Some of the Words Are Theirs: The Art of Writing and Living a Sermon

by Austin Carty

A wise and lyrical encounter with the distinctive work of a pastor, Some of the Words Are Theirs reveals the beating heart of a life measured not just in years lived, but in sermons preached.

Given the stiff competition in today’s attention economy, many pastors feel pressured to make their sermons strikingly original. But Austin Carty, a longtime pastor and award-winning writer, has a different nothing we do or say is ever truly new. The power of a sermon is found not in novelty, but in the mandate it gives preachers to collect their thoughts every week and put them down in a succinct, coherent fashion. Seen this way, sermon writing is a built-in answer to the distinctly human quandary of making meaning from the stuff of our lives. As Carty puts it, “This is the unique gift of preaching. While all writers are blessed by self-discovery, preachers are the most blessed writers of all—for we have a deadline for self-discovery each Sunday.”
 
In Some of the Words Are The Art of Writing and Living a Sermon, Carty offers a masterclass in sermon writing that also explores the “why” driving this vocation. In so doing, he discovers how often his own sermons have been an exercise in trying to make sense of his own past, and how much autobiography lies beneath the themes he has been preaching throughout his pastoral career.
 
Ultimately, Carty shows how careful attention to the craft of writing a sermon—like careful attention to living a meaningful life—leads to greater self-awareness and humility. The Holy Spirit can use a preacher’s words and life in ways he or she never could have anticipated. A beautifully woven tapestry of homiletical instruction and memoir, Some of the Words Are Theirs will appeal to readers of Annie Dillard’s The Writing Life and Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird, and to seminarians and pastors who yearn for a more holistic understanding of the craft of sermon writing.

Genres: Writing

144 pages, Paperback

Published July 15, 2025

Reviews

[Robert D. Cornwall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Preaching can take many different forms. Each preacher will develop their own style and habits. They may borrow from preachers they admire or their teachers. Some preachers like to focus on topics, others draw from one of the lectionaries, or they may work through a particular book of the bible, which is called "lectio continua." Some preachers go into the pulpit without notes, and some memorize their sermons. Others take a manuscript. But whatever form we choose, we use words. Therefore, even if we don't write down a full manuscript, we will think through (hopefully) what we wish to say and how to say it.

There are lots of books that describe the ins and outs of preaching. Preachers will have read many of them. They keep coming because there is always more to say. With that in mind, I offer to you Austin Carty's "Some of the Words Are Theirs: The Art of Writing and Living a Sermon." I reviewed an earlier book by Carty, which I enjoyed---The Pastor's Bookshelf: Why Reading Matters for Ministry. Part of the reason for my enjoyment is that Carty was recommending that pastors devote time to reading and reading broadly. In this book on preaching, Carty, who is pastor of Boulevard Baptist Church in Anderson, South Carolina, focuses on words and their importance. As you read both of the books, you will understand that before becoming a preacher, he taught English literature.

This particular book is not lengthy, but it covers the process of writing a sermon from preparation to the final draft. But this isn't just a how-to manual on preaching because Carty weaves into the book his own life story, especially his relationship with his father. It is a relationship that involves respect but also frustration, as his father became an alcoholic during his teen years. So, this story serves as fodder for the sermon creation.

As for the process of moving from preparation, which begins with the text, and then to the process of writing, and then to revision. He offers eighteen chapters, in which he explores each piece of a sermon. One of the important lessons here is that this process that leads to what is shared on Sunday morning can't be haphazard. One needs to make time to write and revise, keeping the audience in mind. One cannot wait until Saturday evening to prepare a sermon. What Carty recommends may be difficult for many preachers who have a day job besides their pastoral call. So, they may not be able to spend a day writing, as Carty does. My own process is different from Carty's, but like him, I start early in the week, spending time in the text before starting to write.

It should be noted that Carty is not only a preacher, but he is also a writer of both fiction and non-fiction. He's also a student of literature and writing. He brings that background to this book, written for preachers, seeking to help them create the kind of sermon that connects with congregations.

[Tyler Brinks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I find Austin Carty very readable—sentences flow, ideas are well constructed, conveyed in ways I find compelling and thought-provoking. I appreciated the memoir he wove throughout his chapters on various aspects of writing a sermon. I’ll be trying to incorporate his process into my own sermon writing. I also love the ways he weaves others’ writing into his; he did this beautifully in his earlier book “The Pastor’s Bookshelf: Why Reading Matters for Ministry.” I find this is how my brain works when I’m writing, too—earlier words I’ve read find their ways to weave and rhyme within my own. “Some of the Words Are Theirs” presents a strong case that even our most original written words are indebted to countless influences whose writing and living lie deep within us.

[Cathy Keaton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got mine last week and read (devoured) it in one sitting. I don’t typically write sermons, but this book is much more than a book on preaching and writing sermons. Any writer or reader can benefit from the wisdom Austin Carty shares. This book was in part about writing, part memoir, and in totality a sermon.

[Douglas Brouwer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I would enjoy hearing Austin Carty preach. His approach is thoughtful, deliberate, honest, methodical (in a good way), thorough, and more. He's clearly a reader, too, and his thinking throughout this book seems to be shaped by the many books he's read. (It helped that I have read many of the same authors.) I'm guessing fellow preachers will see themselves in this book, as I did.

[Darin Mirante]

More memoir than manual. He tried to do both making it disjointed…too many reflective paragraphs that didn’t connect with anything. Concise, simple, easy to read guide for those just starting out trying to put a message together though. Great quips scattered throughout.

[Brandon Rathbun · Rating 4 out of 5]

I consider the audience when giving a rating so I can’t give it a 5 for most people in my circles don’t preach but I really appreciated this book and how it was written.

[Joel Wentz · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite book on sermon-writing. A profound and unique blend of autobiography and writing tips. I don't know of any book like it.

Video review here: https://youtu.be/IcoZG7VuRnM

[Ben Torno · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't click.

[Adam Bloch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Accessible, short meta-analysis of sermon writing. Not a bad system and worth the read.

[Jess Lyons · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a great little book. I'll return it to it often!