I’ve heard many preachers offer some variation on this comment, “Don’t read books on preaching, just listen to good preaching.”

And that’s sound advice for sure. Because certain aspects of good preaching can be taught, but so much of it is caught. Thus, the best thing young and aspiring preachers can do is regularly sit under sound preaching. This is even one reason why pastors ought not fill the pulpit every single week, for they too need to sit and be sharpened. Listening to podcasts or mp3s is all fine and dandy, but it is still no replacement for the visual event of preaching.

YET, ONE COMES ALONG WORTH READING

Every once in a while, however, a book comes along on the topic of preaching and it falls into the “must read” category. For me, those books usually are not methodologies of preaching nor theologies of preaching¹, they are better categorizes as “experiences of preaching.” These books come from seasoned pastors who have the correct principles of preaching in place, but the bulk of the work offers up practices for consideration. How do you prepare a sermon? Structure a sermon? Deal with discouragement in preaching?

One recent book worthy of any preacher’s attention is Gary Millar and Phil Campbell’s Saving Eutychus: How to Preach God’s Word and Keep People Awake.

As a rule of thumb, if D.A. Carson endorses a book, you need to pay attention. His recommendations are few and thoughtful. Consider what he says about Saving Eutychus:

I have read books on how to make sure your sermon is interesting, and I have read books on how to make sure your sermon is faithful to the text, but this book wants your sermon to be both. If I could, I would make this little book mandatory reading for seminarians everywhere, and then urge them to read it a couple more times during the course of their ministry. It avoids cutesy and manipulative suggestions, and makes its practical points while urging integrity, faithfulness, and imagination. Many books on preaching are published every year; this one is a ‘must.’

PUT IT INTO YOUR SHOPPING CART

Filled with humor and immediately employable wisdom, I can’t see how any preacher wouldn’t benefit greatly from this book. I found it so compelling and challenging that my prayers before preaching regularly include a petition that God would “save Eutychus.” We need more preaching books like this one.

If you haven’t read it yet, make sure to buy a copy today.