"Keep Your Finger in the Text:  Opportunities to get built up as a faithful gospel minister.

Providing encouragement and exhortation to gospel ministers preaching in the open air."

Talking Points for 10/28/25:

Heath Pucel’s latest "Keep Your Finger in the Text" live report focuses on building faithful gospel ministers who preach God’s Word in the open air, emphasizing the foundational importance of prayer and ministry of the Word as described in Acts 6:4. He encourages ministers to deeply engage with Scripture—not just for sermon preparation but to hear from God personally—by marinating on the text, meditating over it, and praying for the Holy Spirit’s illumination. Heath stresses that effective preaching requires the power of the Holy Spirit, prayer, and sometimes fasting, alongside careful study and application of biblical texts.

He highlights ongoing ministry opportunities including the “Taking Reps” study sessions on Monday nights, where participants systematically work through Scripture to develop sermon outlines, and the “Preaching That Demands a Response” workshop, designed to help preachers craft sermons that are faithful to the text and compelling to listeners, offered Monday mornings and Tuesday evenings.

Heath invites preachers to the George Whitfield Program Fellowship Conference (June 15–19, 2026, Chattanooga, TN), which includes foundational teachings on gospel ministry as a lifestyle and practical preaching workshops. He also offers personal discipleship and sermon feedback to help ministers grow and encourages those interested to reach out for mentoring or to arrange group workshops.

The report underscores the need for intentional, quality time in prayer and Scripture study, acknowledges challenges pastors face, and invites ongoing dialogue for mutual encouragement and growth. Heath challenges ministers to pursue depth in their spiritual preparation so their preaching carries both conviction and life-giving power to those who hear it.

For more details and to join the program visit: https://www.sfoi.org/KeepYourFingerintheText