How Does Cornerstone Decide What to Teach? Introducing The Gospel Way

Mark and Emily pull back the curtain on how Cornerstone decides what to preach and introduce the church's new series through The Gospel Way. Mark walks through the history and philosophy behind preaching styles, why Cornerstone leans expository, and how topical teaching, liturgical seasons, and book-by-book exposition all fit together into one intentional plan.

Episode Highlights

00:52 — What the Gospel Way Catechism is and why it was written

01:44 — How the 50 truths are structured across sections and years

03:09 — Two upcoming episodes featuring author Trevin Wax

04:36 — Why using a catechism to preach isn't as unusual as it sounds

05:33 — The pulpit vs. the altar: why preaching is central to Protestant worship

07:20 — A brief history of preaching styles, from the Puritans to Piper, Keller, and MacArthur

09:08 — Defining expository preaching and its different forms

11:18 — The strengths and blind spots of verse-by-verse exposition

14:39 — In defense of good topical preaching

16:24 — Why a well-done topical series can take 40–50 hours to prepare

19:52 — How Mark builds the preaching calendar: book-by-book plus liturgical seasons

22:39 — Why The Gospel Way Catechism is a hybrid approach — and why that matters

24:07 — Mark's heart behind it all: guarding the gospel and preaching the full counsel of God

Resources

• The Gospel Way: A Catechism by Trevin Wax and Thomas West
• The Gospel Way Catechism for Kids by Trevin Wax and Thomas West
• Cornerstone Sermons: Listen Online

Ask Mark a Question!

Suggest a topic or question for Mark to discuss on a future episode of the Equip Podcast!