Welcome back to my interview with Gareth Lloyd, senior pastor of Sovereign Grace Church in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales. Read part one of the interview here.

Gareth, if you could study under any theologian in church history (excluding those men in Scripture), who would it be and why?

Jonathan Edwards just because he is the theologian I have spent most time reading of late! I love his grand vision of God and his desire that God be known not only with the mind but experienced (loved and enjoyed) in the heart.

What single piece of counsel (or constructive criticism) has most improved your preaching?

Don’t leave the scaffolding up when you get to the pulpit—the scaffolding is for the study alone! In other words, don’t bore a congregation with all the detail of your exegetical work, however fascinating it has been to you.

What books on preaching, or examples of it, have you found most influential in your own preaching?

The Supremacy of God in Preaching by John Piper.

Preaching the Whole Bible as Christian Scripture by Graeme Goldsworthy

Examples: Tim Keller because of his gospel-centredness and his consistent awareness of the unbeliever every time he preaches.

John Piper because of his elevation of the glory of God.

You C.J., because of the permeation of grace in all of your preaching and your ability to help the believer connect the dots from the gospel to life.

What single bit of counsel has made the most significant difference in your effective use of time?

This has been an area where I believe I have been weak, always being busy but often falling due to poor planning and prioritizing. I have recently been helped and provoked by the Sovereign Grace Leadership Podcast on the subject of “The Pastor and His Time.” The encouragement to set aside 30–60 minutes on a Monday to plan priorities according to my roles has been beneficial.

Join me next time for the third and final portion of my interview with Gareth Lloyd.