching workshop in September. Until then, please keep your eyes open for the audio recordings from Saturday’s workshop on Frontline’s sermonaudio. You can also find presentations from previous workshops there. Video footage will be uploaded onto our vimeo account. PowerPoint presentations will be uploaded onto slide share.

“Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you” Psalm 63:3

For His Glory
John Clifford
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Frontline Fellowship
P.O. Box 74 Newlands 7725
Cape Town South Africa
Tel: 021 689 4480
Email: Jclifford@frontline.org.za;
Web: www.FrontlineMissionSa.org.za

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