What Not to Say: Avoiding the Common Mistakes That Can Sink Your Sermon

by John C. Holbert, Alyce M. McKenzie

In this humorous guide, John C. Holbert and Alyce M. McKenzie provide helpful and practical advice for avoiding the common mistakes that many preachers make in their sermons. Useful for preachers, students, and teachers alike, What Not to Say addresses how to use language about God, how to use stories in preaching, and what not to say (and what to say) in the beginning, middle, and end of sermons. A companion video with preaching illustrations is available online at wjkbooks.com.

136 pages, Paperback

First published October 28, 2011

Reviews

[Jacob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow, a lot goes into preaching, if this author is to be believed. I wonder how many preachers put THIS much work into preparing their sermons. I pose this question because — being not a preacher, myself — I am not equipped to know its answer. Whether sermons normally take this much work or not, I think this is a good book for many preachers to read. To address my point above, I’d’ve liked to see the author include a chapter on preachers whose sermon preparation and preaching come more naturally to them.

[Ethan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A practical discussion for those who preach regarding the types of things which cause theological and rhetorical difficulties with sermons.

The authors focus on the types of things a preacher should not say about God, the Bible, those hearing them, themselves, at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end, as well as discussing more profitable ways to speak regarding such subjects, themes, or sections.

The book is authored by a man and a woman who work for some variant of a mainline Protestant group and their theology and doctrinal stances regarding women, homosexuality, and other such issues reflect it. Such excurses are not inherently part of the book and unnecessarily off-putting for those who might be of a different theological persuasion than the authors and distracts from the generally good, wise, and useful information the book provides.

If one can get past the above, one can find such a work useful in terms of strategy and execution of effective sermon planning and presentation.

**--book received as galley for review

[Keith Beasley-Topliffe · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is chock full of advice from two experienced preachers and professors of preaching. That's both the good news and the bad news. Good because they have experience to illustrate what goes wrong with sermons and how sermons might go better. Bad because sometimes they have the same advice so there's overlap (especially in the "What not to say (and what to say) about yourself" and "What not to say (and what to say) in stories" chapters. Still, a good overall checkup for experienced preachers and beginners alike, particularly through the summary questions at the end of each chapter.

[Lori Schwilling · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most of the book was a reminder of familiar techniques and practices, but it was a good refresher and worth the read.