I went to Bible College 5 months after coming to Christ. It was a live-in, intensive 4-month course and every weekend we were sent to afflict, sorry bless, churches with our singing, testimonies, and preaching.

I hate to think about the suffering I inflicted on those poor people who had innocently turned up to church expecting to hear something substantial from the word of God.

I was all heat and not much light.

Watch: Your Sermon Prep Will Never Be the Same After This

In this video I reflect on those early preaching experiences and share how prayer, study tools and better preparation have strengthened my preaching.

Today, I’m a much better preacher.

My improvement owes itself to a number of things including some excellent resources I’ve accumulated over the years. I’ve also studied other preachers like TD Jakes and Phil Pringle.

Every tradesman needs good tools to do a good job and preachers are no different.

Excellent resources will help you especially when you are preaching difficult passages of Scripture. If you want to discover how to preach the book of Revelation you will need superb commentaries.

You need a variety of helpful tools that will become an essential part of your ministry.

Here are my recommended preaching resources for pastors.

Preaching Resources at a Glance

Invest In Study Tools

Over the years I have invested heavily in study tools and as I am a computer-oriented studier, I have invested in digital books.

If you are just commencing in ministry I suggest that you take a similar approach.

The significant advantage of computer programs is that searching these books is easy and quick. I have given away most of my print books and focused exclusively on building a digital library.

I use and recommend Logos Bible Software as it is comprehensive and can be easily customized to your needs.

Logos is recommended by various people including this Grammy Award-winning artist.

I also use Logos to delve into the original meaning of Hebrew and Greek words.

I love the Logos app and use it for my daily devotional reading primarily because it places all my resources at my fingertips and allows me to add notes.

While I occasionally use a paper bible for devotional reading I prefer the ease of the Logos app.

If you find Logos too complex or expensive try other programs like PC Study Bible or for Mac users, Accordance.

Free online alternatives include Bible Gateway and Blue Letter Bible.

Real Books

If you are more tactile in your approach and must have “real” books then I recommend you start with these basic tools:

Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance:  (Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon AU)a concordance is a basic tool for searching Scripture

The Lion Bible Handbook (Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon AU) is really helpful for giving quick overviews of books of the Bible.

A one-volume commentary such as New Bible Commentary (Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon AU) and a one-volume dictionary such as New Bible Dictionary (Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon AU) are excellent starting points for building a library of essential resources.

As you build your library invest in excellent commentaries. Commentaries help you see other viewpoints, give you access to relevant scholarship and prevent you from preaching unfounded ideas. An excellent guide to commentaries is the Best Commentaries website. It’s brilliant.

I like Ben Witherington’s socio-rhetoric commentaries and anything by Jack Hayford. Both of these men have sound theology and are articulate in their expression.

Theology books are another important part of your toolkit.

IVP has some wonderful theology resources including the New Dictionary of Theology (Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon AU) and the Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms  (Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon AU)which is a helpful little book.

Another essential element is Bible dictionaries. Again, IVP publishes an excellent series of dictionaries as does Zondervan.

These books will help you when you are preaching on sensitive topics like finance. Unless you are one of those pastors who prefer to avoid preaching on money.

How Do I Use These Resources

Basically, I use Logos to help me search keywords and dig into their original meaning.

As I formulate my own thoughts I turn to dictionaries and commentaries to enrich my understanding of the text as well as grasp the historical context.

I also like to check my ‘revelation’ and see how it matches up with the wisdom of the ages that I find in my resources.

I’ve lost count of the times that my books have added depth and scope to my preaching as well as prevented me from preaching out of ignorance about culture and context.

Watch: Using AI in Sermon Preparation

In my interview with Darrell Stetler, we discuss how AI can assist research and illustrations while prayer and pastoral responsibility remain central. It complements the study tools above. Read the practical guide to AI sermon preparation for more detail.

How Can I Afford All These Resources

When I was pastoring my church generously gave me an annual book allowance. They believed in providing preaching resources for pastors. Every year I would add commentaries or dictionaries to my collection.

Every church should give its pastor an allowance to allow them to build a substantial library over the course of time.

Remember, good preaching will help you grow a healthy church and add punch to your Sunday services.

Build Your Study Library: A Practical Exercise

Look at the passage you will preach next. Where is the biggest gap in your understanding: the words, the historical setting or the argument of the passage? Review the tools you already own, identify one resource that would fill that gap and choose your next purchase. If your church provides a book allowance, plan how to use it across the year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which preaching resources should I buy first?

Start with a one-volume commentary, a Bible dictionary and a handbook. Then add a good commentary on the Bible book you are preaching. Build a library you will use regularly.

Can I begin with free resources?

Yes. Bible Gateway and Blue Letter Bible can help you begin reading and researching. As your ministry develops, invest in resources that deepen your understanding and serve your regular preparation.

How do I choose a commentary?

Look for a volume that explains the text clearly and engages its historical context. Use Best Commentaries to compare options, and choose a level of detail that suits your study needs.

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