This book will be a good companion to read along with Dioriani’s Putting the Truth to Work. Application and illustrations are not the same thing though one can greatly enhance the other. Bryan Chapell is president of Covenant Theological Seminary and the author of several other books, including the award winning Christ-Centered Preaching.

Anyone who preaches or teaches should carefully work through this book. Chapell understands that in many ways the correct or incorrect use of illustrations can make or break a presentation. We cannot ignore the importance of a story or a visual in teaching methodology. Good illustrations have a way of making a message “zing and sing,” yet illustrations are often overused, abused, or omitted. Chapell’s work will help us avoid those three traps. He reminds us that good illustrations are like a light shining on a good and understandable application of truth to our lives. However, a bad illustration can undermine the presenter’s effort to make a point and challenge his or her integrity. This is more than a book of theory; it contains practical ideas and illustrations as well. I highly commend it to our readers, and I also thank Crossway Books for the vision to publish this new edition. It is timely and much needed in this postmodern era.

- Charles Dunahoo, CEP Coordinator