8 Hours or Less: Writing Faithful Sermons Faster (Review)

8 Hours or Less: Writing faithful sermons faster by Ryan Huguley.

I have read many books on preaching. Pastor Huguley does a nice job. One takeaway from this book is that Ryan has a small team of people who he bounces his points that need illustration. His small group of people offers many ideas that have been helpful.

This book is published in 2017 by Moody Press, 148 pages, 7 chapters. Ryan argues that his method will help pastors spend more time pastoring and less time studying. I liked and follow many of his points. Chapter three has a hilarious illustration of a weightlifter. Check that out. For me, I find I need to spend about 15-20 hours on a message. Preach every 3-4 weeks and I think I still haven't hit my stride in preparation.

QUOTES

• If you've never taken the L, trust me when I say that it's functional but no fun at all. It smells sort of like a urinal and feels like a cage. p. 19 
• So if Christ isn't in our sermons, we aren't preaching faithful ones. p. 27
• Knowledge without action is worthless. p. 30
• If you spend more time in a book than you do with Christ's bride, you're not pastoring. p. 42
• Quoting Pastor Scott Thomas, "A good sermon may be long, but rarely is a long sermon good." p. 133 

From Amazon, 

What every pastor wants: 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 reveals:

The biggest time-wasters in sermon prep
The five marks of a faithful sermon
A day-by-day plan for writing sermons
Tips for preparing your mind, heart, and notes for preaching
Common pitfalls in ending a sermon
And more

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.

Subscribe to my Monthly Newsletter!

Email address

Powered by EmailOctopus