Preachers must develop their skills as one does in any profession, but it's exceptionally crucial for them to speak to God before they speak to their congregations.

In your church, what constitutes worship? Does your congregation rely on music, lights, a big production and lots of stimulation to grab attention, or do you focus on proclaiming God's Word?

How would it be to pastor a legend such as Billy Graham? Could there be another experience so humbling so a minister?

Don Wilton is the senior pastor of First Baptist Church, Spartanburg, S.C., where Billy Graham now has his church membership. Graham watches the televised service of FBC each Sunday, and Don travels to North Carolina each week to visit with Graham and his family. During these visits, they have visited at length about Graham's approach to and philosophy of preaching. In this article, Wilton shares many of the insights he has learned from the famous evangelist during their many visits.

(This is an expanded version of the survey that appears in the November-December print edition of Preaching. It includes many items not in the print edition, but also excludes some volumes cited in the print edition.)

Do you elevate God's Word above whatever it is you are preaching? Does your sermon exist primarily for the sake of conveying the truth of Scripture?