Saying It Well is a must for anyone charged with the privilege and responsibility of speaking. Charles Swindoll doesn’t begin with any secret tricks of the trade; rather, he lays the foundation for great preaching–that before preparing the message, we must prepare the messenger. What we say and how we say it flows out of who we are. So, it’s no surprise Swindoll begins and ends his book with the most important quality a speaker can possess: authenticity. From this foundation, he draws from his own experiences in more than 50 years in the pulpit, sharing his insights on preparation, study, illustrations, humor and the delivery of a message. The results are pure Swindoll: wise, encouraging, down to earth and practical. It would be very practical for you to include this one in your own personal library, as you’ll find yourself referring back to it again and again.
–Jeff Chesemore, Lead Editor, Young Life Communications
In his book Saying It Well, Charles Swindoll offers a practical guide for preaching from his years of ministry experience and his education background. Swindoll’s book is not written for a classroom setting, but rather more in a coffeehouse setting, giving his readers the sense he is pouring into them rather than grading them for what they read. Swindoll begins his book by sharing his personal call into ministry, and from his calling he offers wisdom for his readers to look into their potential personal calling. After discussing the call into ministry (particularly a preaching/senior pastor role), Swindoll uses rest of his book to breakdown proper elements in writing an effective sermon.
Swindoll’s book was an intriguing read. It is written in a manner that a young preacher can gain sound advice in sermon preparation without the classroom tension. The book also carries an old-soul feeling for more seasoned preachers to gain encouragement and sound advice for them to retain or regain the desire for excellence in sermon writing. I would recommend this book for preacher to enjoy Swindoll’s words of encouragement and wisdom.
–Chris Ensley, Youth Pastor, Marion Christian Church, Marion, Kan.; Adjunct Professor, Tabor College, Christian Ministry Program
In Saying It Well: Touching Others with Your Words, noted pastor and author Chuck Swindoll offers practical, personal advice on effective communication. Swindoll focuses on his specialty, preaching; but he also provides broad tips for all speakers. Pastors in particular will enjoy the opportunity to discover how this masterful communicator develops and delivers sermons. In addition to the numerous nuggets of practical advice on homiletics, Swindoll also provides revealing glimpses into his experiences in ministry. Personally, I found his testimony on attempting to discern God’s direction when contemplating ministry moves to be insightful, because Swindoll shared the positive and the negative experiences. This honest manuscript provides the reader a rare, behind-the-scenes view of a prominent pastor. It reads less like a how-to on homiletics and more like the memoirs of a pastor. Readers will appreciate the communication tips and admire Swindoll’s candor.
—Kris Barnett, Associate Dean, Clamp School of Christian Ministry, Anderson University, Anderson, South Carolina
Part autobiography, part sermon preparation guide, Saying It Well provides an all-access pass to Charles Swindoll’s personal stash of homiletical treasure. Primarily geared toward preachers (though applicable to anyone in need of a public speaking crash course), this book explains Swindoll’s very own start-to-finish process for sermon-making and speech-writing that truly informs and motivates.
In addition to revealing the preparatory secrets behind his unique and much-loved preaching style, this book contains a bonus glimpse into his family, ministry, struggles and joys, as well as his own personal sermon notes (scanned and printed as an appendix). If you have been blessed by Charles Swindoll’s ministry, you will be doubly blessed by this book.
Filled with Swindollian stories, quotes and tips, Saying It Well is a more than a resource; it is personal encouragement from one preacher to another. Do yourself and your congregation a favor: Buy, read and apply this book.
–Dr. J. Tyler Scarlett, Pastor-Teacher of Forest Baptist Church, Forest, Virginia
Charles Swindoll has been fine-tuning the preaching craft for nearly 50 years; and with Saying It Well, he shares wisdom gathered throughout those years in order to help preachers improve their own skill in proclamation. For Swindoll, there are three essential lessons preachers must learn: Know who you are, accept who you are, and be who you are. He uses a great deal of autobiographical material to explain how he learned these lessons and how they shaped him as a preacher. So, you will learn about Swindoll while from learning him. The book has a lot of practical advice with chapters on researching, building, illustrating and applying the text in the sermon. You will get a glimpse at Swindoll’s weekly routine in preparation for Sunday; and he includes a helpful chapter on the role of prayer in the preparing the sermon, an important contribution on a topic often neglected in homiletic manuals. All in all, this book will be a worthy addition to the library of any public speaker, especially preachers.
—Matt O’Reilly, Pastor, First United Methodist Church, Union Springs, Ala.; Ph.D. candidate in New Testament, University of Gloucestershire; Adjunct Instructor of New Testament Exegesis, Wesley Biblical Seminary; Adjunct Instructor of New Testament Greek, Asbury Theological Seminary, ExL. Follow him on Twitter.
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