BRIAN BUHLER

Speaking Ministry

Brian’s primary gifting is expository preaching. He loves it when the Holy Spirit illuminates Jesus in whatever biblical text he’s studying.  For Brian, the primary task of biblical preaching is to faithfully proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Though good advice abounds, it’s the good newsthat Brian seeks to find and declare.  “Where’s the gospel in this text?”is a question he’s asked his congregations for over 30 years.  

One of Brian’s preaching passions is to reveal Christ in the Old Testament through character studies, revealing how every narrative in the scripture serves the grand narrative of the conquest of the Seed of the Woman over the head of the serpent (Genesis 3:15).  Instead of using the bible as a treasure chest of devotional nuggets, Brian’s homiletical goal is to reveal how any given text fits within the great Story of God redeeming all things through Christ, and then discerning where our lives fit within that Story.  

For Brian, the difference between teaching and preaching is that preaching carries a sense of pathos that requires a decision, or what Paul called the “obedience of faith.”  This was permanently driven into Brian’s psyche after meeting the great Canadian evangelist, Barry Moore.  One Sunday after Barry had finished preaching at First Alliance church in Calgary, he approached the 16-yr. old Brian asking if it was true that he wanted to become a preacher.  When Brian said, “yes, I do”, Barry took his index finger, pushed it into Brian’s chest while commanding, “then PREACH!  And preach with a VERDICT!”