Cover Image: 8 Hours or Less

8 Hours or Less

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Member Reviews

There are several books on the market proposing a different if not better method of preparing sermons. With the growing list of demands on a pastor's time, the sermon preparation time, unfortunately, gets squeezed out. So, with the proposal of an 8-hour method, many pastors will be drawn to the book for hope and help. With any method that boasts less prep time, the reader is also needing assurance that quality will not be compromised. Fast food may fill you up, but it is never as healthy as a good home-cooked meal. Most pastors are not interested in serving a fast-food meal but do not have the time to prepare a gourmet 4-course meal. Huguley wisely reveals a plan that is manageable but doesn't skimp on the essentials. Since Sunday comes on a highly regular and reliable schedule, it can be overwhelming to a pastor who waits until Saturday night to consider what he might say. Scheduling out day by day through the week, Huguley shows small steps to arrive at the goal of a Scripture saturated, spirit-filled, sermon. I am pleased with this book and believe it will benefit those who consider the suggestions and apply it in their own contexts.

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If you're a fan of biblical preaching, this book if for you. But there's one slight caveat: you probably know everything that Ryan Huguley is going to say. You know why expositional sermons​ are critical for raising a healthy church, you know all the marks of a great sermon, and you know how to prepare a sermon. Ryan Huguley puts a timeline to all that - 8 hours. I recommend this book if you haven't read other books​ on homiletics - why and how. Otherwise, this book is a restatement of the old and known facts.

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This is a great and practical book about building a plan and working the plan. Parts of the sermon are broken down into chunks, and over a course of hours, over a course of days, the idea is that you work on these chunks and craft a sermon in shorter time than usual. I've written a number of what I would call sermons, but I often find myself meandering as I do. Ryan's approach is practical, doable, and simple. There's nothing remarkable here. Nothing to turn the sermon-writing world upside down. Just a thoughtful plan to help you focus on this important thing, leaving you more time to work on the other important things.

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I've read a lot of books on preaching (about one/year), but this one is the perfect balance between what a pastor should do and what a pastor might do improve in the most important area of his calling. I appreciated the real life examples and tools that Ryan gives.
I plan to implement some of his ideas like setting a timer to hit certain milestones in preparation.
Thank you for writing such a great book. I have already recommended it to others.

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One of the best books on sermon prep I have read. The book has simple and straight forward tips. The author writes in a way that comes across as a fellow journeyman with you as you prepare for Sunday. Since reading this book my format and flow of sermons have improved. I highly encourage pastors to check this book out.

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