Comments on: Top 5 Books on Preaching That Will Never Be Assigned

By: Mike

Mike — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:08:04 +0000

foiled by absolutes again!

By: Beav

Beav — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:47:47 +0000

I love that I actually have read 4 of those…you know because I'm such an awesome preacher :)

Not to protest your use of absolute language, but the Andy Stanley book was assigned to me in my infamous preaching class…so props to Bethel :)

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:46:14 +0000

curious to hear what you think of it after you read it

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:46:13 +0000

i think the thing about most of these though is that other than stanley's book, they're not necessarily advocating a specific approach. made to stick uses research to display what makes one message more \"sticky\" than another. the books on writing talk about the discipline of forcing yourself to write.

i think that you're right, that it still takes a lot of hard work and your communication style needs to fit your personality and your context, but there's still ways to improve that from outside helps without it becoming about fitting into someone else's style.

next time you start a message with \"this is my bible...i am who it says i am...\" i promise i won't think you stole it from someone else...

By: Paul

Paul — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:42:07 +0000

Great post by the way and in spite of what I just said about avoiding books on communicating, I also just ordered Made to Stick from my library. What's the use of having a rule if you don't break it every now and then?

By: Paul

Paul — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:40:05 +0000

I'm a big fan of reading and knowledge and all that, but when it comes to preaching I try to avoid what everybody else is saying and doing. Not that I think I know all I need to know, but I think it's one area where I prefer to develop my own understanding and style, to discover for myself what works with my audience. There have been a couple times when I've jumped on the band-wagon of what somebody else says is a great way to preach or communicate and looking back from where I stand now I don't think they were very good ideas. I try to find out what my audience is thinking by talking to folks and doing the occasional survey and I like to listen to other speakers online or in person but it allows me to draw my own conclusions about how they communicate as opposed to them telling me what I should or shouldn't do. If I see something valuable, I use it. If I were brave enough I would listen to myself preach more and self-critique, but I almost never do.

By: jaime rose

jaime rose — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 01:02:45 +0000

i just re-read that N.T. Wright article you gave me years ago. i just found it last week in my college stuff. that was a good discussion.