Expositors Collective: Expository Preaching, Bible Teaching and Sermon Preparation

Read, Reread, and Be Faithful: Sermon Prep Essentials

Mar 3, 2026

Roy Collins, a retired pastor and former professor of Biblical Interpretation, shares decades of pastoral and academic wisdom. He walks through practical sermon-prep steps: read and reread Scripture until it settles, work the text on a worksheet, consult trusted resources, craft a focused outline, gather illustrations, and rehearse aloud. The talk urges humility and faithful proclamation over novelty.

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ANECDOTE

Mentor's Brutal Critique That Changed A Career

Roy recounts a mentor telling him early in ministry, 'Roy, you can't preach,' which devastated him but became the best critique he received.
That harsh assessment pushed Collins to seminary and deeper humility in his preaching journey.

INSIGHT

Preaching Is Speaking For God

Preaching is not the preacher's words but God's words, framing the role as speaking for the King of Kings.
Roy Collins insists remembering this humility shapes tone and responsibility in every sermon preparation and delivery.

ADVICE

Read The Text Until It Simmers

Read the passage repeatedly until it settles in your mind, sometimes 30–40 times, so ideas can simmer and mature.
Roy Collins reads his upcoming text starting Sunday afternoon and carries it everywhere to let words percolate over days.

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Dr Roy Collins is the kind of man many churches would love to have in their congregation: a retired pastor and professor who faithfully teaches the adult Sunday school class and serves as a steady, encouraging presence among God’s people. His influence is not loud or flashy, but marked by wisdom, warmth, and a long history of loving the local church.

In this episode of the Expositors Collective podcast, Dr Collins shares a message on Sermon Prep Essentials, recorded live at an Expositors Collective training event in 2024. Drawing on decades of experience in pastoral ministry and as a professor of Biblical Interpretation at Colorado Christian University, he offers thoughtful, grounded counsel for those tasked with preaching the Scriptures week after week.

Throughout the message, Roy reminds preachers that they are called to speak God’s words, not their own. He emphasises the importance of slow, careful reading of the text, encouraging listeners to read and reread Scripture until it has time to settle and shape their thinking. He also highlights the value of humility in sermon preparation, urging preachers to learn from others and to allow their ideas to be refined within the context of the church.

At the same time, Dr Collins offers gentle but firm warnings about common dangers in preaching, including the temptation to chase novelty or to elevate “new insights” that have not been tested by the wider church. In a culture that prizes originality and self-expression, he calls preachers back to faithfulness, reminding them that the gospel does not need reinvention, but clear and careful proclamation.

Dr Collins is a member of White Fields Community Church, where his ongoing service reflects a lifetime commitment to Scripture, teaching, and encouragement. This episode will be a timely help for pastors, Bible teachers, and anyone seeking to grow in patient study and faithful proclamation of God’s Word.

Resources Mentioned:
Logos Bible Study Software: https://www.logos.com/

Roy Collins' episode on Theology for the People: https://nickcady.org/2021/08/27/guidelines-for-biblical-interpretation-with-dr-roy-collins/comment-page-1/

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