I have been so blessed to be able to hear & get to know some amazing preachers. The more I am around this particular breed of individuals, I realize that I have so many favorite preachers. But what makes them my favorite? What makes anyone someone’s favorite anything? So I started thinking…about the many ways these men have impacted my life, about the way they challenge me, about the way they encourage me…and I started mentally preparing a list.

So why not actually create the list, I thought. Why not share the list of some of my favorite preachers, then find out who some of your favorites are. After all, we should respect and admire these men who have chosen to give their entire lives to the gospel of Christ! Now, should we favor a preacher over the message? Should we favor a preacher over Christ? I think Paul covered those questions pretty well in 1 Corinthians 1:11-14. Still, we are told by scripture that those who spread the gospel message have beautiful feet (Rom. 10:15), and we should honor and respect those who dedicate so much of themselves to doing God’s work!

So without further adieu, here’s an incomplete list of my favorite preachers. It will certainly change by this time next month (additions only!).

•  Robert – How could my husband not be my favorite preacher? I am so blessed to be married to a man who has chosen to dedicate all of his time and energies to the gospel. He has a heart of a servant, and I am beyond blessed to be able to share my life with him & to labor with him in his efforts. Not only that, but Robert is one of the most talented people I have ever met. When I first saw him/heard him (he was speaking in chapel at Freed-Hardeman), and I honestly thought he was a professor. He just has that command when he speaks–that depth of knowledge that I most certainly did not and still do not have. I have heard countless of his sermons (and will hear countless more Lord willing), and am continually impressed by his deep study and profound way of communicating it to others. Again, so, so blessed to be his wife and biggest fan. But, since I could write all day and never convey enough about how wonderful he is, I should probably move on. So….
• Tim Orbison – Some of you may not know Tim, and I’m sorry if you don’t. As the preacher for the congregation where I grew up, I can honestly say that Tim has been the most influential preacher in my life. He shaped me into the person I am today. His sermons challenged me, pricked me, stepped on my toes, lifted me out of the grips of sin, and changed me from an old man of sin into a new creation. Not only that, but his friendship helped me to stay the course in those tumultuous high school years, and his influence is ultimately what led me to Freed-Hardmen, where I would meet my husband and best friends. I am forever indebted to the love and attention that Tim has given me, and will forever esteem him as one of my favorite preachers. Oh, and I should mention, it’s not simply sentimental. If you’ve never heard him preach–wow. His depth, insight, and amazing delivery are mind-blowingly wonderful. He is an amazing preacher.
• BJ Clarke – I recently returned from a trip to Greece & Turkey, and Brother Clarke was on that trip. I’d absolutely loved his preaching prior to the trip, but embarking on that two-week journey with him made me love him as a preacher. His kindness, humor, and all around great personality have made his preaching even greater to me (and who knew that was possible?!). Not only can he deliver the most powerful sermon you’ve ever heard, but he lives that. He is a remarkable human being, and I am so very thankful that I got to go on that trip, if for nothing else than to spend two weeks getting to know and learning from Brother Clarke. Oh, and he loves Diet Coke, so clearly that gives him an advantage.
• Dan Winkler – How can you make a list of favorite preachers and not include Dan Winkler? He is probably the greatest preacher of our time. I don’t know that anyone will ever be able to tell a story like he does, or pull from the text like he does, or relate something to your life like he does. Every lesson he gives leaves me in tears, longing to be a better person and praying that God will forgive in the ways that I’ve failed. But above his great and unmatched abilities, his personality is impeccable. If the apostle Paul could say follow me as I follow Christ, the same could be said of Brother Winkler. He is the most Christ-like person I have ever met, and the way he conversationally talks about Jesus is so inspiring. I long to be more like Brother Winkler, because he is so much like Christ, and that is Who we are all striving to imitate.
• The TLN boys – Since I don’t want to take up much more of your time, I have to lump these guys together. Chris Clevenger, Torrey Clark, and Brad McNutt are three awesome guys. Recently, I had the privilege of hearing Brad speak at the MSOP lectureship, and he completely blew me away. Chris is one of the people that I record/edit for GBN, and so I am continuously amazed by his talents and abilities. And while I haven’t heard Torrey preach yet (he will be at EH in May so you should definitely come!), I have heard his podcasts, and they’re amazing! Not to mention, he is one of the kindest, gentlest people I have ever met, and I know that will be conveyed in his preaching. The reason I want to mention all of these guys is because they are all under the age of 27. And they are phenomenal. Until I met Chris, I didn’t think anyone close to Robert’s age could preach like him. Until I met Brad, I thought that no one could be like Robert and Chris. But they just keep impressing me!  I am SO thankful that these talented, precious men have dedicated their lives to preaching the gospel! Not only that, but they dedicate so much of their time doing podcasts for The Light Network to further the gospel of Christ, on top of their other duties. These four guys (Robert included) are truly some of the greatest that I know! I am so, so very blessed to know and love them. They’re so talented, so humble, and so wonderfully kind; it truly gives me an excitement about the future of the Lord’s Kingdom. But let’s be honest, I’m mostly excited because their wives are wonderful, and I enjoy every moment that I get to be around them.

So what makes my favorite preacher? Sure, it’s the preaching. It’s the way they present the message, and the amount of study they put in. But really, it’s so much more. It’s the way they preach in their day to day lives that leaves me wanting to be more studious and more like my Savior. It’s the preacher that I’ve gotten to know, not simply the way he delivers a sermon (though they can all deliver killer sermons!).

I am beyond blessed to be where I am: married to the most remarkable man on the entire planet and a sister to the greatest brothers this world has to offer.

So what makes your favorite preacher? Who is it/are they? What makes them so special to you?

*Also, I should note that I have about 382409823048 more people that I could name in this list, including Tom Holland, Cliff Goodwin, and countless others. Again, so blessed to know these great men of God.