Evangelical preaching: diagnosis, application, exposition, explanation

I have been listening to The Revd Vaughan Roberts, who is one of my favourite preachers to plagiarise.

I would say that significantly more than half of the sermon could be called diagnosis and application rather than exposition or explanation, though there is certainly a good measure of that. The theological ideas are arguably relatively few and simple but we are shown our need of them and the difference they might make.

The preaching actually connects to how we might think and act.

For example, we are encouraged to think about what produces excessive emotional reactions in us and to chase down the rabbit holes to discover what we are really running after.

We feel that at least to a degree the preacher empathises with us and is seeking to understand us.

Issues of identity and security are explored and related to relationship with God our heavenly Father. What determines your sense of self? What or who are you trusting?

I would say that is less than typical of some evangelical preaching, or at least of how we typically think of it, and that there is much to learn here.