Preaching, says Heath Hardesty, should do more than explain a passage of Scripture - it should take listeners on a journey that awakens thirst and points them to the living water of Christ. In this session, recorded at Valley Community Church in Pleasanton, California, Hardesty unpacks how the “arc” and the “through-line” of expository preaching bring sermons into harmony with the larger story of redemption.

Drawing from John 7:37–39, he demonstrates how faithful exposition stirs a Spirit-given sense of need and satisfies the soul’s ache in the gospel. The teaching weaves together theology, cultural insight, and pastoral wisdom, offering a vision of preaching that is unified, Spirit-led, and Christ-centred.

About Heath Hardesty
Heath Hardesty serves as Lead Pastor of Valley Community Church in Pleasanton, CA, and is a founder of Inklings Coffee & Tea in the heart of downtown Pleasanton. He grew up in a blue-collar home and was a plumber’s apprentice in Colorado before becoming a pastor on the edge of Silicon Valley, where he, his wife, and their four children now reside. Heath holds degrees in literature, leadership, biblical studies, and theology from the University of Colorado Boulder and Western Seminary in Portland.

His forthcoming book, All Things Together: How Apprenticeship to Jesus Is the Way of Flourishing in a Fragmented World (with a foreword by Jon Tyson), will be released October 14, 2025.

Pre-Order Heath's Book Here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/776336/all-things-together-by-heath-hardesty/

For information about our upcoming training events visit ExpositorsCollective.com

The Expositors Collective podcast is part of the CGNMedia, Working together to proclaim the Gospel, make disciples, and plant churches. For more content like this, visit https://cgnmedia.org/

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

Donate to support the work of Expositors Collective, in person training events and a free weekly podcast: https://cgn.churchcenter.com/giving/to/expositors-collective

In this episode of the Expositors Collective podcast, Mike sit down with Mike Dente, lead pastor of Calvary Chapel Paris. Mike has served in France for decades, planting and pastoring in a thoroughly post-Christian European context.

Mike brings a thoughtful and pastoral lens to the challenges of preaching in today’s disenchanted world. Drawing from philosopher Charles Taylor, he reflects on the “disenchantment of the West” and how Protestantism may have contributed to it. Together, we explore what it means to be “enchanted,” how preachers can proclaim the death of Christ in a culture marked by scepticism, and how to show the beauty of Jesus even in the “ugly” passages of Scripture.

Along the way, Mike shares lessons learned from ministry in the European context, the emotional hardcore scene and offers practical questions that every preacher should ask as they prepare their messages.

This conversation is both deeply reflective and refreshingly practical - offering encouragement for those who want to faithfully communicate the wonder of Christ in a disenchanted age.

Steve Mathewson:
Sermon Introductions and Illustrations, Lessons learned from Haddon Robinson and Preaching the Old Testament

https://cgnmedia.org/podcast/expositors-collective/episode/sermon-introductions-and-illustrations-lessons-learned-from-haddon-robinson-and-preaching-the-old-testament

For information about our upcoming training events visit ExpositorsCollective.com

The Expositors Collective podcast is part of the CGNMedia, Working together to proclaim the Gospel, make disciples, and plant churches. For more content like this, visit https://cgnmedia.org/

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

Donate to support the work of Expositors Collective, in person training events and a free weekly podcast: https://cgn.churchcenter.com/giving/to/expositors-collective

Alistair Begg - one of the most recognisable voices in expository preaching - sits down with Brian Brodersen for a candid conversation on decades of ministry, recent controversies, and the hope that outshines them all.

With characteristic warmth and clarity, Alistair reflects on God’s faithfulness, the dangers that lead to burnout, and why the free offer of the gospel must always be extended. He responds to the storm surrounding his advice to a grandmother, shares encouragement from gospel renewal in Scotland, and explains why some empty churches should stay that way.

You’ll also hear the story behind the viral “Man on the Middle Cross” clip, insights on the Calvary Chapel movement, and Brian’s reflections on discovering the grace of God afresh. Whether you’re leading a church or seeking to grow in steadfast faith, this conversation will strengthen your resolve to run the race to the end.

Recommended episodes:
Danny Hyde on Long Obedience in the Same Location: https://cgnmedia.org/podcast/expositors-collective/episode/long-obedience-in-the-same-location-danny-hyde
Tim Chaddick on the Preachers Priorities: https://cgnmedia.org/podcast/expositors-collective/episode/the-preachers-priorities-study-spirit-and-sustainability

Bryan Stupar on Mentoring the Next Generation of Leaders: https://cgnmedia.org/podcast/expositors-collective/episode/jesus-homer-and-the-necessity-of-mentoring-the-next-generation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=592BE5w8Y7o

Join us August 22–23 at Calvary Chapel St. Petersburg for the next

Expositors Collective Training Weekend — a two-day, interactive event

designed to equip and encourage Bible teachers and preachers of all

experience levels.

📖 Learn from seasoned teachers, engage in hands-on coaching, and grow

in your calling to teach God’s Word with clarity and confidence.

🎙 Featuring:

Mike Neglia · Dr. Alan Stoddard · Brian Kelly

Dr. John

Whittaker · Pilgrim Benham · Ryan Marr · Brian Brodersen

✅ Teaching, training, and practical tools you can use right away.

🔗 Register now at [expositorscollective.com]

The Expositors Collective podcast is part of the CGNMedia, Working together to proclaim the Gospel, make disciples, and plant churches. For more content like this, visit https://cgnmedia.org/

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

Donate to support the work of Expositors Collective, in person training events and a free weekly podcast: https://cgn.churchcenter.com/giving/to/expositors-collective