Using Your Voice to Speak God's Words

Using Your Voice to Speak God's Words

Author: Mike Neglia June 23, 2026 Duration: 25:20

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.



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Mike Neglia hosts Expositors Collective: Expository Preaching, Bible Teaching and Sermon Preparation, a space dedicated to the craft of clearly opening the Scriptures. Rather than offering abstract theory, this podcast grounds itself in the tangible realities faced by pastors and teachers every week. You'll hear genuine conversations that feel like pulling up a chair in a mentor's study, where experienced practitioners discuss the challenges and joys of preparing messages that faithfully explain the biblical text. Episodes often take the form of interviews or practical workshops, delving into the nuances of effective communication for diverse settings like church pulpits, youth groups, or women's ministries. The collective wisdom shared here is about more than just structure; it's about the spiritual discipline of listening to a passage before speaking on it, ensuring the sermon's heart beats in rhythm with the Bible's intent. Tuning into this podcast provides a form of ongoing coaching, a resource for anyone who wants their teaching to be both deeply rooted and readily understood. It’s for those who believe that the careful work of exposition is a profound act of service, and who are looking for a companion on that journey.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 50

Expositors Collective: Expository Preaching, Bible Teaching and Sermon Preparation
Podcast Episodes
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