Find Your Voice with Well-Driven Nails - Self-Improvement Book for Personal Growth & Confidence Building | Perfect for Motivational Reading, Book Clubs, and Life Coaching

In an area of Christian literature that is well-stocked and seemingly over-crowded at times, Byron Yawn not only presents a book that is up-to-par but actually brings insight to the subject of preaching. Make no mistake, this book was written for a very specific demographic: the preacher. More specifically, the preacher who is stumped or slumping or plateauing in his growth as a speaker or teacher of God's most precious word. Yawn--despite his name--will restore a preachers excitement, not only for preaching on Sundays, but for exegesis and the personal growth that comes only from a relationship with God that is foundational to sermon preparation. He takes the reader through three main characteristics that define effective preaching: clarity, simplicity, and passion; Yawn then selects well-respected preachers who embody each characteristic and explains what each person aims for in their preaching and why. The structure and form of this book is both engaging and clear, in fact, the book itself embodies the three characteristics it seeks to teach about. It is clear. It is simple. And it is passionate.Personally, I found this book extremely helpful especially as I prepared a sermon of my own this week. Yawn's combination of technical helps and interviews with the likes of John MacArthur (clarity), R.C. Sproul (simplicity), and John Piper (passion) made this a book I couldn't put down. Throughout the week I would take breaks in my sermon preparation to read this book and then turn back to my preparation with new insight and motivation to love God and the Word that He provided for us! In reading this book, I was able to directly implement many of these encouragements to my sermon preparation, and it definitely created a new experience for me as a preacher. It was also encouraging to read about the convictions and the discipline of some of the most effective and God-glorifying preachers of our time. The book was full of humbling quotes and insights that had me up late at night, pondering the implications of my preaching. It was probably one of the most impactful books on preaching I've read thus far.I would recommend this book, but to a very specific audience, namely the preaching class. Byron Yawn is very intentional in his introduction in making clear the aims and goals of the book: This book was hand-crafted for the preacher who is seeking to glorify God with faithful exposition, and might just need a little nudge in the right direction to become a more effective preacher. If that's you, then you need to read this book.bcThere is a difference between expository study (exegesis) and expository preaching. Byron Yawn, a man committed to both, does a masterful job helping us guard against making them synonymous. His book, Well-Driven Nails: The Power of Finding Your Own Voice (2010, Emerald House), rises out of a personal mission:“...in my departure from seminary I struggled to take all the incredible information exegesis yields and present it in an impactful way.” (Kindle loc. 375)To achieve this goal, the author demonstrates his own ability to step back, analyze something to which he is committed and expose the blind spots of denial which often accompany a passion or conviction.“Preaching labs, which are designed to treat issues of delivery, bear a striking resemblance to oncology. The treatment for the cancer is nearly as lethal as the condition. In the same way, the treatment for bad preaching is just as lethal as the condition...The most lethal are found in seminary preaching labs....a relentless barrage of really predictable, really dreadful sermons.” (Kindle loc 398)Mr. Yawn’s solutions tackle the categories of clarity, simplicity and passion. His method is to draw counsel from three well-known expositors – in order: John MacArthur (clarity), R. C. Sproul (simplicity), and John Piper (passion). He does so with an invigorating zeal to restore to expository preaching its God-given birthright to the preacher: the individual freedom to authentically express his personal encounter with “the mind-blowing effect of God” discovered in the text.Although now retired, I intend to review this book periodically for those moments when I have the opportunity to preach, and for the pursuit of my ministry of writing -[...]Having known the author as a young man, I am not surprised by the power of Well Driven Nails. What a great idea to identify the three somewhat intangible elements of solid Biblical preaching and then go to the source by interviewing the men that best exemplify those elements. Yes, the author does offer candid interviews with John MacArthur, John Piper and R.C. Sproul and those are great. But for me, it is his willingness to peal back the exterior of his own preacher's heart and invite us to join him in his quest for authenticity as well as accuracy. Only four stars because I have a feeling there is an even better book in this author's future and I need to save a 5 for that!Byron Yawn writes like an ordinary pastor who is sharing his extraordinary opportunity with the rest of us. To sharpen his skills in the pulpit he spent personal time with three of his heroes, John MacArthur, R.C. Sproul, and John Piper. The book is his interaction with the lessons these men have taught and embody, clarity, simplicity, and passion. Preachers who are serious about taking their work to the next level will benefit from this book. It is personal, written in a conversational style, filled with wit. Byron talks about fist pumping in his head as John MacArthur overturns a bit of conventional wisdom and how R.C.'s voice reminds him of Quasimodo! You won't feel intimadated as Byron works through insight after insight he is learning to apply to his own sermons. He is a faithful brother trying to encourage the rest of us out of the overflow of his wonderful research. Highly recommended!I am not a member of Byron's church so my assessment is completely unbiased. With that said, I absolutely love this book. I am a lay-teacher in a Reformed Baptist church and have found this book extremely helpful. Byron's call for simple, clear, passionate preaching leveraging your individual speaking style is tremendously encouraging. His emphasis on meditation during sermon development was practical advice that can be immediately implemented. I am purchasing a copy for my pastor to read.A book that builds up a preacher!! A classic!!