Touching Your Heart + Moving Your Will

Ep.3 | Interview with Scott Wenig

Hosted by Craig Smith

IN THIS EPISODE

• A strange beginning for Craig’s preaching, through Scott | 2:41
• It’s important to draw success from those that have made an impression on you in the past with Dr. Haddon Robinson | 6:15
• A technical look into Ethos, Pathos, Logos, and other historical pieces to build preaching styles | 6:51
• A passion for preaching started with a mentor in College and strong discipleship | 11:01
• Communication experience can come from anywhere and the difference between preaching & teaching | 15:17
• Who inspires Scott from the pulpit | 18:22
• What is encouraging from this latest generation of preachings and avoiding the trap of imitation | 23:11
• Pay attention to your life first, you’re a follower of Jesus first and make sure that receives due attention | 32:29

INSTANT TAKEAWAYS

1 | MENTORS ARE INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT

Wherever we are in life, we are going to undoubtedly run into uncharted territory. there are going to be times where we stare into an unfamiliar abyss, whether daunting or inviting and ask ourselves, “How am I to face this?” And this is where mentors can come in. Good mentors can help you set measurable goals, and point you in the correct direction when the future can seem uneasy or unattainable. Mentors can help you realize giftings and passions that may lay dormant to you. They will never let you settle and become complacent as you are always striving to better yourself. Also, mentors will inspire you to be whom you can someday become. They will help you realize and achieve the growth that you’re capable of.

2 | Teaching vs. Preaching

Teaching is not totally, but primarily cognitive. You are trying to take information, from a multitude of areas, and communicate in a specific way in a specific amount of time. You’re trying to help people grasp information intellectually and subjectively. Preaching, while very cognitive and content-oriented, is trying to convey a message to your audience is more emotional in one way or the other. In the classroom, you’re trying to impact the mind and from the pulpit, you’re trying to impact the heart. Good preaching not only informs the mind, but it also touches the heart and goes to move the will.

“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us. God never hurries. There are no deadlines against which he must work.” A.W. Tozer

3 | Find Your Voice that IS UNIQUELY YOU

Often times we fall victim to the folly of imitation. In today’s society, when you’re trying to find your voice it’s easy to get swept up in a sea of options. But we argue that this is a good thing! If you’re a young preacher or communicator, it’s easy to say, “We don’t know what we don’t know”. But that doesn’t have to be the case. When you come across tricks, styles and tones that interest you, don’t be afraid to try them out. When you are pushing yourself in uncomfortable directions, you can often find traces of your voice and speaking style that feel uniquely you, and not imitative. Research who moves and motivates you and then ask yourself why that is. Don’t be afraid to grow into who you are through pushing yourself into areas that you find interesting. Don’t be afraid to beg, borrow, and steal from whomever you can to help you clearly communicate the message of Jesus to those around. 

SHOW NOTES

We are glad to have you back for the third instalment of our Clarity Podcast. Today’s guest is Dr Scott Wenig. Scott is an amazing speaker, a thoughtful theologian, as well as a man who is passionate about creating clear, concise messages that lead people closer to the Gospel. Scott serves as professor of applied theology, teaching in the areas of homiletics, church history, and pastoral ministry. He earned a PhD from the University of Colorado at Boulder, an MDiv from Denver Seminary, and a BS from the University of Colorado at Denver. And today we get to hear about what lead him to pursue preaching along with the mentors in his life that lead him to where he is today.

Tune in as Craig and Scott dive into the essentials of teaching adults as well as teens, changing college majors to listen to your calling, and Scott’s tough stint as a basketball coach. You won’t want to miss out.