Sermon Maker, The (Hardcover)

by Calvin Miller (Author) "PASTOR SAM WAS TIRED..." (more)
Key Phrases: great preaching, sermon preparation, most preachers, Second Coming, Holy Spirit, Brown Taylor (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Three contemporary, humorous parable of a preacher who struggles with his need to change. Extensive commentary on the stories provides insight from the author into the best way to communicate.

From the Back Cover
Three contemporary, humorous parables of a preacher who struggles with his need to change

Sam the preacher wonders what has gone wrong with his sermons. Are people still listening? Well-known storyteller and communications professor Calvin Miller combines his fiction writing with his insight into preaching to address the changes faced by today's preachers, especially the fact that contemporary congregations have shifted to a different way of listening. How can Sam recover his passion for preaching?

In this short, entertaining, story-driven book, church leaders will see honest reflections of themselves. But the narrative humor also provides a clever way to stimulate thought and discussion on how preachers and preaching are changing. Some places in the story will lead to laughter, others will cause readers to pause and reflect. But whatever the reaction, The Sermon Maker leaves the reader encouraged and changed.

Extensive commentary on the stories provides insight from the author into the best ways to communicate. Just as the story in the tremendously popular Who Moved My Cheese? impacted readers in the business world who were facing change, so this book is designed as a quick but stimulating story for any church leader who preaches or is concerned about the state of preaching today.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan Publishing Company (May 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310246563
• ISBN-13: 978-0310246565
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,964,040 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best book on preaching I've read, August 22, 2002

By	Darryl Dash "DashHouse" (Etobicoke, ON Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is absolutely the best book on preaching I've read. It came at just the right time in my life, and tackled issues in my life that needed attention.

Calvin argues that good sermons don't come from just good preparation or homiletical practice. They come from a life well lived. "Great preaching only grows out of the soil of great lives." He tackles the issues of passion, the draining nature of pastoral work, and the preacher's pride. I plan on re-reading this book often.

If you've ever felt that something is missing in your preaching, but you couldn't quite put your finger on it, this book is for you.

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing and underwhelming..., May 28, 2009

By	Chad Oberholtzer (Boalsburg, PA, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Sermon Maker: Tales of a Transformed Preacher (Paperback)

Calvin Miller's "Sermon Maker" is a strange little book. It consists of two decidedly different, though related, parts. On the odd numbered pages is a fictional account of a preacher, who receives unsolicited preaching assistance from an angel. On the even numbered pages are extensive footnotes, so extensive that they would have been overwhelming in footnote form, so they are simply shifted to the left-hand page. At first, I tried reading the notes as they were notated in the story, but this was ultimately too jarring to the flow of the story. So, (as Miller gives permission in the introduction), I read the entire account on the odd numbered pages and then went back to read all of the notes on the even numbered pages. Though this removed the notes from their context in the story, it seemed like the more manageable approach to leave some continuity to the story.

Since the book is essentially two separate pieces, I'll review them separately. Frankly, the story was very disappointing to me. Though attempting to utilize the engaging narrative style of Andy Stanley and Patrick Lencioni's books, Miller doesn't quite pull it off. The dialogue seemed contrived. The interactions between the preacher and his congregants were unrealistic and caricatured. And the humor felt forced and even inappropriate at times (when Miller was taking jabs at the pastor's congregants). I just wasn't drawn into the story.

The notes on the opposite pages from the story were more helpful. However, as notes, they were very random and disconnected to read straight through. The notes really functioned as a series of bullet points, with some nuggets of wisdom for preachers of all stripes. However, even many of these notes that contained solid content were not especially original. The character of a preacher matters. Sermons need to remain tied to the Scriptures. Preachers need to have a close relationship with God to preach meaningful sermons. It is unacceptable for sermons to be boring. These paraphrased nuggets are certainly true, but the format of the notes did not offer Miller the space to expound on them to say anything especially unique.

Ultimately, I wouldn't say that this book is a total loss. I've just read other preaching books that were much more challenging and inspiring to me. To provide vision for the purpose of preaching, I prefer Stanley's "Communicating for Change." To provide tips, tools, and techniques, I prefer Galli and Larson's "Preaching That Connects." To provide a challenge to preach from a deep relationship with God, I prefer Shriver's "Nobody's Perfect But You Have To Be." Miller touches on some good stuff in "The Sermon Maker," but the format and the execution left me wanting significantly more.

5.0 out of 5 stars Angel's Unaware, Preacher's Unaware, Becoming Aware!, November 25, 2008

By	Brad Sloan "bradthebookman" (McKinney, TX. USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Sermon Maker: Tales of a Transformed Preacher (Paperback)

This is one of those books I need to read during seminary although I probably wouldn't have received it's greatness at the time. It is a book I wish I'd read my first week as a pastor, although I probably wouldn't have received it's greatness at the time. But, now that I've pastored a short piece, I'm glad I bought this book and I will read it again! Calvin Miller helps make pastors aware of the gap between a cognitive grasp of preaching and the real world of Sunday through Monday ministry. Highly recommended reading for pastor's and those who teach preaching!