Men Who Shaped My Preaching Style
I love to preach. My favorite part of the week is standing in front of junior high and high school students and preaching the gospel. It’s my passion. My dream. My life. My identity.
There are 3 Men in my life who nurtured this desire I have to preach. These 3 men gave me opportunities when I didn’t deserve them, they believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself (and when nobody else did), and they were instrumental in forming my understanding and approach to the ministry of preaching.
1. My Dad, Bill Rose.
My dad taught me the importance of KNOWING my audience. He is the type who could deliver a powerful message to any audience. It doesn’t matter if he is preaching at a women’s conference, a funeral, wedding, youth gathering, rotary club, or his own congregation. He always finds a way to meet his audience where they are in a relevant, meaningful way. He also taught me to be CLEVER in how I communicate my message. If I had to describe him with one word, it would be “communicator.” He is an excellent communicator. I am incredibly thankful for his influence in my life in this area.
2. My Youth Pastor, Cutty Peacock.
Cutty taught me to preach with PASSION. If you ever get a chance to hear Cutty preach, you better be ready to endure 45 minutes of confrontational, in your face, “leave everything you have on the field” motivation. When Cutty preaches, he makes me want to go turn the world upside down. He has been a youth pastor for more than 20 years. More than 15 teenagers who were influenced by him have grown under his leadership to eventually become full time pastors, church leaders, worship leaders, etc. Cutty’s passion has changed thousands of lives.
3. My Mentor/Friend/Father Figure, etc., Mark Whitfield.
Mark has nurtured (and still does!) a desire in me to know and preach THEOLOGY. When I hear him preach, I am moved beyond principles and fancy lyrics. I gain a deeper understanding and knowledge of theology. Mark creates in me a desire to think deeper, study harder, press in to the scriptures, and preach theology in a way that is relevant and practical.
Today, I am thankful for these three men. They have shaped who I am as a person and as a preacher.
I pray that one day I will be able to communicate like my dad, with passion like Cutty and add theological depth like Mark.
