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Touching Others With Your Words: The Art and Practice of Successful Speaking
Bestselling author and master communicator Charles Swindoll has been effectively speaking to others for over fifty years. In SAYING IT WELL: Touching Others With Your Words he shares his secrets on how to talk so people will listen.
Filled with techniques, stories, and models that clearly explain the formulas for successful speaking, Swindoll teaches readers the foundational principles for how to communicate, from preparing for a speech, organizing thoughts, and filtering out the superfluous to overcoming fears, grabbing the listener's attention, and knowing how and when to stop.
With humorous stories and inventive, practical tips, one of America's premier communicators shares decades of experience on how to speak with authority in every situation, persuade others to consider the reader's perspective, overcome the reader's fears of public speaking, and love others more effectively with the reader's words. He also shares his personal story and the journey to becoming a world-famous speaker.
Filled with techniques, stories, and models that clearly explain the formulas for successful speaking, Swindoll teaches readers the foundational principles for how to communicate, from preparing for a speech, organizing thoughts, and filtering out the superfluous to overcoming fears, grabbing the listener's attention, and knowing how and when to stop.
With humorous stories and inventive, practical tips, one of America's premier communicators shares decades of experience on how to speak with authority in every situation, persuade others to consider the reader's perspective, overcome the reader's fears of public speaking, and love others more effectively with the reader's words. He also shares his personal story and the journey to becoming a world-famous speaker.
288 pages, Paperback
First published February 2, 2012
96 people are currently reading
433 people want to read
About the author
Charles R. Swindoll
1,019 books826 followersCharles Swindoll has devoted over four decades to two passions: an unwavering commitment to the practical communication and application of God's Word, and an untiring devotion to seeing lives transformed by God's grace. Chuck graduated magna cum laude from Dallas Theological Seminary and has since been honored with four doctorates. For his teaching on Insight for Living, he has received the Program of the Year award and the Hall of Fame award from the National Religious Broadcasters as well as multiple book awards.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
April 26, 2013
Helpful.
"I am convinced that 'saying it well' begins with 'living it well.'" (p. 257-258)
"I am convinced that 'saying it well' begins with 'living it well.'" (p. 257-258)
January 28, 2013
The author's practical advice in the area of public speaking are familiar to this reader. What makes the book unique is how the author peppers his advice with biographical information and real life lessons that shapehis principles for living up to the title. Nice hands-on approach with the author's story to bring light to his principles.
March 6, 2014
Charles Swindoll is one of my favorite Bible teachers. In this book he explains, encourages, and give many valuable tips on speaking. The book is written to help pastors prepare and deliver a sermon, however the principles can apply to any public speaker and speech. I trust the quotes from below from this book will be a blessing to you.
God gave you your makeup and superintended every moment of your past, including all the hardship, pain, and struggles, He wants to use your words in a unique manner. No one else can speak through your vocal cords, and equally important, no one else has your story. When all of that is blended into a message He wants proclaimed, it is nothing short of remarkable.
Since God made you YOU, He expects the message that you communicate to flow out of YOU and no one else.
When you begin to learn the Word of God, and really begin to believe its promises, and make them personal, it gives you courage and galvanizes you against other people’s rejection.
Not only were you created to fulfill a divine purpose, you acknowledge that the events of your life have prepared you for the next step in fulfilling your calling.
I do believe each person has a calling upon his or her life to fulfill a special purpose. This calling may or may not affect one’s vocation; not all callings demand a career change. In fact, many people make their living at one vocation in order to finance their calling.
If God designed you to be a screwdriver, you can try to hammer nails if you want. But I don’t recommend it. The price you pay in terms of frustration and mediocrity is too high.
The world is waiting to hear an authentic voice, a voice God – not an echo of what others are doing and saying, but an authentic voice. – A.W. Tozer
If you can get it done now, do it; the future comes with no guarantee you’ll have the time or opportunities available to you today.
There’s nothing wrong with admiring others. Study their methods; learn from their mistakes; take a note of what made them who they are. You can even emulate a few of their qualities. But never attempt to be them.
Don’t let ambition cloud your judgment and rob you of the opportunity to gain valuable life experience where you are.
Sometimes, God takes us on excursions that feel like a waste of time when we reflect on them soon afterward. Years later, however, we come to see them as a necessary part of the journey.
Preaching that costs nothing accomplishes nothing. If the study is a lounge, the pulpit will be impertinence. – John Henry Jowett
an impactful sermon requires a solid foundation of truth, or it will crumble under its own weight.
The first minutes on the pulpit are the most favorable, so do not waste them with generalities but confront the congregation straight off with the core of the matter. ~Dietrich Bonhoeffer
When God wants to do an impossible task, he takes an impossible man and crushes him. – Alan Redpath
“Our problem is not doing God’s will, but doing God’s will God’s way.”
“There are tree common mistakes we make on our journey from earth to heaven.”
Running before we are sent.
Retreating after we have failed.
Resisting when we are called.
I try not to exhaust the Text; otherwise, I risk exhausting the audience.
John’s Gospel records Jesus saying, in His last moments on the Cross, “It is finished” (John 19:30). The precise meaning doesn’t change much in the way of doctrine, but how much better when we explain the cultural relevance of that phrase. John the apostle chose to quote Jesus using the Greek word tetelestai, an accounting term found on canceled loan documents, relieving the debtor of future payment. When the last payment had been made, the paper was stamped tetelestai, meaning “paid in full.” If the lender wished to forgive the debt, he could stamp the document tetelestai, meaning, “fulfilled” or “completed.”
[We must not] conceive of prayer as though it were an overcoming of God’s reluctance, when it is, in fact, a laying hold of his highest willingness. – Richard Chenevix Trench
Put simply, our job is to be faithful; the Lord will define success and see to its fulfillment.
Let every bookworm, when in any fragrant, scarce, old tome he discovers a sentence, a story, an illustration, that does his heart good, hasten to give it. – Hartley Coleridge
As you review all your past experiences, you will find that God has given you the ability to connect with segments of our society that might be closed off to others.
To keep in touch with the world of those we hope to reach, we must leave our personal monasteries and learn how to live and walk among to whom we want to communicate.
It happened to Jesus; it will happen to us. Don’t even be surprised if in the midst of adulation and acceptance that your feet are cut out from under you and you become the object of their rage. It’s to be expected when you’re doing what’s right.
The best lessons I’ve learned, I’ve learned through inadequacy and failure. Disappointment, and heartbreak, and forgiveness. By the grace of God, I’ve come to the place where I no longer fear failure. And I’ve come to the place where I will be always grateful for God’s grace to forgive me when I don’t measure up to my unrealistic standard. Please, men and women – please – understand:
Only God is adequate; you’re not.
Only god is perfect; you’re not.
Only Christ can set goals that are high and reach them; you can’t.
You do your best. But I can promise you, in the future there will be days you will be sitting across from someone you love and you’ll be saying things that you need to say to build back a bridge that your pride has broken down…The good news is, God in His grace uses each one of us and “warts and all.” ~Part of Swindoll address at Wheaton College Chapel
In your choice of friends, be certain that you have a few who care less for your comfort than they do for your character.
“The Four Spiritual Flaws.”
Flaw 1: Because you are a Christian, all your problems are solved.
Flaw 2: All the problems you will ever have are addressed in the Bible.
Flaw 3: If you are having problems, you are unspiritual
Flaw 4: Being exposed to sound biblical teaching automatically solves problems.
If you are interested in learning how to improve in preparing and delivering a speech then this would be an excellent book for you to read.
God gave you your makeup and superintended every moment of your past, including all the hardship, pain, and struggles, He wants to use your words in a unique manner. No one else can speak through your vocal cords, and equally important, no one else has your story. When all of that is blended into a message He wants proclaimed, it is nothing short of remarkable.
Since God made you YOU, He expects the message that you communicate to flow out of YOU and no one else.
When you begin to learn the Word of God, and really begin to believe its promises, and make them personal, it gives you courage and galvanizes you against other people’s rejection.
Not only were you created to fulfill a divine purpose, you acknowledge that the events of your life have prepared you for the next step in fulfilling your calling.
I do believe each person has a calling upon his or her life to fulfill a special purpose. This calling may or may not affect one’s vocation; not all callings demand a career change. In fact, many people make their living at one vocation in order to finance their calling.
If God designed you to be a screwdriver, you can try to hammer nails if you want. But I don’t recommend it. The price you pay in terms of frustration and mediocrity is too high.
The world is waiting to hear an authentic voice, a voice God – not an echo of what others are doing and saying, but an authentic voice. – A.W. Tozer
If you can get it done now, do it; the future comes with no guarantee you’ll have the time or opportunities available to you today.
There’s nothing wrong with admiring others. Study their methods; learn from their mistakes; take a note of what made them who they are. You can even emulate a few of their qualities. But never attempt to be them.
Don’t let ambition cloud your judgment and rob you of the opportunity to gain valuable life experience where you are.
Sometimes, God takes us on excursions that feel like a waste of time when we reflect on them soon afterward. Years later, however, we come to see them as a necessary part of the journey.
Preaching that costs nothing accomplishes nothing. If the study is a lounge, the pulpit will be impertinence. – John Henry Jowett
an impactful sermon requires a solid foundation of truth, or it will crumble under its own weight.
The first minutes on the pulpit are the most favorable, so do not waste them with generalities but confront the congregation straight off with the core of the matter. ~Dietrich Bonhoeffer
When God wants to do an impossible task, he takes an impossible man and crushes him. – Alan Redpath
“Our problem is not doing God’s will, but doing God’s will God’s way.”
“There are tree common mistakes we make on our journey from earth to heaven.”
Running before we are sent.
Retreating after we have failed.
Resisting when we are called.
I try not to exhaust the Text; otherwise, I risk exhausting the audience.
John’s Gospel records Jesus saying, in His last moments on the Cross, “It is finished” (John 19:30). The precise meaning doesn’t change much in the way of doctrine, but how much better when we explain the cultural relevance of that phrase. John the apostle chose to quote Jesus using the Greek word tetelestai, an accounting term found on canceled loan documents, relieving the debtor of future payment. When the last payment had been made, the paper was stamped tetelestai, meaning “paid in full.” If the lender wished to forgive the debt, he could stamp the document tetelestai, meaning, “fulfilled” or “completed.”
[We must not] conceive of prayer as though it were an overcoming of God’s reluctance, when it is, in fact, a laying hold of his highest willingness. – Richard Chenevix Trench
Put simply, our job is to be faithful; the Lord will define success and see to its fulfillment.
Let every bookworm, when in any fragrant, scarce, old tome he discovers a sentence, a story, an illustration, that does his heart good, hasten to give it. – Hartley Coleridge
As you review all your past experiences, you will find that God has given you the ability to connect with segments of our society that might be closed off to others.
To keep in touch with the world of those we hope to reach, we must leave our personal monasteries and learn how to live and walk among to whom we want to communicate.
It happened to Jesus; it will happen to us. Don’t even be surprised if in the midst of adulation and acceptance that your feet are cut out from under you and you become the object of their rage. It’s to be expected when you’re doing what’s right.
The best lessons I’ve learned, I’ve learned through inadequacy and failure. Disappointment, and heartbreak, and forgiveness. By the grace of God, I’ve come to the place where I no longer fear failure. And I’ve come to the place where I will be always grateful for God’s grace to forgive me when I don’t measure up to my unrealistic standard. Please, men and women – please – understand:
Only God is adequate; you’re not.
Only god is perfect; you’re not.
Only Christ can set goals that are high and reach them; you can’t.
You do your best. But I can promise you, in the future there will be days you will be sitting across from someone you love and you’ll be saying things that you need to say to build back a bridge that your pride has broken down…The good news is, God in His grace uses each one of us and “warts and all.” ~Part of Swindoll address at Wheaton College Chapel
In your choice of friends, be certain that you have a few who care less for your comfort than they do for your character.
“The Four Spiritual Flaws.”
Flaw 1: Because you are a Christian, all your problems are solved.
Flaw 2: All the problems you will ever have are addressed in the Bible.
Flaw 3: If you are having problems, you are unspiritual
Flaw 4: Being exposed to sound biblical teaching automatically solves problems.
If you are interested in learning how to improve in preparing and delivering a speech then this would be an excellent book for you to read.
February 22, 2012
Public speaking is considered to be most people's biggest fears. Have you ever considered if there might be a simple way to get over the fear? I know I used to fear public speaking and even now know that perhaps I could easily improve on what I am talking about in order to make me a more efficient and well-liked public speaker.
In the novel, Saying It Well by Charles Swindoll, he walks you through how he has become a confident, successful and capable communicator through his step-by-step process. By using these tools found within the cover of this book, you can:
1. Make a strong first impression.
2. Position yourself as an expert in your field.
3. Speak with confidence.
4. Motivate people to action.
And even more than this, you'll also learn, and apply, three vital insights that will make a world of difference when you stand and speak with others:
1. Know who you are.
2. Accept who you are.
3. Be who you are.
Whether you are giving a speech, making a presentation, conducting a meeting, or simply talking one-on-one, these tried and true communication techniques are guaranteed to help you organize your thoughts and deliver your message - with confidence, style and great success.
I received Saying It Well by Charles R. Swindoll compliments of Faith Words, a division of Hachette Book Groups for my honest opinion and being a huge fan of the down home manner of Charles Swindoll's messages, I just knew I would benefit from the reading of this book. Charles uses his own experiences as a service man in the Marine Corps and feeling the calling of ministry on his life, to show how these principles has led him to become not only a successful pastor but also a businessman and well-respected author in his field. His easy going manner comes across eloquently in this book and shows how this can benefit anyone in their life.
He also shows that this is not something that happens overnight, but as we begin to apply the methods in the book we become more comfortable in what we need to do, the best and first step in this is preparation. When we are not prepared, no matter what we are asked, we will fumble or fail in our delivery of what we wanted to accomplish. Now after reading this book, I know what steps I can use to help me be better prepared to delivery what I would hope would be an unforgettable message when I need to speak in public. I rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars.
In the novel, Saying It Well by Charles Swindoll, he walks you through how he has become a confident, successful and capable communicator through his step-by-step process. By using these tools found within the cover of this book, you can:
1. Make a strong first impression.
2. Position yourself as an expert in your field.
3. Speak with confidence.
4. Motivate people to action.
And even more than this, you'll also learn, and apply, three vital insights that will make a world of difference when you stand and speak with others:
1. Know who you are.
2. Accept who you are.
3. Be who you are.
Whether you are giving a speech, making a presentation, conducting a meeting, or simply talking one-on-one, these tried and true communication techniques are guaranteed to help you organize your thoughts and deliver your message - with confidence, style and great success.
I received Saying It Well by Charles R. Swindoll compliments of Faith Words, a division of Hachette Book Groups for my honest opinion and being a huge fan of the down home manner of Charles Swindoll's messages, I just knew I would benefit from the reading of this book. Charles uses his own experiences as a service man in the Marine Corps and feeling the calling of ministry on his life, to show how these principles has led him to become not only a successful pastor but also a businessman and well-respected author in his field. His easy going manner comes across eloquently in this book and shows how this can benefit anyone in their life.
He also shows that this is not something that happens overnight, but as we begin to apply the methods in the book we become more comfortable in what we need to do, the best and first step in this is preparation. When we are not prepared, no matter what we are asked, we will fumble or fail in our delivery of what we wanted to accomplish. Now after reading this book, I know what steps I can use to help me be better prepared to delivery what I would hope would be an unforgettable message when I need to speak in public. I rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars.
July 17, 2012
Tremendous resource. Swindoll is the master of illustrations, but they overshadow his craft honed over the years of delivering hard-hitting, Spirit-led messages. Very helpful insights that put character and authenticity ahead of mechanics.
August 31, 2013
Thoughtful book on preaching by Swindoll, however it was a little dry at times. This book could have been overly technical making it a laborious read, but Swindoll creatively used interesting illustrations to demonstrate many of his points.
March 13, 2014
More than a book on public speaking, it's a book on successful living and finding your "calling" in life. I found it to be a wonderful book with an inspiring message—and useful for practical application.
November 5, 2025
The book, “Saying it Well”, by Charles Swindoll is a great book when it comes for advice about how to be an effective preacher and speaker. The overall genre of the book is a Christian memoir. Saying it Well was published in 2012 by Faith Works publishing company. When a person sees the title of the book it draws to mind that this book will help you become an amazing public speaker or pastor.
Summary
Charles Swindoll, who refers to himself as ‘Chuck’, opens the book by talking about growing up in Houston. He was one of three kids. He then talks about how he always wanted to be a mechanical engineer. He went to college in Houston to become a mechanical engineer where he met his wife Cynthia. There in Houston he joined a Church and he and his wife started going there regularly and liked it. Chuck sang at the church while his wife played the piano. He enlisted in the Marines with the hope to serve stateside. Even though he thought he would avoid overseas deployment, the Marines eventually stationed him in Okinawa. Before he left, his friend gave him a book called “The Gates of Splendor”. The friend told him to read it during his time overseas. The book changed his life. He now viewed Okinawa as an opportunity to share the gospel. He joined GI’s for Christ a Christian army group. He met Bob Newkirks by sharing his faith with him. He and Bob became friends. Chuck became one of the main people in GI’s for Christ and led a lot of people to Christ. He then realized he wanted to be a pastor instead of a mechanical engineer. When his time in the military was over he returned stateside. When Chuck arrived back in Houston he told his wife of his decision to become a pastor and make sure that she is behind him in his path to pursue his call to the ministry. He tells us in the book that if you go into ministry you have to have your wife behind it or else it will fail. With permission granted from his wife Chuck embarked on his ministry by first looking for a seminary to be educated to become a pastor. In reflecting on his childhood in Houston, Chuck says that his public speaking teacher had a big impact on his life. Chuck was a stutterer. The teacher helped him overcome it with lots of sessions over the summer. He attributes all of this to God’s plan for his life.
While in seminary Chuck becomes very disciplined in his studies unlike his other classmates that got caught up in getting involved at local churches being associate pastors. During this time Chuck and his wife had their first child. He then has to learn even more how to balance studying time with family and time with God. It is put to the test when his semester before the last he took 16 credits. He admits it was his toughest semester. He had to find a summer job to pay for the expenses brought about by having a child. So he interned with Ray Stedman, pastor of Peninsula Bible Church in Palo Alto, California. Chuck admits that he learned stuff in this internship from Ray that he would have never learned in seminary. God just has an amazing plan for his people. After graduating from seminary, Chuck had calls to be the minister at many places but declined. He felt it was better to stay with the church he had been going to and working at.
Chuck accepted a call to a church in Fort Worth that taught him a hard lesson. He backed out of the call because he realized God had not called him to be there; it was him wanting it not the Lord. The church he and his wife had long attended, Grace Bible Church, threw a going away party for them but it was pointless because they stayed. Chuck embarrassed himself and his family by backing out of the call to Fort Worth but Grace welcomed him back. He eventually felt an uneasiness and began to want to leave to go somewhere else. A church in New England reached out. He went there for 2 years. He made the mistake of not taking his wife to visit it. He liked the church but it was never a good fit for them but God still used their time there for his glory. Chuck then went back to Texas not far away from Dallas in Irving where he accepted the role of Senior pastor. He liked the church, his wife liked the area, they were familiar with it because they grew up in Texas. It was a great place to raise his kids. 4 years later God put on his heart that uneasy feeling like he was meant to go somewhere else. This was after a Church in Fullerton, California kept reaching out to him. The Fullerton Church did not have a Senior Pastor for two years. Chuck went there and preached one Sunday and the congregation voted unanimously that he should be their pastor. Chuck felt at home and like it was where God was calling him to be. Charles and his family packed up their bags and left for Fullerton. They liked Irving a lot, it was sad for them to leave but they embraced God's plans for their lives. Chuck had a great 23 years in Fullerton. His kids grew into adults there. His Church was in great support of him; he liked the Church. Dallas Theological Seminary called him and said they wanted him as President of the university. He thought it was a joke as he did not know anything about managing academics. They kept calling and eventually Chuck told them to put him on the search committee. He eventually was elected President of the university. Charles had to break the news to his Church inFullerton that he was leaving. It was very sad for him and his family. He left his kids behind in California. But he knew this is where God was calling him. He accepted the job as president of Dallas Theological Seminary.
After telling of his life and calling, Chuck uses a large part of the book to discuss his views on what makes for a good sermon and good speaking. He says that an impactful sermon requires a solid foundation of truth or it will crumble under its own weight. When preaching, always preach the truth. A preacher unlike a public speaker has to build a compelling message from the ground up every Sunday. A public speaker prepares only a handful of speeches. Public speakers can learn something from preachers. Any public speaker or a preacher must have their sermon or speech in the time allotted for the occasion. If the sermon is too long it is rude. Too short, it’s an embarrassment. When speaking, make your message relate to the crowd. Always have a good conclusion because that’s what the congregation will remember the sermon by. Don't rush it. Do not give a bunch of facts in the sermon. Or people will think it’s boring. First show the audience you care about them then give some facts into your message. Your goal of a sermon should be how do I want my audience to respond and think differently after hearing it. Chuck then goes into how he prepares each day up to Sunday. He says don’t be one of those preachers that gets his message altogether on Saturday night. You will not have a sermon. He says if he spends too much time digging one day in his process it will throw off the whole sermon building process. Finally Chuck wants speakers to dig when they preach to an audience, so the audience gets the best message.
Chuck talks about the life of Moses. He covers all of Moses' whole life shortcomings and successes. Chuck relates the audience to what Moses is thought of today by the Jews. The Jews consider Moses the founding father of Israel. Basically their greatest prophet. Chuck then says he is talking about Moses because he is about to address the Christian embassy at the Pentagon. He then breaks down the whole sermon. He talks about how any good speech sermon, work or academia has a solid title. People will leave your speech or become uninterested if you do not talk about what’s in your title. A good title sets the tone for the rest of the sermon. He talks about the importance of exegetical and exegesis in sermon building. He states that in the body of the sermon that you should cover the points you are going to bring up in your message. Charles talks about how exegetical exposition increases clarity for the audience to understand scripture such as giving the context about what’s going on when and talking about the language and customs that were prevalent. For example, he relates John 19:30 to the Greek word ‘telestaial’. Telastia was put on documents in Greek culture to show that the document was finished and read. So he shows how Jesus fulfilled the gap between God and man on the cross. Thus this leads to an easy understanding for the readers to grasp the terms of salvation. Exegetical exposition must have a connection with the real world so the audience can grasp it better. He says another great feature of exegetical exposition is to make people understand the Bible by themselves. If you can do this your audience will respect you and know you know the scriptures. Chuck says a great message encourages the reader to want to dive into scripture and learn it themselves so they can understand the mind of God better.
Chuck stresses the importance of praying. When all else fails pray! Preaching and procrastination don’t work. Also preaching and not praying to God won’t work. Most preachers think it’s up to them to do the message if they think this. Eventually they will get burnt out. Chuck talks about how he gets this strong work ethic from his Dad. He tells the story that when his dad and family were on vacation they heard the news of the USA getting involved in WWII. His dad turned his car around and worked in a defense factory for the Government. Chuck said his dad was a hard worker and valued hard work a lot. He talks about all of his dad’s children took after him in that trait. Chuck makes the point that Sunday sermons are not his responsibility solely. He says it is God’s too and he never preaches a sermon without praying to God first. He said it is easy when speaking to have pride come into your head and worry about people’s applause rather than the truth of the Gospel you are preaching. Pride will make you seem like you have to be absolutely perfect in a message and ultimately it will dilute it. Because no one is perfect beside Jesus. Praying keeps you focused on the true matters of success. Prayer slows the process of an impending deadline for a preacher or a speaker. Praying throughout the process helps all of the details of the event fade away. He believes that through the information he gets when praying he gains an appreciation for the big picture. When you don’t know something don’t try to pretend you know it. Just say simply i don’t know. When you pray throughout a process of any type it will yield better results than going through the process without God.
Chuck believes a good sermon starts with a great illustration. He starts off showing the power of a great illustration by describing the Statue of Liberty through imagery with words. Every speech must have a good foundation. An illustration clarifies what seems mysterious or obscure to the listener of the sermon. He talks about the story with the snake and the hunter and how it provided a way for his audience to become interested in his sermon. A good illustration is real. Chuck says don’t use ones that are fake because if you say this is a true story and back it up your audience will appreciate it. A great illustration is personal. Your audience likes stuff that is personal. They will become invested in what you have to say and appreciate your vulnerability. Chuck says to start by saying something like, “Let me tell you about my week.” The audience will become interested and intrigued by what you have to say. Use illustrations you think your audience would know. Illustrations draw out emotions from the audience if they are good. Finally, the goal of an illustration is to bring clarity to the topic not introduce issues as that might become a distraction.
Chuck believes that laughter is important in a sermon. He says it is ok to use humor because he points out in the Bible that God had a sense of humor. Chuck debunks the idea that laughter in church is simply rude. He says any good speech that uses laughter shows that you are human and helps you relate more to the audience. He can laugh that he messed up in his sermon by fumbling a word to bring him down to earth with his audience. Let awkward situations that you are in be opportunities for humor. Avoid humor at any formal event like a banquet communion or a prestigious crowd especially when you are the guest speaking somewhere. Also he says to ask people permission before you tell a joke about them. He shares that he shared jokes about his daughter and his wife. When he got home they confronted him and he realized he was wrong. So he learned to always ask before you joke about someone in your presentation. Also avoid painful issues like when discussing the gravity of certain sins or a funeral.
Chuck discusses the importance of applying all the things he taught in the book. He talks about when you have an application in a sermon the audience will relate to you. He uses letters from congregants to show how the application works. One letter writer said it felt like you watched me or knew what I was doing because this really spoke right to me. So when you do applications it will more than likely resonate with one person, or the whole crowd if it is a widespread issue of sin because lots of people struggle with sin. People might respect a speaker with great intelligence. But they will resonate with someone who listens closely to understand them. A good speech is like landing a plane. You don’t need to come in too fast; the plane barely makes it without crashing. You don’t need to come in slowly circling the runway till you run out of fuel and ultimately your speech crashes. Good pilots like good speakers have the landing in mind from when they start so they can execute a smooth and efficient landing. Digging is important if you want a good application for your audience. That is key for exegetical exposition to work and ultimately makes the words in the Bible passage you are preaching from come to life and ultimately resonate with your audience. If exegetical exposition is used right, your audience will want you to explain it more and hear your answer to the problem or the teaching point presented in the scripture. If they were not listening before, when an application is used they will listen and ultimately want to crave more and accept the answer the preacher has to the scripture being talked about.
Chuck explains that the ending is an important part of a sermon or speech. You have to land the plane to successfully finish a speech. Transitions are very important in a speech. They help you get from point A to B smoothly. Time is very important. If you lose track of time you will not have a good conclusion. He says what will happen if you lose track of time is you rush your conclusion. You may have to cut out points if you are running low on time. Remember ultimately to prioritize your conclusion. The point will resonate more with the audience if you have a good conclusion. Always end a conclusion with a good encouragement or good news so your audience feels inspired when they get out of Church. Finally if you want to say it well you have to conclude with a great conclusion.
Analysis
The primary message of the book is to provide a systemic method for delivering a quality sermon. The book does an excellent job of that. I learned so much about public speaking from this book. There is so much in it I never considered before. And the writer makes his points so clearly and simply that it is easy to understand. I learned that preparation is key to success in delivering a sermon. Speaking the Truth is critical. Being aware of the time is important. Don’t put off writing the sermon until Saturday night but prepare all week long. If you don’t find the material interesting your audience won’t either. “Great communicators know their calling. They joyfully sacrifice anything that distracts them from fulfilling their purpose” (Swindoll 20). Public speaking is a reflection of who you are as a person. Don’t try to act and be like someone else that you admire, but be you. That’s what gets the message across to your audience in the best way possible. Don’t try to speak on something you have not studied but speak on things you are well studied in. The more a speaker speaks about things they are passionate about, the better speakers they will become. “A sermon targets the heart of the listener to create a crisis of the will and then presses the individual for a decision, whether to place one's trust in Christ for salvation or to make a specific, substantive change to live out that earlier decision. A sermon that doesn't do that falls short of the mark. Preachers, therefore, must have specific application as their goal throughout every stage of preparation and delivery.” (Swindle 97). Key to a good sermon is prayer. You prepare every step of the way with prayer. The sermon is not the preacher’s responsibility alone but also God’s as well. God gets involved with the sermon through your prayers. You make a sermon relate to your listeners by using illustrations and using illustrations from your own life especially makes it real to the listeners. Humor and laughter are important in a sermon. Any good speech that uses humor and laughter shows the speaker is human and helps relate more to the audience.
It is hard to argue with any of the points Charles Swindoll makes in this book. The fact that he was such a successful preacher and well loved pastor makes the case that it would be wise to follow the plain advice he gives in this book.
Summary
Charles Swindoll, who refers to himself as ‘Chuck’, opens the book by talking about growing up in Houston. He was one of three kids. He then talks about how he always wanted to be a mechanical engineer. He went to college in Houston to become a mechanical engineer where he met his wife Cynthia. There in Houston he joined a Church and he and his wife started going there regularly and liked it. Chuck sang at the church while his wife played the piano. He enlisted in the Marines with the hope to serve stateside. Even though he thought he would avoid overseas deployment, the Marines eventually stationed him in Okinawa. Before he left, his friend gave him a book called “The Gates of Splendor”. The friend told him to read it during his time overseas. The book changed his life. He now viewed Okinawa as an opportunity to share the gospel. He joined GI’s for Christ a Christian army group. He met Bob Newkirks by sharing his faith with him. He and Bob became friends. Chuck became one of the main people in GI’s for Christ and led a lot of people to Christ. He then realized he wanted to be a pastor instead of a mechanical engineer. When his time in the military was over he returned stateside. When Chuck arrived back in Houston he told his wife of his decision to become a pastor and make sure that she is behind him in his path to pursue his call to the ministry. He tells us in the book that if you go into ministry you have to have your wife behind it or else it will fail. With permission granted from his wife Chuck embarked on his ministry by first looking for a seminary to be educated to become a pastor. In reflecting on his childhood in Houston, Chuck says that his public speaking teacher had a big impact on his life. Chuck was a stutterer. The teacher helped him overcome it with lots of sessions over the summer. He attributes all of this to God’s plan for his life.
While in seminary Chuck becomes very disciplined in his studies unlike his other classmates that got caught up in getting involved at local churches being associate pastors. During this time Chuck and his wife had their first child. He then has to learn even more how to balance studying time with family and time with God. It is put to the test when his semester before the last he took 16 credits. He admits it was his toughest semester. He had to find a summer job to pay for the expenses brought about by having a child. So he interned with Ray Stedman, pastor of Peninsula Bible Church in Palo Alto, California. Chuck admits that he learned stuff in this internship from Ray that he would have never learned in seminary. God just has an amazing plan for his people. After graduating from seminary, Chuck had calls to be the minister at many places but declined. He felt it was better to stay with the church he had been going to and working at.
Chuck accepted a call to a church in Fort Worth that taught him a hard lesson. He backed out of the call because he realized God had not called him to be there; it was him wanting it not the Lord. The church he and his wife had long attended, Grace Bible Church, threw a going away party for them but it was pointless because they stayed. Chuck embarrassed himself and his family by backing out of the call to Fort Worth but Grace welcomed him back. He eventually felt an uneasiness and began to want to leave to go somewhere else. A church in New England reached out. He went there for 2 years. He made the mistake of not taking his wife to visit it. He liked the church but it was never a good fit for them but God still used their time there for his glory. Chuck then went back to Texas not far away from Dallas in Irving where he accepted the role of Senior pastor. He liked the church, his wife liked the area, they were familiar with it because they grew up in Texas. It was a great place to raise his kids. 4 years later God put on his heart that uneasy feeling like he was meant to go somewhere else. This was after a Church in Fullerton, California kept reaching out to him. The Fullerton Church did not have a Senior Pastor for two years. Chuck went there and preached one Sunday and the congregation voted unanimously that he should be their pastor. Chuck felt at home and like it was where God was calling him to be. Charles and his family packed up their bags and left for Fullerton. They liked Irving a lot, it was sad for them to leave but they embraced God's plans for their lives. Chuck had a great 23 years in Fullerton. His kids grew into adults there. His Church was in great support of him; he liked the Church. Dallas Theological Seminary called him and said they wanted him as President of the university. He thought it was a joke as he did not know anything about managing academics. They kept calling and eventually Chuck told them to put him on the search committee. He eventually was elected President of the university. Charles had to break the news to his Church inFullerton that he was leaving. It was very sad for him and his family. He left his kids behind in California. But he knew this is where God was calling him. He accepted the job as president of Dallas Theological Seminary.
After telling of his life and calling, Chuck uses a large part of the book to discuss his views on what makes for a good sermon and good speaking. He says that an impactful sermon requires a solid foundation of truth or it will crumble under its own weight. When preaching, always preach the truth. A preacher unlike a public speaker has to build a compelling message from the ground up every Sunday. A public speaker prepares only a handful of speeches. Public speakers can learn something from preachers. Any public speaker or a preacher must have their sermon or speech in the time allotted for the occasion. If the sermon is too long it is rude. Too short, it’s an embarrassment. When speaking, make your message relate to the crowd. Always have a good conclusion because that’s what the congregation will remember the sermon by. Don't rush it. Do not give a bunch of facts in the sermon. Or people will think it’s boring. First show the audience you care about them then give some facts into your message. Your goal of a sermon should be how do I want my audience to respond and think differently after hearing it. Chuck then goes into how he prepares each day up to Sunday. He says don’t be one of those preachers that gets his message altogether on Saturday night. You will not have a sermon. He says if he spends too much time digging one day in his process it will throw off the whole sermon building process. Finally Chuck wants speakers to dig when they preach to an audience, so the audience gets the best message.
Chuck talks about the life of Moses. He covers all of Moses' whole life shortcomings and successes. Chuck relates the audience to what Moses is thought of today by the Jews. The Jews consider Moses the founding father of Israel. Basically their greatest prophet. Chuck then says he is talking about Moses because he is about to address the Christian embassy at the Pentagon. He then breaks down the whole sermon. He talks about how any good speech sermon, work or academia has a solid title. People will leave your speech or become uninterested if you do not talk about what’s in your title. A good title sets the tone for the rest of the sermon. He talks about the importance of exegetical and exegesis in sermon building. He states that in the body of the sermon that you should cover the points you are going to bring up in your message. Charles talks about how exegetical exposition increases clarity for the audience to understand scripture such as giving the context about what’s going on when and talking about the language and customs that were prevalent. For example, he relates John 19:30 to the Greek word ‘telestaial’. Telastia was put on documents in Greek culture to show that the document was finished and read. So he shows how Jesus fulfilled the gap between God and man on the cross. Thus this leads to an easy understanding for the readers to grasp the terms of salvation. Exegetical exposition must have a connection with the real world so the audience can grasp it better. He says another great feature of exegetical exposition is to make people understand the Bible by themselves. If you can do this your audience will respect you and know you know the scriptures. Chuck says a great message encourages the reader to want to dive into scripture and learn it themselves so they can understand the mind of God better.
Chuck stresses the importance of praying. When all else fails pray! Preaching and procrastination don’t work. Also preaching and not praying to God won’t work. Most preachers think it’s up to them to do the message if they think this. Eventually they will get burnt out. Chuck talks about how he gets this strong work ethic from his Dad. He tells the story that when his dad and family were on vacation they heard the news of the USA getting involved in WWII. His dad turned his car around and worked in a defense factory for the Government. Chuck said his dad was a hard worker and valued hard work a lot. He talks about all of his dad’s children took after him in that trait. Chuck makes the point that Sunday sermons are not his responsibility solely. He says it is God’s too and he never preaches a sermon without praying to God first. He said it is easy when speaking to have pride come into your head and worry about people’s applause rather than the truth of the Gospel you are preaching. Pride will make you seem like you have to be absolutely perfect in a message and ultimately it will dilute it. Because no one is perfect beside Jesus. Praying keeps you focused on the true matters of success. Prayer slows the process of an impending deadline for a preacher or a speaker. Praying throughout the process helps all of the details of the event fade away. He believes that through the information he gets when praying he gains an appreciation for the big picture. When you don’t know something don’t try to pretend you know it. Just say simply i don’t know. When you pray throughout a process of any type it will yield better results than going through the process without God.
Chuck believes a good sermon starts with a great illustration. He starts off showing the power of a great illustration by describing the Statue of Liberty through imagery with words. Every speech must have a good foundation. An illustration clarifies what seems mysterious or obscure to the listener of the sermon. He talks about the story with the snake and the hunter and how it provided a way for his audience to become interested in his sermon. A good illustration is real. Chuck says don’t use ones that are fake because if you say this is a true story and back it up your audience will appreciate it. A great illustration is personal. Your audience likes stuff that is personal. They will become invested in what you have to say and appreciate your vulnerability. Chuck says to start by saying something like, “Let me tell you about my week.” The audience will become interested and intrigued by what you have to say. Use illustrations you think your audience would know. Illustrations draw out emotions from the audience if they are good. Finally, the goal of an illustration is to bring clarity to the topic not introduce issues as that might become a distraction.
Chuck believes that laughter is important in a sermon. He says it is ok to use humor because he points out in the Bible that God had a sense of humor. Chuck debunks the idea that laughter in church is simply rude. He says any good speech that uses laughter shows that you are human and helps you relate more to the audience. He can laugh that he messed up in his sermon by fumbling a word to bring him down to earth with his audience. Let awkward situations that you are in be opportunities for humor. Avoid humor at any formal event like a banquet communion or a prestigious crowd especially when you are the guest speaking somewhere. Also he says to ask people permission before you tell a joke about them. He shares that he shared jokes about his daughter and his wife. When he got home they confronted him and he realized he was wrong. So he learned to always ask before you joke about someone in your presentation. Also avoid painful issues like when discussing the gravity of certain sins or a funeral.
Chuck discusses the importance of applying all the things he taught in the book. He talks about when you have an application in a sermon the audience will relate to you. He uses letters from congregants to show how the application works. One letter writer said it felt like you watched me or knew what I was doing because this really spoke right to me. So when you do applications it will more than likely resonate with one person, or the whole crowd if it is a widespread issue of sin because lots of people struggle with sin. People might respect a speaker with great intelligence. But they will resonate with someone who listens closely to understand them. A good speech is like landing a plane. You don’t need to come in too fast; the plane barely makes it without crashing. You don’t need to come in slowly circling the runway till you run out of fuel and ultimately your speech crashes. Good pilots like good speakers have the landing in mind from when they start so they can execute a smooth and efficient landing. Digging is important if you want a good application for your audience. That is key for exegetical exposition to work and ultimately makes the words in the Bible passage you are preaching from come to life and ultimately resonate with your audience. If exegetical exposition is used right, your audience will want you to explain it more and hear your answer to the problem or the teaching point presented in the scripture. If they were not listening before, when an application is used they will listen and ultimately want to crave more and accept the answer the preacher has to the scripture being talked about.
Chuck explains that the ending is an important part of a sermon or speech. You have to land the plane to successfully finish a speech. Transitions are very important in a speech. They help you get from point A to B smoothly. Time is very important. If you lose track of time you will not have a good conclusion. He says what will happen if you lose track of time is you rush your conclusion. You may have to cut out points if you are running low on time. Remember ultimately to prioritize your conclusion. The point will resonate more with the audience if you have a good conclusion. Always end a conclusion with a good encouragement or good news so your audience feels inspired when they get out of Church. Finally if you want to say it well you have to conclude with a great conclusion.
Analysis
The primary message of the book is to provide a systemic method for delivering a quality sermon. The book does an excellent job of that. I learned so much about public speaking from this book. There is so much in it I never considered before. And the writer makes his points so clearly and simply that it is easy to understand. I learned that preparation is key to success in delivering a sermon. Speaking the Truth is critical. Being aware of the time is important. Don’t put off writing the sermon until Saturday night but prepare all week long. If you don’t find the material interesting your audience won’t either. “Great communicators know their calling. They joyfully sacrifice anything that distracts them from fulfilling their purpose” (Swindoll 20). Public speaking is a reflection of who you are as a person. Don’t try to act and be like someone else that you admire, but be you. That’s what gets the message across to your audience in the best way possible. Don’t try to speak on something you have not studied but speak on things you are well studied in. The more a speaker speaks about things they are passionate about, the better speakers they will become. “A sermon targets the heart of the listener to create a crisis of the will and then presses the individual for a decision, whether to place one's trust in Christ for salvation or to make a specific, substantive change to live out that earlier decision. A sermon that doesn't do that falls short of the mark. Preachers, therefore, must have specific application as their goal throughout every stage of preparation and delivery.” (Swindle 97). Key to a good sermon is prayer. You prepare every step of the way with prayer. The sermon is not the preacher’s responsibility alone but also God’s as well. God gets involved with the sermon through your prayers. You make a sermon relate to your listeners by using illustrations and using illustrations from your own life especially makes it real to the listeners. Humor and laughter are important in a sermon. Any good speech that uses humor and laughter shows the speaker is human and helps relate more to the audience.
It is hard to argue with any of the points Charles Swindoll makes in this book. The fact that he was such a successful preacher and well loved pastor makes the case that it would be wise to follow the plain advice he gives in this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 6, 2012
“Touching Others With Your Words”
“Bestselling author and master communicator Charles Swindoll has been effectively speaking to others for over fifty years. In SAYING IT WELL: Touching Others With Your Words he shares his secrets on how to talk so people will listen.
Filled with techniques, stories, and models that clearly explain the formulas for successful speaking, Swindoll teaches readers the foundational principles for how to communicate, from preparing for a speech, organizing thoughts, and filtering out the superfluous to overcoming fears, grabbing the listener's attention, and knowing how and when to stop.
With humorous stories and inventive, practical tips, one of America's premier communicators shares decades of experience on how to speak with authority in every situation, persuade others to consider the reader's perspective, overcome the reader's fears of public speaking, and love others more effectively with the reader's words. He also shares his personal story and the journey to becoming a world-famous speaker..” (From the Hachette Book Group Website)
About the Author: Charles Swindoll has devoted over four decades to two passions: an unwavering commitment to the practical communication and application of God's Word, and an untiring devotion to seeing lives transformed by God's grace. Chuck graduated magna cum laude from Dallas Theological Seminary and has since been honored with four doctorates. For his teaching on Insight for Living, he has received the Program of the Year award and the Hall of Fame award from the National Religious Broadcasters as well as multiple book awards. He and his wife of over half a century, Cynthia, live in Texas. You can find out more about Chuck at www.insight.org.
My Thoughts About The Book: Charles or “Chuck” Swindoll as he is more commonly known as, is a preacher extraordinaire and gifted public speaker. He is a master wordsmith knowing just the right words to say at just the right times and with the right amount of emphasis that gets the point he is making across in a memorable way. I love to hear him preach as I know with him I am always going to receive a well thought out, timely and edifying word from The Word of God.
In his book Saying It Well Dr. Swindoll takes us behind the door of his study as it were and allows us an inside up close and personal look at what he does to develop a sermon or message that will impact his hearers in some way. And of course, if the principles and tools work for Dr. Swindoll, it’s a fact that they will work for you as well. Not that you will become a “clone” of Dr. Swindoll as neither God nor he would want that, but, you will become a more effective you at communicating your message with the personality and style God has blessed you with. In Saying It Well Dr. Swindoll reveals the A to Z of crafting a sermon or message that is worth listening to.
In his book Dr. Swindoll reveals that it is necessary to feel a calling to preach and if you do sense a calling to preach then he shares in Chapter 2 about just how important it is to prepare properly for the task. Once you’re past those stages and are now ready to preach he writes about the “Digging, Building, Praying, Illustrating, Laughing, Applying and “Ending” that are involved in putting together a message that will touch people in a way and in the place in their life they need a touch from God. One thing I personally enjoy about Dr. Swindoll’s preaching is that he knows how to appropriately communicate a story that does make me laugh but yet at the same time think about what he has said. And you will learn how to do that as well from reading the book. The book is rich with personal illustrations from his own life so you get to see first hand what God took him through to get him to where he is at today and that is being one of the most respected and listened to Preachers/Bible Teachers in the world. If you desire to be an effective preacher of communicator and you are at the beginning of your journey then this book will help you immensely. If you are a seasoned pastor and are looking for some fresh insights to help you improve your preaching/teaching skills so that you can be even more effective in communicating the Word of God than you already are, this book will encourage and educate you as well. As I love the ministry and messages of Dr. Swindoll I thoroughly enjoyed his book and can highly recommend it to you without reservation.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received the book at no cost from the Hachette Book Group for review purposes. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
“Bestselling author and master communicator Charles Swindoll has been effectively speaking to others for over fifty years. In SAYING IT WELL: Touching Others With Your Words he shares his secrets on how to talk so people will listen.
Filled with techniques, stories, and models that clearly explain the formulas for successful speaking, Swindoll teaches readers the foundational principles for how to communicate, from preparing for a speech, organizing thoughts, and filtering out the superfluous to overcoming fears, grabbing the listener's attention, and knowing how and when to stop.
With humorous stories and inventive, practical tips, one of America's premier communicators shares decades of experience on how to speak with authority in every situation, persuade others to consider the reader's perspective, overcome the reader's fears of public speaking, and love others more effectively with the reader's words. He also shares his personal story and the journey to becoming a world-famous speaker..” (From the Hachette Book Group Website)
About the Author: Charles Swindoll has devoted over four decades to two passions: an unwavering commitment to the practical communication and application of God's Word, and an untiring devotion to seeing lives transformed by God's grace. Chuck graduated magna cum laude from Dallas Theological Seminary and has since been honored with four doctorates. For his teaching on Insight for Living, he has received the Program of the Year award and the Hall of Fame award from the National Religious Broadcasters as well as multiple book awards. He and his wife of over half a century, Cynthia, live in Texas. You can find out more about Chuck at www.insight.org.
My Thoughts About The Book: Charles or “Chuck” Swindoll as he is more commonly known as, is a preacher extraordinaire and gifted public speaker. He is a master wordsmith knowing just the right words to say at just the right times and with the right amount of emphasis that gets the point he is making across in a memorable way. I love to hear him preach as I know with him I am always going to receive a well thought out, timely and edifying word from The Word of God.
In his book Saying It Well Dr. Swindoll takes us behind the door of his study as it were and allows us an inside up close and personal look at what he does to develop a sermon or message that will impact his hearers in some way. And of course, if the principles and tools work for Dr. Swindoll, it’s a fact that they will work for you as well. Not that you will become a “clone” of Dr. Swindoll as neither God nor he would want that, but, you will become a more effective you at communicating your message with the personality and style God has blessed you with. In Saying It Well Dr. Swindoll reveals the A to Z of crafting a sermon or message that is worth listening to.
In his book Dr. Swindoll reveals that it is necessary to feel a calling to preach and if you do sense a calling to preach then he shares in Chapter 2 about just how important it is to prepare properly for the task. Once you’re past those stages and are now ready to preach he writes about the “Digging, Building, Praying, Illustrating, Laughing, Applying and “Ending” that are involved in putting together a message that will touch people in a way and in the place in their life they need a touch from God. One thing I personally enjoy about Dr. Swindoll’s preaching is that he knows how to appropriately communicate a story that does make me laugh but yet at the same time think about what he has said. And you will learn how to do that as well from reading the book. The book is rich with personal illustrations from his own life so you get to see first hand what God took him through to get him to where he is at today and that is being one of the most respected and listened to Preachers/Bible Teachers in the world. If you desire to be an effective preacher of communicator and you are at the beginning of your journey then this book will help you immensely. If you are a seasoned pastor and are looking for some fresh insights to help you improve your preaching/teaching skills so that you can be even more effective in communicating the Word of God than you already are, this book will encourage and educate you as well. As I love the ministry and messages of Dr. Swindoll I thoroughly enjoyed his book and can highly recommend it to you without reservation.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received the book at no cost from the Hachette Book Group for review purposes. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
July 7, 2020
My reason for borrowing this book from the library was:
1. I have been greatly encouraged by the author's writings this year. He truly is an effective storyteller of life and communicator of God's Word, and is now one of my FAVOURITE nonfiction author's!
2. In the last year, I've felt God calling me to write, only, I often feel lost in trying to share what I have to say in a clear and concise manner. Just reading a few things about this book intrigued me to check it out. I was not disappointed!
This is more than a book on "how" to write a good speech, or how to preach to an audience. It dives into Swindoll's own story sharing from his journey to "saying it well" both in the pulpit and in his writings, making it almost like a biography to some degree. I found the book to be so helpful in the basics of communicating well, as well as encouragement in just allowing the Lord to do the work in my heart along in my own journey.
"Put simply, our job is to be faithful; the Lord will define success adn see it to it's fulfilment."
Some of the things you'll find in this book:
Don't copy and try to be someone else; be authentic.
If God's called you to this; He'll be with you and guide your words.
Surrender yourself to the Lord, and trust Him to lead you on the right path.
Help on how to include humor, and illustrations into your speech/writing... and, many, many incites for putting together a speech or writings of any kind in a way that will help you share from God's Word and allow the Holy Spirit to work through you.
If you want to write or preach non-fiction, you *MUST* read this book. That's my personal opinion. :) I always take notes when I read, as I remember better that way and am able to look back on my notes/book notes to reference them as needed. I will be using this book as my base for all my future writings {planning on buying it and highlighting ALL his handy guidelines} - it was immensely helpful!
As I will be writing not speaking (at least right now) there were a few things here and there that didn't pertain to me, but I found these to be few. And there were *very few* dry parts to read through! ;) I soaked up the knowledge shared in this book!! I grasped a lot from this book and gained a great deal of insight. I have already used some of Swindoll's techniques this year, especially in the last couple months, and it has taught me to pay closer attention to how I form and plan my writings. It's also taught me to pay closer attention in keeping an eye/ear out as to how other professional writers/speakers form their own speeches/writings, and am continuing to learn a lot. It's exciting!!
I could quote the entire book, there was so much I loved about it, but I'll share just one more of my favorites here:
"I decided to make my preaching ministry about real life... I decided that life - as it is, not how we pretend it to be - would be the foundation of every message."
1. I have been greatly encouraged by the author's writings this year. He truly is an effective storyteller of life and communicator of God's Word, and is now one of my FAVOURITE nonfiction author's!
2. In the last year, I've felt God calling me to write, only, I often feel lost in trying to share what I have to say in a clear and concise manner. Just reading a few things about this book intrigued me to check it out. I was not disappointed!
This is more than a book on "how" to write a good speech, or how to preach to an audience. It dives into Swindoll's own story sharing from his journey to "saying it well" both in the pulpit and in his writings, making it almost like a biography to some degree. I found the book to be so helpful in the basics of communicating well, as well as encouragement in just allowing the Lord to do the work in my heart along in my own journey.
"Put simply, our job is to be faithful; the Lord will define success adn see it to it's fulfilment."
Some of the things you'll find in this book:
Don't copy and try to be someone else; be authentic.
If God's called you to this; He'll be with you and guide your words.
Surrender yourself to the Lord, and trust Him to lead you on the right path.
Help on how to include humor, and illustrations into your speech/writing... and, many, many incites for putting together a speech or writings of any kind in a way that will help you share from God's Word and allow the Holy Spirit to work through you.
If you want to write or preach non-fiction, you *MUST* read this book. That's my personal opinion. :) I always take notes when I read, as I remember better that way and am able to look back on my notes/book notes to reference them as needed. I will be using this book as my base for all my future writings {planning on buying it and highlighting ALL his handy guidelines} - it was immensely helpful!
As I will be writing not speaking (at least right now) there were a few things here and there that didn't pertain to me, but I found these to be few. And there were *very few* dry parts to read through! ;) I soaked up the knowledge shared in this book!! I grasped a lot from this book and gained a great deal of insight. I have already used some of Swindoll's techniques this year, especially in the last couple months, and it has taught me to pay closer attention to how I form and plan my writings. It's also taught me to pay closer attention in keeping an eye/ear out as to how other professional writers/speakers form their own speeches/writings, and am continuing to learn a lot. It's exciting!!
I could quote the entire book, there was so much I loved about it, but I'll share just one more of my favorites here:
"I decided to make my preaching ministry about real life... I decided that life - as it is, not how we pretend it to be - would be the foundation of every message."
August 29, 2017
I finally started reading (not listening to) this book when I had a few days away in February. There have been months since where I didn't read at all. I would read a chapter and put it down. Finally Sunday, I read and was greatly touched by the Postscript.
This book was highly recommended and did not disappoint. Unlike other books on sermon preparation, this one was applicable to anyone preparing speeches although the emphasis is on pastors preparing weekly messages (since the writer is one!). This book began and ended with personal testimony and transparency that was especially helpful for me and timely in each case. Like those prompting me, I would highly recommend this book for anyone that wants to improve or become an effective public speaker.
This may be the first book that I have read cover-to-cover by Chuck Swindoll, but he has been one of my favorite "famous" speakers for decades. God has spoken through Pastor Swindoll to my heart over and over again through the radio and podcasts. This book made me want to pick up another of his books in the near future. (open to recommendations)
I should also say "thank you" for the gift of the book. Please correct me if I am wrong but I believe this was a gift from the Berean Bible Institute at a leadership luncheon in 2016(!). This was a gift that spoke to my heart and edified me greatly. I hope others will also benefit from the book maybe partly in response to my recommendation. (If you need a copy of the book, I would be tickled to give/loan my copy to you. I didn't even mark it up like I usually do! Contact me.)
This book was highly recommended and did not disappoint. Unlike other books on sermon preparation, this one was applicable to anyone preparing speeches although the emphasis is on pastors preparing weekly messages (since the writer is one!). This book began and ended with personal testimony and transparency that was especially helpful for me and timely in each case. Like those prompting me, I would highly recommend this book for anyone that wants to improve or become an effective public speaker.
This may be the first book that I have read cover-to-cover by Chuck Swindoll, but he has been one of my favorite "famous" speakers for decades. God has spoken through Pastor Swindoll to my heart over and over again through the radio and podcasts. This book made me want to pick up another of his books in the near future. (open to recommendations)
I should also say "thank you" for the gift of the book. Please correct me if I am wrong but I believe this was a gift from the Berean Bible Institute at a leadership luncheon in 2016(!). This was a gift that spoke to my heart and edified me greatly. I hope others will also benefit from the book maybe partly in response to my recommendation. (If you need a copy of the book, I would be tickled to give/loan my copy to you. I didn't even mark it up like I usually do! Contact me.)
February 2, 2016
This book is fabulous. Chuck Swindoll weaves stories and lessons learned throughout his life, including 50 years of pastoral ministry, in and through practical advice on preparing and delivering speeches and sermons. In the process, he is very personal and seems genuinely desirous that his readers become the best they possibly can at "saying it well." In reading this book, if you're anything like me, you will feel cared for by a master communicator, moved by his life story and the hand of God in it, and ready to cry your eyes out while reading the closing "Postscript" chapter.
His intention was to write for all types of public speakers, but his experience is from decades in the pulpit, so the content of the book leans heavily toward preaching. However, there is much to be learned here by any type of speaker, and Swindoll does make an effort to periodically apply his wisdom and knowledge specifically to all types of public speaking.
As a pastor myself, I feel like I've learned a lot from this book and am so glad I read it. And I must say, it's the life stories as much as anything about the book that gripped me and blessed me.
His intention was to write for all types of public speakers, but his experience is from decades in the pulpit, so the content of the book leans heavily toward preaching. However, there is much to be learned here by any type of speaker, and Swindoll does make an effort to periodically apply his wisdom and knowledge specifically to all types of public speaking.
As a pastor myself, I feel like I've learned a lot from this book and am so glad I read it. And I must say, it's the life stories as much as anything about the book that gripped me and blessed me.
September 24, 2016
Sorry Chuck. It stunk. I love the guy and have listened to him preach for years here and there. In fact I am listening weekly at present. He is a fantastic speaker. So, who wouldn't want to know his "secret". Well...there is no secret and he makes no bones about it. Prepare, pray, be real...do it again. And again and again. And, you will get better. Well..tell us something we don't know. In fact he kind of repeats the fact again and again that a good speaker needs to tell the audience something they don't know and not to waste their time. He needed to take his own advice because the book shouldn't be a book unless it were subtitled "My life story". That would reflect the real nature of this book - Chuck's life. I would rather see the book retitled or condensed into a hand out that you can print from the website. I got it used online for $6.00 and I still feel jipped.
I still love you Chuck. But, this one was a disappointment.
I still love you Chuck. But, this one was a disappointment.
June 4, 2012
***A must read for anyone who speaks in public!***
After almost five decades of “…speaking, teaching and preaching…” bestselling author, preacher and communicator, Charles Swindoll penned “Saying it well,” an extraordinary book that teaches how to touch “…others with your words.”
Using himself as an example he begins a first-person account of how to learn your particular speaking “style,” what Swindoll calls “…your own put together…” A phrase his dad used to describe the need to be you when you stand and speak to others. For a young man who stuttered an almost impossible task. For him to achieve the task he first had to learn and cultivate three “simple, yet extremely significant insights…” before he could “find his voice.”
1. Know who you are.
2. Accept who you are.
3. Be who you are.
Swindoll cautions…Full Review: http://tinyurl.com/6qx9cwy
After almost five decades of “…speaking, teaching and preaching…” bestselling author, preacher and communicator, Charles Swindoll penned “Saying it well,” an extraordinary book that teaches how to touch “…others with your words.”
Using himself as an example he begins a first-person account of how to learn your particular speaking “style,” what Swindoll calls “…your own put together…” A phrase his dad used to describe the need to be you when you stand and speak to others. For a young man who stuttered an almost impossible task. For him to achieve the task he first had to learn and cultivate three “simple, yet extremely significant insights…” before he could “find his voice.”
1. Know who you are.
2. Accept who you are.
3. Be who you are.
Swindoll cautions…Full Review: http://tinyurl.com/6qx9cwy
July 10, 2012
I have been a fan of Chuck Swindoll's preaching for over 30 years. I have found his approach to be refreshing and candid. When I found out that he had written a book about his process in building sermons, I just had to read it. I found this book to be more than a book about sermon preparation, it was also a book on how to live your ministry. In this book you get a look at Swindoll's life and ministry, including his failures as well as his successes. I would highly recommend this book to anyone in ministry, not just for the tips on sermon preparation, but more importantly on how to maintain one's identity in the fishbowl world of church life. As Swindoll states in the postscript, the preacher should, "Know who you are, Accept who you are, and Be who you are." Those are the marks of an authentic minister of the Gospel.
April 8, 2012
I really enjoyed reading Chuck Swindoll's new book. I found it to be very informative & encouraging. I have been listening to his radio broadcasts for a long time now & I love his messages. From hearing him speak I would have never guessed that he ever suffered from a stuttering problem in his lifetime. His book is very interesting because he gives the reader a background of his life & how he came into the ministry field. I believe his advice is right on & that every speaker should just be themselves & speak there own unique way & not try & copy anyone else. I myself am a pretty shy person & I do not enjoy making public speeches but reading this book has encouraged & given me very helpful information.
March 18, 2012
Saying It Well: Touching Others with Your Words by Charles H. Swindoll, is a delightful and practical book. Though the book details the ins and outs of preparing and giving sermons, much of the content is also applicable to other types of talks. Swindoll, a well known and beloved pastor and speaker, shares the specifics of his own preparation and delivery of sermons over 40 years, along with stories from his journey as a pastor. This is a valuable resource for all aspiring speakers who want to learn to Say it Well.
July 7, 2016
Always the consumate teacher Chuck Swindoll breaks down the art of Preaching and/or public speaking in general to bite sized chunks that are easy to digest and apply. If just starting in a career of public speaking these are invaluable lessons -- if in the midst of a lifelong pursuit these lessons serve as a great reminder to perfect our art and craft...
November 14, 2014
Charles Swindoll is one of the best communicators of God's truth, and I enjoy all of his books. This book especially helped me prepare for upcoming speaking engagements, using his advice and remembering his many life experiences shared. Most of all, his heart to say it well for God inspires and encourages me to do the same.
April 21, 2013
I would have never guessed that I would like Swindoll's book on preaching better
than any of his books. He has some good suggestions on preaching
but what is most powerful is his autobiographical stories about his
life and ministry AND his emphasis on authenticity.
than any of his books. He has some good suggestions on preaching
but what is most powerful is his autobiographical stories about his
life and ministry AND his emphasis on authenticity.
June 20, 2013
Good book on preaching, speaking etc. compared to other books on speaking and preaching this pales in comparison. I would stick with Preaching and Preachers by Martyn Lloyd-Jones or Lectures to my Students by Charles Spurgeon.
February 12, 2018
Charles Swindoll is not only my pastor, he is a favorite author. A craftsman of words, he explains how he weaves together his sermons. In doing so, he gave me countless practical lessons applicable to the speaking I do in my profession.
July 10, 2018
Who preaches to the preacher?
Great book on refining the preacher to be a good preacher. This is not a book on steps to effective preaching per se. it’s more about fine tuning the life of the preacher to be effective at what he does. Worth it!!!
Great book on refining the preacher to be a good preacher. This is not a book on steps to effective preaching per se. it’s more about fine tuning the life of the preacher to be effective at what he does. Worth it!!!
June 14, 2012
It kind of like a little autobiography. But his points are to be yourself and work hard on preparation for the sermon. What I got out of this is be authentic - be yourself. B
May 27, 2012
Won in a Good Reads Giveaway.
September 23, 2012
This is a wonderful book full of insight on how you can learn to best express yourself in front of the public.
April 23, 2013
Some parts were extremely helpful offering much practical advice. That's what we expect when we read or listen to Chuck.
December 23, 2014
Like having coffee with a mentor. Practical, meaningful, and inspirational. I found it interesting that you can see him using his principles in the writing of his book.
June 27, 2014
Adding this to my reference shelf. Not a "how to", rather a "how to progress towards" while staying true to one's self.
Read
February 20, 2016It was like sitting down at a restaurant with Chuck and letting him just speak to me for a few hours about preaching. It was so good to read. Thanks Chuck.
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