Toby Neal

Updated 14 July 2025

Templates mentioned in this paper

Preaching Pyramid [pdf]

Sermon Template (Outline) [pdf, docx]

Sermon Template [docx]

Introduction

The preaching of God’s word is the centre of every gathering of God’s people. It’s when people hear the living word of God which is sharper than any double-edged sword. It comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable. It saves sinners and transforms saints. It is the means by which God’s church is built and grows.

Each Sunday people come to church to hear God speak. Under God, you have the great responsibility of being the messenger of salvation. Under God, if you waste this moment, people may walk away despising Christ. But if you do your all to present Christ in this moment, people will walk away new citizens of heaven.

Style of Preaching

At Vine Church, our preaching is shaped by a desire to see lives transformed by the gospel of Jesus — bringing God’s Word to bear on real hearts, real questions, and real lives with clarity, conviction, and grace. Here’s what characterises the style of preaching we aim for:

• Deep engagement with the Word — each sermon carefully expounds Scripture with clarity and rigour, showing its meaning in context and its relevance today.
• Christ‑centred and grace‑driven — every sermon invites hearers to rest in and trust the finished work of Christ, rather than themselves, and marvel at his grace.
• Big God preaching — presenting a God who is sovereign, glorious, active, and far bigger than our small categories; never confined to our expectations or boxes.
• Exposing the heart — preaching engages the deep questions and struggles of the human condition, exposing the heart, and showing how the power and wisdom of God’s Word uniquely address and renew lives.
• Transformative – Each sermon presses toward real change, calling people to repentance and faith, applying Scripture to specific areas of life, and helping them grow into greater Christlikeness by the Spirit’s work.