Bible Interpretation
Thoughtful Proclaimer Institute offers a two semester course in Bible Interpretation focusing on the “Grasping God’s Word” (Textbooks covered: Duvall, J. Scott, and J. Daniel Hays. Grasping God’s Word: A Hands-On Approach to Reading, Interpreting, and Applying the Bible. Fourth Edition. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, 2020.)
We also offer a more advanced one semester course in hermeneutical thought for preachers. This course is open to those with degrees in Bible or theology from other approved schools. (Various textbooks are covered including: Klein, William W., Craig L. Blomberg, and Robert L. Hubbard Jr. Introduction to Biblical Interpretation. Third Edition. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2017. And Fee, Gordon D., and Douglas Stuart. How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth. Fourth Edition. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2014.)
Week-Long Intensive Seminars in Preparing Bible Messages
Thoughtful Proclaimer Seminars are week long intensives that equip lay people and refresh pastors with a new paradigm for message preparation. If you teach or preach the Word, you need a spiritually edifying method of preparing to preach or teach that starts with accurate Bible interpretation, leads you to look for the redemptive Spirit-empowered application, and then gives you ideas and tips for transformational proclamation.
The Thoughtful Proclaimer method walks you through message preparation from start to finish. You’ll start by preparing your heart to abide in Christ and the Word of God as you seek to identify God’s purpose for placing the passage you are speaking on in the Bible. You will learn how to ask the right sorts of questions of the text and its contexts to find the Commander’s Intent, God’s primary intent, for a passage. Then you will turn the Commander’s Intent into a transformational Point for Proclamation that fits your particular situation and audience. Finally you’ll decide between several good message structures and choose an Anchor Image to cement your message into the hearts of your people and you’ll learn ways to write memorable Catchphrases so your listeners or readers won’t forget what they have just heard.
