How Should Johnny Preach?

Rev. Chris Gordon and Pastor Chad Vegas engage in a candid discussion about the state of modern preaching.
Title
How Should Johnny Preach?
Summary
Rev. Chris Gordon and Pastor Chad Vegas engage in a candid discussion about the state of modern preaching.
Published
Jan 31, 2026
Hosted By
Pastor Chris Gordon
Where To Tune In
Show Notes

Rev. Chris Gordon and Pastor Chad Vegas engage in a candid discussion about the state of modern preaching, contrasting the "group therapy" style of broad evangelicalism with the often dry, intellectualized approach found in some Reformed circles. They explore the essential balance of law and gospel, the dangers of plagiarism and AI, and the necessity of heart-felt conviction in the pulpit.

Chapters:
01:33 - Intro and Recapping Previous Topics
02:13 - Why is Reformed Preaching So Bad?
04:01 - The Problem of Making the Bible Dull
05:39 - The "Group Therapist" Model of Preaching
07:20 - Lloyd-Jones and the Power of Conviction
12:59 - The Popularity of Moralistic Sermons
13:30 - Preaching Christ Clothed in the Gospel
15:07 - Three Common Types of Poor Preaching
16:27 - Category Four: The Dull Research Paper
18:02 - The Puritan Model vs. Modern Exposition

Guest Information:
Chad Vegas is the founding pastor of Sovereign Grace Church. After completing his M.A. in Theology at Talbot, and being the high school pastor at RiverLakes Community Church, Chad was called to plant a church in Bakersfield. He is also the founding board chairman of Radius International, an organization that trains people to plant churches among unreached language groups. His passion is to know Christ and to make him known.
Links:

- Chad's Church - bakersfieldchurch.org

Mentions:

- Thomas Watson: A prominent 17th-century English Puritan preacher and prolific theological author.
- Robert Godfrey: A Reformed church historian and President Emeritus of Westminster Seminary California.
- Michael Horton: A systematic theologian and host of the White Horse Inn radio program.
- Christian Smith: A sociologist known for identifying the phenomenon of Moralistic Therapeutic Deism.
- Martyn Lloyd-Jones: An influential Welsh Protestant minister often referred to as "The Doctor."
- Sinclair Ferguson: A Scottish theologian and author known for his work on Reformed soteriology.
- William Carey: An English missionary often called the "Father of Modern Missions."
- Steve Yule: A professor and scholar specializing in Puritan spirituality and history.
- Charles Spurgeon: A famous 19th-century British Particular Baptist known as the "Prince of Preachers."

Guests
Our guests on this episode included:
Pastor Chad Vegas
Pastor Chad Vegas

Chad Vegas is the founding pastor of Sovereign Grace Church. After completing his M.A. in Theology at Talbot, and being the high school pastor at RiverLakes Community Church, Chad was called to plant a church in Bakersfield. He is also the founding board chairman of Radius International, an organization that trains people to plant churches among unreached language groups. His passion is to know Christ and to make him known. He has been married to Teresa since 1994, and they have two children and one grandson.

Church: bakersfieldchurch.org

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