Sermon Review: Amber Cook, Grace Fellowship Church (Princeton, IN)
Link to Sermon Audio: https://gracefellowshipchurchsermons.sermon.net/main/main/21530321
Sermon Title: “Growing in Knowledge”
Rev. Amber Cook is Senior Pastor of Grace Fellowship Church in Princeton, Indiana.
Below are a few things we believe made Pastor Amber’s message a helpful example for preachers.
Continuity—“We’ve seen that a theme in this epistle is that we have to keep growing in knowledge of God…” Rather than simply using the front of the sermon as a recap, Pastor Amber subtly (almost imperceptibly) summarizes previous messages in a way that naturally leads into her topic for that day. Especially at the end of a sermon series, those in the congregation benefit from remembering how each message has built into a coherent theme. For those present in previous weeks, this continuity can help them recall how God has prompted them through prior messages, while those who were not present can come up-to-speed on what they might have missed. Yet if the summary is very long at all, it can lose interest quickly and alienate the newcomer from the beginning.
Pearls on a String—Each point in Pastor Amber’s sermon is an individual, self-contained small sermon, based on a different Scripture; but despite the fact that each point is a separate small-exegesis of a different text, each point holds to a single unifying theme (the importance of deep knowledge of, intimacy with, and obedience to God). Using multiple Scriptures in a sermon often ensures that none of them are properly studied; but instead of shallowly using Scripture here, Amber treats each point as a chance to perform rich exegesis, and emerges with a sermon unified around instructions for living a gospel-shaped life.
Raw Human Experience—“It’s not as though one day, God just gives me perseverance; God understands what it is to persevere as I never can. As I keep growing in knowledge of Him, I will keep growing in my ability to be faithful under pressure.” Some sermons adequately describe the wholeness available in Christ, but inadequately depict the struggle often encountered while being made more whole. Pastor Amber beautifully reminds her congregation that “God’s ways are higher than our ways,” and that our alignment with godly living will often feel unnatural, forced, or challenging. In doing so, she gives her congregation permission to be “in the process,” and to expect resistance as they become like Christ.
Congregationally Responsive—“Like the saint that Alex has the privilege of performing a funeral for today, we will receive a rich welcome.” The best preachers avoid making themselves the hero of their sermon illustrations, instead reminding their congregation of those in their own community who embody the best of discipleship. By giving her congregation a picture of someone in their midst who lived an ordinary life full of extraordinary faith, Pastor Amber ensures that her church leaves with a clearer definition of success in Christian living, and an achievable picture of how that might look in their own life.
© Ethan Linder