Preaching Without Notes

I found this book to be very helpful, if not a bit liberating. While the ongoing working example he gives of the preparation process is more of an inductive sermon, the principle of structuring the sermon as a series of logical connected "chunks" of communication (rather than as a hierarchical outline with three alliterated main points) is adaptable to exegetical sermons, as well. When using the "traditional" method of "three (alliterated) points and a poem", I always had two points that were beautifully parallel, but I could never make the third one alliterate or follow the pattern of the first two points. This approach is more concerned about the logical flow than with shallow alliteration, which helps the preacher focus more on what he is saying than on some arbitrary convention like an alliterated outline. Delivering a sermon using his method is also refreshing. Each point in the sequence of logical "chunks" (I prepared one sermon with 6 or seven main sections) flows logical into the next--no more stumbling over that awkward third main point that makes no sense except for the alliteration. No more squinting at notes in your Bible's margin or at your computer print out...on to REAL communication....

This is a no brainer for all people called to ministry to have whether you speak every week or once in a blue moon. This is also a great book for laypeople in case you are called upon to speak, preach, or teach a Bible study. This book breaks down the mechanics of preaching and communication excellently. I just took a Homiletics course with Joesph Webb and I have brought my speaking and preaching skills to a new level. One of the biggest challengers preachers face is writing a new sermon every week. This book will give you the tools and enable you to make sermon preperation on a weekly basis, much simpler than before reading this book.

I had been searching for all kinds of resources, and each one gave me just enough information; but no real umph. This book, though, is spot on. It really is true that by preaching without notes I connected with the congregation 100 times more than I had before; and by following the suggested week long study habits, the Word penetrated my heart in a way I haven't felt in a long time. It's a blessing of a book.

This book was recommended to me by a seminary professor in homiletics. It provides a feasible and helpful proposal for how to prepare a sermon without notes OR an outline. Preaching without notes is a fear of mine. This book has changed my attitude and has empowered me to begin preparing my sermons without a manuscript. Webb not only informs about how to prepare, but he also provides mind-boggling facts about memory retention that everyone should know. It's worth reading and is a quick read (130 pgs.)

This book outlines how to prepare sermons with a very simple technique. There are no short cuts or tricks; it simply approaches sermon preparation from a different angle. The main thesis of the book is that you should never use written notes when delivering your sermon. Dr. Webb explains in full why this is necessary, but basically you communicate better with people when you are looking at them (which is impossible to do completely when you are referring to notes). Since you wonÕt be using written notes in the pulpit, you need to deliver a different kind of sermon. There shouldnÕt be (cannot be) a complicated outline or a manuscript with finely crafted paragraphs. Instead you will simply talk with your congregation, relating a series of stories, events, ideas. Preparing a sermon that you can remember is a wonderfully liberating experience. I took a class from Dr. Webb at the Northwest House of Theological Studies in Salem, Oregon while he was a faculty member at Claremont School of Theology. That has forever changed the way I preach, and the people in my church react well to the new kind of sermon. There is still a lot of preparation, but now you can be more effective. A wonderful little book that is a must for any preacher. Give it a try.