Nancy Guthrie has spent years helping Christians understand how the whole Bible fits together and how every part of Scripture leads us to behold Jesus Christ. She is a Bible teacher, author, host of Help Me Teach the Bible, and a graduate of Reformed Theological Seminary whose Biblical Theology Workshops have equipped Bible teachers across the United States and around the world.

In this conversation, Nancy joins Mike Neglia to discuss the relationship between biblical theology and faithful Bible teaching. She explains why understanding the Bible’s unfolding story should produce joy and assurance, how God’s plan is even better than Eden, and how teachers can point people to Christ without forcing Jesus into every detail of a passage.

Nancy also shares practical wisdom about sermon preparation and delivery. She reflects on the strengths and limitations of outlines and full manuscripts, the importance of loving people more than our notes, and why going off script is not always as spontaneous as it appears. She recommends resources for growing in biblical theology and introduces the vision behind the Beholding Christ project.

The conversation also looks back on Help Me Teach the Bible, the influential podcast in which Nancy interviewed skilled preachers and teachers about communicating particular books of Scripture faithfully and effectively. She reflects on what she learned from those conversations, including Iain Duguid’s approach to Judges and the gospel of Jesus Christ, and tells a moving story about the courage of Christians in Afghanistan.

This episode will encourage pastors, Bible study leaders and anyone who wants to understand the Scriptures more deeply, teach them more faithfully and help others see the beauty of Christ throughout the whole Bible.

Resources Mentioned:

Even Better Than Eden: Nine Ways the Bible’s Story Changes Everything about Your Story
Nancy’s official book page, including the nine biblical-theological themes running from Genesis to Revelation:
https://www.nancyguthrie.com/even-better-than-eden

Blessed: Experiencing the Promise of the Book of Revelation
Nancy’s official page for her study of Revelation, focused on endurance, judgement, salvation and the coming new creation:
https://www.nancyguthrie.com/revelation

Why Middle Eastern Women Want to Learn to Teach the Bible
This is the episode containing the Afghan Christian woman, alongside women from several Middle Eastern countries. The Afghan participant discusses helping her husband minister through house churches and reaching women with the gospel.
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/podcasts/help-me-teach-the-bible/women-middle-east-want-learn-teach-bible/

Julius Kim on Teaching for Attention and Retention
Nancy Guthrie speaks with Julius Kim about communicating in ways that help listeners pay attention, understand and retain what they hear.
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/podcasts/help-me-teach-the-bible/julius-kim-teaching-retention/

Iain Duguid on Judges
Nancy and Iain Duguid discuss teaching Judges, understanding its structure and preaching Christ from one of the Bible’s darkest books.
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/podcasts/help-me-teach-the-bible/ian-duguid-on-judges/

In this episode of the Expositors Collective Podcast, Mike Neglia sits down with Pastor Tommy Cota for a conversation about conversion, calling, sermon preparation, and the ongoing work of growing as a Bible teacher.

Tommy shares the remarkable story of how Jesus transformed his life after years of alcohol and drug use and five and a half years in the California state prison system. Following his release from prison in January 2000, and through the faithful prayers of his wife, Diana, Tommy surrendered his life to Jesus Christ on June 11, 2000. During the conversation, Mike and Tommy discover that they both came to faith in Christ at almost exactly the same time, in southern California.

Their conversation traces Tommy's journey from an unlikely small men's Bible study that became an incubator for future pastors, to Calvary Chapel's School of Ministry and eventually pastoral ministry at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa. In 2014, Tommy stepped out in faith to plant Hope Alive Church, with a heart to reach the people of Santa Ana with the hope found in Jesus Christ.

Mike and Tommy also get practical about the craft of preaching. They discuss Tommy's experience teaching through Genesis, the dangers of Bible studies that go on far too long, and why Tommy has intentionally reduced the size of his "commentary stack" during sermon preparation. They reflect on what happens when authors you once considered a little too "out there" start making sense, and the importance of internalising a sermon so thoroughly that, when you step into the pulpit, you aren't "married to your notes."

Along the way, Mike shares some reflections from his own experience teaching through Revelation, as two pastors at different stages of long-term Bible exposition compare notes on trusting the text, learning from others, and continuing to grow as preachers.

Tommy Cota is the pastor of Hope Alive Church in Santa Ana, California. He and his wife, Diana, have been married since 1990 and have three children and three grandchildren. Tommy and several other pastors are also featured in the documentary The Neighborhood, which tells the story of pastors and churches serving communities affected by gangs and violence in Southern California.

For information about our upcoming training events visit ExpositorsCollective.com

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John Whitaker believes that every sermon should have a purpose and a point - because we aren't just teaching the Bible, we are teaching the Bible to people.

In this session (recorded in 2025 at our St Pete, Florida preacher training event) John speaks about the need to hone our homiletical skills so that we can connect with our congregations as complicated individuals, rather than a block of abstract "listeners." Homiletics is the study of how to effectively communicate the message of the Christian faith through preaching and teaching. It involves understanding the biblical texts, the needs and concerns of the audience, and the use of language and other communication techniques to convey the message in a way that is meaningful and impactful.

John is passionate about connecting people with the life-changing message of the Bible.

He loves to bring the Bible to life and connect it to your life, so that it helps you live the life God created you for.

John enjoys his life too...

When he’s not preaching or teaching, you might find him at a local coffee shop meeting with and encouraging other local ministers. Or you could find him hanging out at home with his wife and partner in ministry, Louise, his closest friend for 30 years. Or perhaps you’ll find him throwing the ball for his dogs.

He loves Mexican food, a quiet day in the woods, his family, but most of all John loves to help people see how God’s word speaks to their life and his greatest thrill in life is to see people come alive to the joy of walking with God honestly, humbly, and transformationally.

Want all the technical details about John?

John is a preacher, teacher and pastor. He holds theology and ministry degrees from Boise Bible College, Cincinnati Bible Seminary, and a doctorate in preaching from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary - the only reason for all of that is to help bring God's word into the lives of people more effectively. John has been serving in ministry for 30 years. He has served as a Professor of Preaching and New Testament at Boise Bible College for 19 years. During that time, he also helped plant a church in Kuna, Idaho, where he led the adult education ministry and preached for 11 years. He has taught classes for Eternity Bible College and taught and preached in various places around the country and the world. Most recently, he served for nearly 4 years as one of the teaching and campus pastors at The Pursuit, in Boise.

Recommended Resources:

https://www.johnwhittaker.net/

The Listener's Commentary: https://www.listenerscommentary.com/

free Mini-Course Deepen your Bible reading and prayer time : https://www.johnwhittaker.net/courses

Connect

For information about our upcoming training events visit ExpositorsCollective.com

Join our private Facebook group to continue the conversation: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ExpositorsCollective

Preachers do not merely need to understand the gospel accurately. They need the gospel to function at the centre of their hearts, their sermons, their pastoral ministry, and their lives.

Mike Bullmore joins Mike Neglia to discuss his new book, The Heart of Preaching: The Functional Centrality of the Gospel in the Life and Work of the Preacher, published by 9Marks with a foreword by D. A. Carson. Drawing on 25 years as the founding and senior pastor of CrossWay Community Church in Bristol, Wisconsin, Bullmore reflects on how the gospel shapes sermon preparation, delivery, application, pastoral ministry, and the inner life of the preacher.

The conversation explores what it means for preaching to be governed by the content and intent of Scripture, why preachers must not separate divine and human authorial intent, and how to give people the full gospel rather than a reduced version of it. Bullmore also speaks about the mentors who shaped him up close, including John Piper, D. A. Carson, C. J. Mahaney, and Greg Waybright.

In the second half, Mike Neglia asks Bullmore for advice on preaching through the challenging book of Revelation. Bullmore offers wise counsel on moving forward with confidence, even when every interpretive question has not been settled.

Mike Bullmore holds a PhD from Northwestern University and now serves in various venues training the next generation of faithful pastors. He lives in Kenosha, Wisconsin, with his wife, Beverly.

The Heart of Preaching: The Functional Centrality of the Gospel in the Life and Work of the Preacher : https://www.crossway.org/books/the-heart-of-preaching-tpb/

For information about our upcoming training events visit ExpositorsCollective.com

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Matt Shantz

Lead Pastor of Central Community Church in Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada, and host of the Deep Thoughts podcast.

When a preacher quotes someone from the pulpit, what are they actually endorsing? How do churches move beyond wishing for more Bible teachers to intentionally training them? And what kind of feedback has the power to reshape a preacher's ministry for decades? In this thoughtful and practical conversation, Mike Neglia sits down with Matt Shantz, Lead Pastor of Central Community Church in Chilliwack, British Columbia, and host of the Deep Thoughts podcast, to explore the questions that shape a lifetime of faithful preaching. Together they discuss the ethics of quoting voices outside our theological tradition, the sermon critique that pushed Matt toward greater gospel clarity, the surprising benefits of handwritten notes, and why preaching is often far more exhausting than most people realise. Matt also offers a behind-the-scenes look at how Central Community Church identifies, trains, coaches, and releases new Bible teachers through initiatives like their Preaching Lab, creating a culture where developing communicators is part of the church's DNA. Whether you're preparing this Sunday's sermon, mentoring emerging preachers, or simply trying to grow in the craft and calling of Bible teaching, this conversation is filled with wisdom, humility, and practical encouragement for the long work of ministry.

Deep Thoughts Podcast: https://thedeepthoughtspodcast.wordpress.com/

For information about our upcoming training events visit ExpositorsCollective.com

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A great sermon doesn’t begin with a microphone—it begins with a voice that has been forged in obscurity.

In this episode of the Expositors Collective podcast, Pastor Ryan Marr of Calvary Chapel St. Petersburg invites listeners behind the scenes of that often hidden process, tracing the slow, sometimes painful work of *finding your own teaching voice*. Far from offering quick tips or performance tricks, Marr insists that true preaching is where life and doctrine collide, producing a message that not only informs but transforms both preacher and hearer.

Drawing from the pastoral epistles and years in the pulpit, Marr describes the journey of discovering how God has uniquely wired you to communicate, then submitting that voice to scrutiny, feedback, and refinement. He urges teachers to ask unsettling questions—“Am I right on this topic? How can I grow?”—while relentlessly sharpening their words so that the **headline is always the story of Jesus**, not the personality of the preacher.

But the heart of his message is not technique; it’s dependence. Marr argues that the most compelling preaching comes when a flawed, still-learning teacher chooses to **listen to God’s voice**, relying on the Holy Spirit more than eloquence. Along the way, he speaks candidly about fear, conflict, and the vulnerability of saying hard things from the pulpit, and he makes a surprising claim: what people remember most is not a perfect outline, but a preacher who **genuinely enjoys God**.

For anyone on the long road of learning to teach the Bible—whether you’re nervously preparing your first sermon or refining your fiftieth—this episode offers a bracing, hopeful reminder: your voice is worth developing, not because it’s impressive, but because, in God’s hands, it can help others see Jesus more clearly.

For information about our upcoming training events visit ⁠ExpositorsCollective.com⁠

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What can Irish Presbyterianism teach the wider church about preaching? In this wide-ranging conversation, Mike Neglia sits down with his friend Rev Richie Cronin to discuss the craft, character, and calling of faithful ministry. Drawing from his experience in Irish Presbyterian circles, Richie reflects on the influences that shaped him, the books and mentors that formed him, and the lessons he has learned from years in the pulpit.

Along the way, the conversation explores everything from sermon preparation and delivery to feedback, vocal habits, reading, pastoral longevity, and the dangers of performing rather than simply preaching. Richie offers practical wisdom on avoiding the “preacher voice,” building better sermon transitions, developing as a communicator, and stewarding the opportunities that come with different seasons of ministry. He also reflects on the influence of Tim Keller, the strengths and weaknesses of experiential Calvinism, the role of law and gospel in preaching, and why many pastors would benefit from preaching shorter sermons.

The discussion touches on broader questions as well, including biblical leadership, complementarian convictions, artificial intelligence, and what people actually need from their pastors in an age of endless distractions and competing voices. Throughout the conversation, Richie consistently returns to a simple conviction: the church needs Christ, His Word, and faithful shepherds who are willing to keep showing up, keep studying, and keep preaching.

Recorded for the Expositors Collective Podcast, this episode offers practical encouragement for preachers, pastors, ministry leaders, and anyone seeking to grow in the lifelong task of communicating God's Word faithfully.

For information about our upcoming training events visit ExpositorsCollective.com

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Artificial intelligence can generate outlines, summaries, illustrations, and sermon-like content in seconds. But should preachers use it? And if so, how?

In this episode of the Expositors Collective podcast, Mike Neglia hosts a live panel discussion with Bob Franquiz, Pilgrim Benham, Ryan Marr, and Alan Stoddard on AI, ChatGPT, pastoral integrity, and the future of sermon preparation.

Rather than simply asking whether AI can save time, the panel presses into deeper questions. What happens to the preacher when the work of sermon preparation is delegated to a machine? Can technology glorify God, or can it train us to depend less on prayer, study, Scripture, and the Holy Spirit? Where might AI serve as a limited tool, and where does it become a dangerous substitute?

Pilgrim Benham reflects on the moral weight of technology and warns against treating tools as spiritually neutral. Ryan Marr offers a thoughtful, contrarian perspective on the formative effects of AI in the life of the preacher. Bob Franquiz speaks to the limits of ChatGPT, reminding listeners that AI can generate words quickly, but it cannot pastor people, carry a burden, or replace the preacher’s communion with God in the text. Mike Neglia also suggests a narrow and cautious way AI might be used after a sermon draft is mostly complete, as a tool for clarification rather than creation.

The central concern of this conversation is not fear of technology, but faithfulness in ministry. Preachers are called to study, pray, think, shepherd, and proclaim. AI may assist with certain tasks, but it cannot replace the spiritual and pastoral work of preaching.

This conversation was recorded at an Expositors Collective preacher training event in St Petersburg, Florida.

As a sidebar, the panel also ends with discussion on mentoring relationships, spotting future leaders, "overpreparing" early in ministry, the value of reading while you are young, and the difficult question every preacher faces: how do you know when a sermon is actually done?

Featured guests

Bob Franquiz is the Founding and Senior Pastor of Calvary Fellowship in Miramar, Florida. He is the author of seven books, including Pull: Making Your Church Magnetic and Begin: First Steps for the Journey of Faith. Before entering pastoral ministry, Bob played guitar for the Christian hardcore band Strongarm, often regarded as one of the most influential Christian metal bands of its era. Prior to planting Calvary Fellowship, he served as an assistant pastor at Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale. Bob holds a Ph.D. in Bible Exposition from Liberty University and a master’s degree in theological studies from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He and his wife, Carey, have been married since 1997 and have three children: Mia, Alexander, and Olivia.

Pilgrim Benham has planted churches and pastored since 2002. He is the Dean of Students at Calvary Chapel Bible College, an instructor, and serves on the pastoral team at WestChurch in Bradenton, Florida. Pilgrim loves equipping the saints and also does sermon coaching when not enjoying Florida’s beaches.

Ryan Marr is the Lead Pastor of Calvary Chapel St Petersburg, where he has served in pastoral ministry since 2004. He holds an M.A. in Biblical and Theological Studies from Western Seminary, and brings years of experience in preaching, leadership, and local church ministry.

Dr Alan Stoddard is the lead pastor of Imagine Church in Granbury, Texas, and is part of the Expositors Collective leadership team.

AI and the Preacher's Calling - Dr Paul Hoffman : https://open.spotify.com/episode/4Fsx7d2iGUXh2oUcQOnyYG?si=9157ccf1a9144cac

The Perils and Possibilities of ChatGPT - Nick Cady and Mike Neglia: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2oTViQSw1a641dsMqfyMOO?si=6f3cc77c796d4174

Connect:

For information about our upcoming training events visit ExpositorsCollective.com

Join our private Facebook group to continue the conversation: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ExpositorsCollective