Plain Truth for Plain People

“For several years, Dr. Brad Estep was my pastor. I heard his sermons week after week, and found myself challenged every time. This book comes from the heart of a pastor, the mind of a scholar, and the wisdom of a teacher. It should be on every pastor’s reading list.”


—Jesse Middendorf, General Superintendent Emeritus, Church of the Nazarene, Executive Director of the Center for Pastoral Leadership at Nazarene Theological Seminary





“Here is a veritable feast of preaching for the Christian year from a master preacher in the spirit of John Wesley. Brad Estep offers us a book of sermons that is deep in the Scriptures. I highly recommend this book for anyone seeking to bring the Christian calendar to the life of their congregation.”


—Steven Hoskins, Professor of church history and New Testament Greek at Trevecca Nazarene University





“While there is no magic formula to convert the novice into a mature preacher, Brad Estep’s collection of sermons shows the way toward thoughtful, biblical, and engaged preaching that is faithful to the Christian calendar, corporate worship, and the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition.”


—Bryon McLaughlin, Former executive editor, Grace and Peace Magazine





“One of the common exhortations of Martin Luther King Sr.—‘Daddy King’—to preachers filling his pulpit at Ebenezer Baptist Church was a fervent: ‘Make it plain! Make it plain!’ In Plain Truth for Plain People, Estep offers sermons preaching to plain people, some of whom had PhDs and MDs. Over his career, he has taken preaching seriously. He has taken pastoring equally seriously. He has known congregants coming desperate for a bit of good news. As you scan, read, or re-read these sermons, you will find your mind saying: “Now, how did he say that?” These are not sermons extracted from filing cabinets or laptops and repackaged as a book. These well-crafted, well-preached sermons deserve a second or third hearing… or reading!”


—Harold Ivan Smith, Bereavement specialist, international speaker, and author of Eleanor: A Spiritual Biography





“Dr. Brad Estep is one of the top ten Wesleyan preachers of our day. He packs more content into one sermon than most of us can in a six-message series. This is a must read for every pastor dedicated to proclaiming the realities of the Spirit-filled life.”


—Larry D. Dennis, District Superintendent of Florida District Church of the Nazarene





“Lean into the pastoral, prophetic, and wise words of the preacher whose sermons unfold in these pages. As you read, open your minds to creative, theologically deep, and edifying sermons. As you are edified, you will also discover a collection of sermons that will enhance and shape your own preaching in a way that edifies your flock in your local church context.”


—Tara Beth Leach, Pastor of First Church of the Nazarene, Pasadena, California and author of Emboldened





“In Plain Truth for Plain People, Estep carefully moves from historical context to present day application. This is a great resource for the local pastor who desires to help their congregation live out the implications of God’s Word.”


—Rick Harvey, Pastor of First Church of the Nazarene, Bethany, Oklahoma





“For eight years, I sat under the ministry of Brad Estep. He consistently held my attention, gave me insight into a biblical passage, and spiritually challenged me. These 50 sermons, which guide us through the Christian year, do the same. One could hardly ask more from a preacher. This book is a valuable tool for any pastor’s library.”


—Darius Salter, Retired professor of preaching and pastoral theology at Western Evangelical Seminary and Nazarene Theological Seminary





“Dr. Brad Estep was my pastor for over nine years. Not one time did he fail to miss the mark in the sermons he preached—inspiring, encouraging, challenging me on a weekly basis. I highly recommend this book because I know the thoughts Brad expresses will spark the imagination of preachers in the Wesleyan tradition as they prepare their own sermons for the Christian year.”


—David Wilson, General Secretary of the Church of the Nazarene





“The first sermon I heard Brad Estep preach provided a Christian perspective on suffering. Years later, it still stands out among the thousands of sermons I’ve heard. Estep takes seriously the preaching life. Sermons in this collection bristle with biblical and theological insight and illuminate how sound exegesis, an understanding of culture, and the words chosen by a preacher all work together to facilitate the proclamation of Good News. This stirring collection models how to preach through the Christian Year and how to express the great themes of Christian theology to our contemporaries.”


—Stan Ingersol, Historian and Archivist for the Church of the Nazarene





“In a world that is rediscovering the art of preaching, it’s refreshing to find a resource such as this by Brad Estep. The challenge of preaching through the church year is tackled well as Estep provides us with a variety of ways in which to contextualize the message. This is a valuable resource for those who are committed to preaching through the church year, from the entire Bible, and from passages that may make us uncomfortable.”


—Carla Sunberg, General Superintendent of the Church of the Nazarene





“As a parishioner fed by Pastor Estep’s preaching for nine years, I am thrilled that these sermons will reach a broader audience. His vivid storytelling and faithful exposition of the text of Scripture make this collection a substantive resource for any preacher wanting to be both deep and accessible.”


—Doug Hardy, Professor of spiritual formation at Nazarene Theological Seminary





“God has uniquely gifted Dr. Estep in the proclamation of the Word. He is truly a craftsman in preparing succinct and powerful messages that make the Word applicable to our daily living. His knowledge of the stories of antiquity, his understanding of the history of our people, and his familiarity with the culture of the day provide him the ability to weave examples and illustrations into the sermon that help make the message clear and direct. Now we are blessed to have some of these gems in writing to read and study.”


—Charles Davis, retired judge from the Florida Second District Court of Appeal





“As two of the ‘plain people’ privileged to hear Pastor Brad year after year preaching plain truth sermons to our congregation, we are pleased that they are now available for others to share and be inspired. These messages were tried, true, and tested in our daily lives as Pastor Estep preached through the Christian year. The biblical presentations of truth were enhanced with insight and inspiration drawn from history, literature, science, and real-world experiences. We believe others can benefit greatly from Pastor Brad’s intense study of Scripture, his creative approach to preaching, and the faithful clarification of plain truth.”


—Jerry and Verla Lambert, parishioners from First Church of the Nazarene, Kansas City, Missouri