Nor must he confine himself to the central idea of the passage, though he must be aware of it. Its satellite ideas may be used. The value of expository preaching is obvious. One is certain that he is preaching God's truth, not man's opinion. There is even more value in preaching through a book.
Subjects come up naturally.
No one can suspect that the minister is selecting his themes out of pique or whimsy. If expository preaching has advantages, it also has dangers. It can degenerate into nothing more than a dull, verse by verse explanation. It is expected that the preacher will make his own outline, using the one printed here as a starter and perhaps as a model, but modifying it to suit his own personality, his audience, and his aim. It is expected that he will select from the illustrations those that suit him and reject those that do not.