Richard Coekin, Apply the Word: A Practical Guide to Preaching with Application, Evangelical Press, 2026. 196pp.
Books on application in preaching are surprisingly rare. Given that the central task of every preacher is to apply the word of God to those they preach to, one might think there would be more help in application, matching the vast number of resources to aid them in exegesis, biblical theology and homiletics. So this book by Richard Coekin is a very welcome addition to the preacher’s bookshelf.
Coekin brings to bear his own rich ministry experience as a pastor, church planter, and key reformed evangelical leader. His writing is warm, humble, practical, personal, realistic and genuinely helpful. He really has written a “practical guide to preaching with application.”
He defines application as “drawing out the necessary implications of God’s Word for the lives of the hearers” (16-17). He argues that application is the purpose of Scripture and without application, preaching will be impersonal, irrelevant and dull like an academic lecture (26). Not only is application the point of the Bible, but it is also the reason God has given us preachers. Their task is to apply the word – to correct, teach, and encourage form the Scriptures. Furthermoe, it is precisely what congregations needs. Both believers and unbelievers need to hear the implications of God’s word for their lives. God’s intention is that their lives be changed by his powerful word.
Coekin constantly emphases that application comes from the Scriptures. “Application is not inventing something alien to the text, but discovering the necessary implications of the text for our lives” (32). Preachers must respect authorial intent and place each text in the context of the whole story of the Bible. He gives extended treatment to how to apply OT texts, placing them in the context of salvation history and therefore preaching Christ as we apply the text.
The book has four parts: Why application is so necessary?; How do we ensure our applications are faithful to God’s word?; How do we ensure our applications are helpful to God’s people?; and How do we bring this all together in practice?
Throughout, Coekin includes many worked examples, alongside personal anecdotes, confessions and insights. In one chapter, he identifies more than a dozen things we should remember, such as, remember we sit under God’s Word with our congregation; remember people need both encouragement and rebuke, but above all hope; and remember people need to meet Jesus above all else.
In the last three chapters he walks through the process of constructing a sermon, using the analogy of building a house. It’s a rich metaphor and a helpful overview of effective sermon preparation .
Preachers, new and experienced, will do themselves and their congregations a favour by spending time in this book and allowing Coekin to coach them into greater effectiveness in applying God’s Word.
Now I feel bound to say that while I love nearly everything in here, I don’t agree with absolutely everything – here and there I totally disagree
- but fairs fair; I was chatting to him at the Reach Australia conference, and he said the same about my book on application
- one thing he didn’t like so much – but I won’t tell what!
Well, I think all of us need to work constantly at applying the word well
- this book can only help you as you do that