Saying It Well

It was a joy to read through Chuck Swindoll’s SAYING IT WELL: Touching Others With Your Words.  A friend referenced the book concerning a discussion we had regarding calling, ministry, and communication.  While the book is about speaking to others (not only preachers), the first three chapters regarding calling are exceptionally helpful.

It also reminded me of the great benefit of reading authors from all ages and all walks of life.

Someone who has been in ministry for as long as Swindoll has provides so much wisdom.

Favorite Quotes

  1. I want to pass along three simple yet extremely significant insights…if remembered and cultivated, will not only enable you to keep being you, they will make a world of difference in your verbal communication skills when you stand and speak to others: Know who you are, accept who you are, be who you are (x).
  2. If God designed you to be a screwdriver, you can try to hammer nails if you want.  But I don’t recommend it (23).
  3. Any worthwhile calling demands preparation (26).
  4. Don’t let ambition cloud your judgment and rob you of the opportunity to gain valuable life experience where you are (61).
  5. People don’t have much patience for the obvious; they want insight (98).
  6. We can no longer afford to assume people know their Bibles (132).
  7. Praying keeps my focus on God’s approval rather than the applause of people (151).
  8. Your audience wants to know about you as a living, breathing individual, not just what you have to say (171).
  9. While we shouldn’t try to manufacture humor, neither should we overlook things that are naturally funny (186).
  10. You should be able to express the basic idea in a couple of sentences (203).
  11. I always want to send our guests home with something to do (230).

Book Synopsis

Bestselling author and master communicator Charles Swindoll has been effectively speaking to others for over fifty years. In SAYING IT WELL: Touching Others With Your Words he shares his secrets on how to talk so people will listen.

Filled with techniques, stories, and models that clearly explain the formulas for successful speaking, Swindoll teaches readers the foundational principles for how to communicate, from preparing for a speech, organizing thoughts, and filtering out the superfluous to overcoming fears, grabbing the listener’s attention, and knowing how and when to stop.

With humorous stories and inventive, practical tips, one of America’s premier communicators shares decades of experience on how to speak with authority in every situation, persuade others to consider the reader’s perspective, overcome the reader’s fears of public speaking, and love others more effectively with the reader’s words. He also shares his personal story and the journey to becoming a world-famous speaker.