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8 Hours or Less: Writing faithful sermons faster
What every pastor more time.
The clock is every pastor's nemesis. Between meetings, administration, counseling, and other duties, it's hard to find enough time for sermon prep.
Unless you change the process.
8 Hours Or Less will show preachers how to write the same sermons they've been writing, but in half the time. Author Ryan Huguley is a pastor and the host of a podcast featuring leaders like Matt Chandler, James MacDonald, Doug Wilson, and Nancy Ortberg. What he shares in 8 Hrs or Less is a process he's been refining for six years, and it has radically improved both his preaching and experience in ministry.
Why work harder when you can work smarter? 8 Hours or Less brings relief to the time crunch and helps pastors be healthier, more balanced, and more effective--all without making their sermons suffer for it.
The clock is every pastor's nemesis. Between meetings, administration, counseling, and other duties, it's hard to find enough time for sermon prep.
Unless you change the process.
8 Hours Or Less will show preachers how to write the same sermons they've been writing, but in half the time. Author Ryan Huguley is a pastor and the host of a podcast featuring leaders like Matt Chandler, James MacDonald, Doug Wilson, and Nancy Ortberg. What he shares in 8 Hrs or Less is a process he's been refining for six years, and it has radically improved both his preaching and experience in ministry.
Why work harder when you can work smarter? 8 Hours or Less brings relief to the time crunch and helps pastors be healthier, more balanced, and more effective--all without making their sermons suffer for it.
155 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2017
53 people are currently reading
141 people want to read
About the author
Ryan Huguley
1 book2 followersRYAN HUGULEY planted Redemption Bible Church in Arlington Heights, IL in 2009 and served as lead pastor for seven years. In 2016 he accepted a call to become the senior pastor of Harvest Bible Chapel in Hickory, NC, a growing congregation of 1,000. Ryan has worked in church planting since 2001 and has a passion to help the next generation know Jesus and make Him known. He helps assess, coach, and train church planters and hosts a podcast called In the Room.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
October 3, 2019
Livro muito bom.
Confesso, que, inicialmente, achei que seria apenas uma “receita de bolo”, sem muita profundidade.
Entretanto, depois, se mostrou bastante prático, tanto para pregadores iniciante, como para aqueles que já tem algum tempo, mas que caíram em alguns vícios de logística, planejamento, ou mesmo falta de espiritualidade. Recomendo.
Confesso, que, inicialmente, achei que seria apenas uma “receita de bolo”, sem muita profundidade.
Entretanto, depois, se mostrou bastante prático, tanto para pregadores iniciante, como para aqueles que já tem algum tempo, mas que caíram em alguns vícios de logística, planejamento, ou mesmo falta de espiritualidade. Recomendo.
Want to read
February 9, 2017Okay, this book should be called 8 Hours or Fewer, grammatically speaking.
December 17, 2022
Really helpful. Key insight is Huguley's clarity about a weekly sermon prep process with daily goals. Lots of other good reminders also. Equally useful for beginner or experienced preachers. The pragmatic-flavoured title might put some off, but Huguley appears to be an expositional preacher with reformed-evangelical convictions -- or at least if he's not, I am, and I was at home with his approach!
February 3, 2018
Hugely provides some insightful guidance for sermon prep that even seasoned preachers can benefit from. While I found many of his strategies matching my own, there was fresh encouragement for the craft that I will implement.
January 2, 2025
Saw this on a friend's list and found it quite interesting. My biggest takeaway was that I can spend too much time on the research, and I appreciated the practical tools to give sermon preparation a more effective system. It included many obvious recommendations, but I liked much about it.
June 12, 2023
Wanna grow in preaching, particularly in the preparation of it? Then this practical resource is for you.
May 5, 2017
I needed to read this book! I love preaching and I love preparing for sermons, but I have a long way (as in forever) to go in the process of both. Huguley lays out "milestones" to accomplish each day for writing a sermon. For me, to write a sermon in eight hours or less seems like an impossibility (I am one of those guys he talks about spending 20+ hours...) and Huguley doesn't say it's an easy process nor does he present this as a hard and fast rule. He highlighted several area's that I am weak in, which I believe will help me in the process.
The biggest take aways for me were:
1. Start earlier in the week
2. Establish deadlines for each aspect (to the point of setting a timer)
3. Involve other people in the process.
As a side note, I read this concurrently with David Helm's book "Expositional Preaching". I think these two books go together well. Helm highlights more of the study process, while Huguley writes more on bringing it all together.
The biggest take aways for me were:
1. Start earlier in the week
2. Establish deadlines for each aspect (to the point of setting a timer)
3. Involve other people in the process.
As a side note, I read this concurrently with David Helm's book "Expositional Preaching". I think these two books go together well. Helm highlights more of the study process, while Huguley writes more on bringing it all together.
May 8, 2024
Read this today. To be fair it was a speed read. I didn’t read out of the desire to limit my sermon prep to 8 hours per week. Honestly, I don’t think the book necessarily says you should do that either. If Huguley ever puts out a revised addition I hope he changes the title. I read looking for practical rhythms to instill in my weekly prep so that when other duties (familial, pastoral, etc.) interrupt my planned prep time I won’t feel as panicked and behind.
This book provided some of those. There are certain areas in the book where I feel like Huguley just tells you what not to do and what mistakes to avoid rather than how to accomplish the certain task well. His section on illustrations is basically only warnings. But he also hits some of things I had never heard people talk about in sermon prep that I discovered after preaching regularly. For example, what he refers to in the book as “unconscious thinking.”
Overall I’d recommend it, especially to younger pastors and those training to preach.
This book provided some of those. There are certain areas in the book where I feel like Huguley just tells you what not to do and what mistakes to avoid rather than how to accomplish the certain task well. His section on illustrations is basically only warnings. But he also hits some of things I had never heard people talk about in sermon prep that I discovered after preaching regularly. For example, what he refers to in the book as “unconscious thinking.”
Overall I’d recommend it, especially to younger pastors and those training to preach.
May 24, 2021
This book has some good practical ideas for preparing a weekly sermon. The idea of setting targets and timelines is particularly helpful for preparation. Ryan hits the nail on the head regarding staying faithful to the text and your audience. The principles are good but the process outlined may not work well for everyone (which Ryan himself states). It also assumes a Sunday sermon 'monologue' as the primary preaching format. So this book is rather specific to that paradigm. There are other forms of preaching which can be just as faithful to the principles behind staying faithful to God's word and effectively communicating that would require other kinds of preparation. If you find yourself in a house church situation, for example, I would hope your faithfulness to God's word and your audience would be the same yet your preaching will involve questions and discussion and your preparation process may look quite different. However, still a good book with lots of helpful tips for preparing good sermons.
September 3, 2017
The title of this book is pure click-bait. There's no way this book teaches you to prep a sermon in under 8 hours.
But if you can get past the title of this book, then preachers will find some stimulating thoughts here on the process of preparing a sermon. There are loads of books out there on the nuts and bolts of building a sermon, but few (if any) discuss what that could look like each week. That's where 8 Hours of Less comes in. Huguley sets simple and clear daily milestones for a preacher to use in structuring their week when preparing to preach. The aim is to prevent crunch prep sessions that are rushed at the end of the week, and to produce a better, more thoughtful, more applied sermon at the end.
There's much good in here, some so-so advice, and some stuff that you'll reject outright. Yet, this little book will certainly have an impact on how I prepare to preach for some time to come.
But if you can get past the title of this book, then preachers will find some stimulating thoughts here on the process of preparing a sermon. There are loads of books out there on the nuts and bolts of building a sermon, but few (if any) discuss what that could look like each week. That's where 8 Hours of Less comes in. Huguley sets simple and clear daily milestones for a preacher to use in structuring their week when preparing to preach. The aim is to prevent crunch prep sessions that are rushed at the end of the week, and to produce a better, more thoughtful, more applied sermon at the end.
There's much good in here, some so-so advice, and some stuff that you'll reject outright. Yet, this little book will certainly have an impact on how I prepare to preach for some time to come.
January 7, 2022
So before I started reading this book I didn’t really have a sermon preparation process. I’d look at the text and casually throughout the week formulate thoughts, an outline, and make sure I’m faithful to the text.
At the least I know have a process and can plan out my week. At the most my sermons I’m confident will be delivered better the listeners because I now can keep them in mind.
The thing that really captured me with this book though was Ryan’s heart that was on display. He didn’t just have a good idea he wanted to share as a cash grab. This was truly him wanting to help Pastors create better sermons and make better use of their time.
Even if you have a sermon prep process I would recommend reading this because you could always become better at sermon prep, not to mention this was a very easy read too!
At the least I know have a process and can plan out my week. At the most my sermons I’m confident will be delivered better the listeners because I now can keep them in mind.
The thing that really captured me with this book though was Ryan’s heart that was on display. He didn’t just have a good idea he wanted to share as a cash grab. This was truly him wanting to help Pastors create better sermons and make better use of their time.
Even if you have a sermon prep process I would recommend reading this because you could always become better at sermon prep, not to mention this was a very easy read too!
March 3, 2020
I don’t agree with everything in this book, but it’s so helpful for new preachers.
April 28, 2021
Great book, very simple and practical, well written. This could be a game changer for many preachers who need a more orderly process for sermon prep.
December 24, 2024
Overall a very practical and helpful book.
December 26, 2024
Love Ryan’s thoughts. A notable fact is that he’s faithfully serving in Salt Lake City - which means that he doesn’t have the opportunity to waste time on trivial matters within the sermon prep process!
One note: I wouldn’t recommend this to someone until they’ve preached about 15-20 sermons.
One note: I wouldn’t recommend this to someone until they’ve preached about 15-20 sermons.
September 23, 2017
This book is the reformed "communicating for a change". It's practical , memorable, and pliable. It's practical in the sense that anyone can improve from this book; laymen pastors to full time ministers on the run. This is a book you can apply any Monday and make it a productive day. It's memorable for the fact that in one sitting or a few sittings you will want to look back for reference but you could start next week after one sitting getting the idea and making your own adjustments, which leads it to being pliable. Do you preach on Tuesday's? Make Wednesdays your Mondays, are you not built to do it that particular way, change it. However the most encouraging aspect of this book is the reformed practicality. The author recognizes that God causes the growth, salvation , fruit , response , etc. ( and he K.O.s the notorious "I'm a communicator" phrase so try it out)
March 17, 2017
8 Hours or Less is a book that makes the claim that preaching preparation can and probably should be completed in approximately 8 hours a week. If you are a preacher, that statement might have made you roll your eyes. For many, that seems impossible. I want to set aside the 8 hour claim for a moment and say that this book is fantastic. It gives a healthy dose of what every pastor needs: Practical tips for organizing and improving sermon preparation in both time length and effectiveness. 8 Hours or Less is an easy read that will give you real world strategies and not overly optimistic or overly simplistic solutions. Do not let the title fool you. The author does not think that sermon preparation is completed in 8 hours. He does believe that "desk time" can be greatly reduced for most every preacher if they plan and work properly. For someone like me that preaches 3 different message per week, this book is one I will refer to as I when planning my ministry and study schedule.
May 10, 2021
I never would have picked out this book on my own, but it was strongly recommended by a pastor who I trust. Huguley indeed is not a "charlatan selling sermon-prep snake oil" despite the title of his book. His work communicates a love for pastors. His desire for better sermons with less unnecessary energy spent in no way compromises his desire for faithfulness in preaching the Word of God. That said, the solution to the problem here is incorrect. Pastors who are short on time for sermon prep have plenty of other options.
June 24, 2022
Very practical guide on how to prepare for sermons and how to break the sermon down into 2 hour blocks to be able to work on it throughout the week and not just throw it together at the last minute. This is my second time reading it and was very helpful
December 12, 2017
[Note: This book was provided free of charge by Moody Publishers. All thoughts and opinions are my own.]
As someone who fairly regularly speaks within my local congregations [1], I tend to read a fair amount of material on ways to improve my speaking. Although I consider myself a reasonably talented speaker, I know that as an intellectually inclined person it would be an easy temptation to speak only from the head and not from the heart or spirit as well, and that is something I wish to avoid. The author of this book is candid in admitting his own struggles as a writer of sermon messages, someone who is prone to procrastination, and someone who has something to say about how to give an expository message in a well-organized and prayerful way. In reading this book, I was struck by how much its advice was very similar to the sort of advice that goes on in my congregation's sermonette class about the organization of an outline and the importance of notes as well as the value of focusing on a text and on a key element of that text to make the message a focused one.
This book is organized around a plan for a pastor to write out a message from beginning to end within the course of a week on a Monday to Sunday schedule. Obviously, those who worship the biblical Sabbath can change this plan slightly to match the proper schedule without much difficulty. The author begins by introducing himself and defining what a faithful sermon is. After that he gives six chapters (the Sabbath is given as an off day) that give a different task for each day. On Monday the author urges the reader to build the frame of the sermon message. On Tuesday one opens the door by working for an hour with a team on improving the message as planned. On Wednesday one sweats the introduction to come up with a compelling entrance. On Thursday one lands the plane by coming up with a solid conclusion. On Friday one fills in the frame by writing the rest of one's manuscript. On Sunday one finishes strong, obviously enough. After that the author encourages the reader to work the process and make it a consistent one in message planning, after which appendices on sermon notes, preaching labs, and some sources to serve as a preacher's toolbox bring this short book to just under 150 pages of material.
I found a great deal in this book that I greatly enjoyed. As someone who works to speak to the head, heart, and spirit, the author encouraged a disciplined and organized approach to delivering messages. The author's strong preference for messages that come from the Bible out and that use commentaries and biblical word studies as a way of helping to overcome the frequent biblical illiteracy that plagues many churches is certainly also a welcome one that mirrors my own preferences. It is easy, as was the case with this book, to appreciate a book that reinforces one's existing patterns and that backs up the way that one has already learned how to prepare messages in a timely fashion given a busy life. While the author assumes that his reading audience is made up of pastors like himself, the book is also profitable for use by lay members who nevertheless are in the place of preparing for messages on a reasonably frequent basis. For those who have the solemn responsibility to speak from the word of God to brethren, this is a good book that helps that responsibility be handled in an effective fashion.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
As someone who fairly regularly speaks within my local congregations [1], I tend to read a fair amount of material on ways to improve my speaking. Although I consider myself a reasonably talented speaker, I know that as an intellectually inclined person it would be an easy temptation to speak only from the head and not from the heart or spirit as well, and that is something I wish to avoid. The author of this book is candid in admitting his own struggles as a writer of sermon messages, someone who is prone to procrastination, and someone who has something to say about how to give an expository message in a well-organized and prayerful way. In reading this book, I was struck by how much its advice was very similar to the sort of advice that goes on in my congregation's sermonette class about the organization of an outline and the importance of notes as well as the value of focusing on a text and on a key element of that text to make the message a focused one.
This book is organized around a plan for a pastor to write out a message from beginning to end within the course of a week on a Monday to Sunday schedule. Obviously, those who worship the biblical Sabbath can change this plan slightly to match the proper schedule without much difficulty. The author begins by introducing himself and defining what a faithful sermon is. After that he gives six chapters (the Sabbath is given as an off day) that give a different task for each day. On Monday the author urges the reader to build the frame of the sermon message. On Tuesday one opens the door by working for an hour with a team on improving the message as planned. On Wednesday one sweats the introduction to come up with a compelling entrance. On Thursday one lands the plane by coming up with a solid conclusion. On Friday one fills in the frame by writing the rest of one's manuscript. On Sunday one finishes strong, obviously enough. After that the author encourages the reader to work the process and make it a consistent one in message planning, after which appendices on sermon notes, preaching labs, and some sources to serve as a preacher's toolbox bring this short book to just under 150 pages of material.
I found a great deal in this book that I greatly enjoyed. As someone who works to speak to the head, heart, and spirit, the author encouraged a disciplined and organized approach to delivering messages. The author's strong preference for messages that come from the Bible out and that use commentaries and biblical word studies as a way of helping to overcome the frequent biblical illiteracy that plagues many churches is certainly also a welcome one that mirrors my own preferences. It is easy, as was the case with this book, to appreciate a book that reinforces one's existing patterns and that backs up the way that one has already learned how to prepare messages in a timely fashion given a busy life. While the author assumes that his reading audience is made up of pastors like himself, the book is also profitable for use by lay members who nevertheless are in the place of preparing for messages on a reasonably frequent basis. For those who have the solemn responsibility to speak from the word of God to brethren, this is a good book that helps that responsibility be handled in an effective fashion.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
May 3, 2018
The book covered a lot more than the title indicates, although it definitely sufficiently covered what it set out to.
I thought this book was just going to talk about how to write sermons faster, but it also discussed how to write faithful sermons.
I read this book hesitantly because I believe preaching is the main event on Sunday. pastors have been called to preach the word first in their church and everything else second. so I was worried this would de-emphasize preaching in an unhealthy way.
However the author has a high view of preaching, and is fairly balanced in his presentation.
While I wouldn't personally apply everything 1-1 in this book, there are many things that I gleaned from reading this. and many helpful tips and suggestions that can help me write a more faithful sermon faster.
I would also encourage others not to directly apply this book. consider what He suggests and apply what you think would be best.
if you've read other literature about preaching, then he goes over many familiar things.
If you've never read another book about preaching, then he not only goes over how to prepare a faithful sermon faster, but he also talks about how to prepare a faithful sermon period. He gives solid advice about illustrations, application, intro, conclusion Etc.
I would recommend this to experienced preachers as something to stir them up and help then consider how to write more faithful sermons faster. (emphasis on faster)
But I would also recommend this to beginner preachers (like myself :) because he not only talks about how to write sermons faster, but he also gives very solid advice on how to prepare faithful sermons. (emphasis on faithful)
Overall a great book. Much better book than I thought it would be!
I thought this book was just going to talk about how to write sermons faster, but it also discussed how to write faithful sermons.
I read this book hesitantly because I believe preaching is the main event on Sunday. pastors have been called to preach the word first in their church and everything else second. so I was worried this would de-emphasize preaching in an unhealthy way.
However the author has a high view of preaching, and is fairly balanced in his presentation.
While I wouldn't personally apply everything 1-1 in this book, there are many things that I gleaned from reading this. and many helpful tips and suggestions that can help me write a more faithful sermon faster.
I would also encourage others not to directly apply this book. consider what He suggests and apply what you think would be best.
if you've read other literature about preaching, then he goes over many familiar things.
If you've never read another book about preaching, then he not only goes over how to prepare a faithful sermon faster, but he also talks about how to prepare a faithful sermon period. He gives solid advice about illustrations, application, intro, conclusion Etc.
I would recommend this to experienced preachers as something to stir them up and help then consider how to write more faithful sermons faster. (emphasis on faster)
But I would also recommend this to beginner preachers (like myself :) because he not only talks about how to write sermons faster, but he also gives very solid advice on how to prepare faithful sermons. (emphasis on faithful)
Overall a great book. Much better book than I thought it would be!
May 18, 2024
I found this to have a number of practical thoughts that I intend to implement moving forward. I find that most sermon preparation is handicapped by the open-endedness of it…until the weekend. Most preachers know that Sunday is coming and we begin preparing for it, but we don’t really have any milestones, as Huguley puts it, throughout the week. One aspect of our preparation bleeds into time that should have/ could have been spent more productively on another portion of our preparation. Depending on your circumstances, you can always make adjustments to his suggestions…in fact, he encourages that. But, I intend to apply his basic guidelines to my preparations for the next few months and see how it goes.
For the naysayers out there who think this is limiting the Holy Spirit…it is no more limiting than waiting until you are fatigued and limited by Saturday night or Sunday AM being your last chance to throw something together. Sunday is a hard deadline that we all abide by, so, why not move the deadline around a bit and see if we can’t improve how we communicate the wonderful Word of God?
I encourage you to give it a listen and see if you can’t pick up some helpful pointers in preparation.
I will say that the minutiae of how to exegete a passage is not covered here, and I think that makes this easier to digest. If you already have a basic knowledge of how to exegete a passage, this helps you do it more efficiently.
For the naysayers out there who think this is limiting the Holy Spirit…it is no more limiting than waiting until you are fatigued and limited by Saturday night or Sunday AM being your last chance to throw something together. Sunday is a hard deadline that we all abide by, so, why not move the deadline around a bit and see if we can’t improve how we communicate the wonderful Word of God?
I encourage you to give it a listen and see if you can’t pick up some helpful pointers in preparation.
I will say that the minutiae of how to exegete a passage is not covered here, and I think that makes this easier to digest. If you already have a basic knowledge of how to exegete a passage, this helps you do it more efficiently.
May 22, 2017
Overall enjoyable read of one man's process. However, I wish he would have spent more time on the nuts and bolts of actual sermon writing efficiency. It was fairly basic and general. Also, it read more like an intro to sermon writing (e.g., what an illustration should or should not be), and so I thought he spent too much time doing that sort of thing. Having said that, it was such a short and breezy read, those things weren't laborious to read.
Personally speaking, I didn't find the book overly helpful. I have such a different approach to sermon writing that I couldn't glean much. However, I think aspects of this book will be helpful for those with a similar approach, especially if they don't currently have a structured weekly approach to their studying and writing. This book might help some to start thinking through a basic way to structure their time.
Personally speaking, I didn't find the book overly helpful. I have such a different approach to sermon writing that I couldn't glean much. However, I think aspects of this book will be helpful for those with a similar approach, especially if they don't currently have a structured weekly approach to their studying and writing. This book might help some to start thinking through a basic way to structure their time.
January 30, 2018
An enjoyable read chocked full of practical tips to organize, prioritize and scope and sequence a preaching prep week. Huguley doesn't advocate for only 8 hours of prep, he advocates for 8 hours at a desk/computer. His approach involves several early week deadlines that sets your mind up to to snatch unconscious moments of thinking. The chapters of the book follow that daily deadline idea.
My favorite part is what Ryan suggests for Tuesdays-- "Open the Door." He argues that the idea that sermon prep is a massive mountain that a preacher must climb alone is a unneeded and unhelpful assumption. Instead, he suggest that preachers should gather a team of 4-5 people to walk through the big idea and sermon frame to offer application, illustration and thematic ideas. I tried this in my most recent prep and loved it.
My favorite part is what Ryan suggests for Tuesdays-- "Open the Door." He argues that the idea that sermon prep is a massive mountain that a preacher must climb alone is a unneeded and unhelpful assumption. Instead, he suggest that preachers should gather a team of 4-5 people to walk through the big idea and sermon frame to offer application, illustration and thematic ideas. I tried this in my most recent prep and loved it.
June 21, 2017
A good book with helpful insights into preparing your sermon. The most helpful part about this book is the suggested structure to your week to prepare you sermon. Most of the other things you'll have already learned, but the structure of your week is a great benefit.
If you are a new preach or would simply like to improve your sermon preparation process this book is a great resources. Don't come to it expecting a treatise or thorough theological discussion, that isn't it's purpose. The purpose is clear and concise "Help you prepare faithful sermons in 8 hours". While I don't know if 8 hours will be feasible, I do believe the overall structure he suggests will greatly improve my sermon preparation process.
If you are a new preach or would simply like to improve your sermon preparation process this book is a great resources. Don't come to it expecting a treatise or thorough theological discussion, that isn't it's purpose. The purpose is clear and concise "Help you prepare faithful sermons in 8 hours". While I don't know if 8 hours will be feasible, I do believe the overall structure he suggests will greatly improve my sermon preparation process.
September 6, 2017
I've read a ton of preaching books, and most of them leave me just as confused as before. The genius of this short, easy to read, wonderfully written little book is in the process it shares. It's transferable to many (if not all) teaching styles. Ryan comes back to the centrality of scripture and the holiness of the preaching vocation early and often. This is definitely not a "motivational speakers toolkit". This book is an invaluable resource that I will come back to over and over again, and I will keep several copies on my bookshelf to give away to any aspiring preacher of the word. This is simply a must have!
August 20, 2020
Surprisingly helpful, though nothing mind blowing. His content aligns with a lot of other productivity writing. He has some helpful comments on how to save time (i.e. crowdsource application, only read commentaries that complement your weaknesses) and gives a reasonable schedule to get the work done. I think he's a bit optimistic that one of his steps will take around 2 hours, but I found his general ideas to resonate. He also writes as someone firmly in the conservative Evangelical camp, citing guys like Chappel and Dever (claps) and James MacDonald (gulp).
November 2, 2021
I’ve been preaching for 25 years and have been looking for a resource on the art of preaching to use as a tool in developing my staff preachers. This is it. Fantastic resource with very practical steps.
The only step I would add to this is the act of practicing your sermon at least once out loud. I still do this today. It not only helps me memorize the material better but it also affords me the ability to see any holes in my sermon before I preach it to my congregation.
Just ordered four copies for my team.
The only step I would add to this is the act of practicing your sermon at least once out loud. I still do this today. It not only helps me memorize the material better but it also affords me the ability to see any holes in my sermon before I preach it to my congregation.
Just ordered four copies for my team.
November 24, 2025
A helpful resource when thinking about how to craft faithful Biblical sermons in a shorter amount of time. I read this because I felt that my sermon preparation process was bloated and had become somewhat inefficient. This book gave me many good principles to think about and consider. Overall, I think the premise of the book is hardly possible. For me it just doesn’t feel realistic to write a faithful Sunday sermon in 8 hours, most of the time. But was a great catalyst for reexamining my sermon preparation process.
September 8, 2017
Great book for preachers who are looking to maximize their sermon prep. I agree with the author that it doesn't and shouldn't take 20+ hours to craft a sermon. When you focus and have a plan, then things should be able to come together in a coherent manner. Even though I'm not preaching right now, this book provides some helpful insights that I can implement while writing books. That said, if/when I do preach again I'll be using this method or some form of it.
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