For preachers
The Sermon That Holds the Room
A Field Manual for Preachers Who Are Done Winging It
A field manual for preachers
How to Prepare a Sermon
The Sermon That Holds the Room — A Field Manual for Preachers Who Are Done Winging It
A nine-step framework for how to prepare a sermon, from an open Bible to a message that holds the room and ends with a clear call. Read the free guide.
The printed copy ships by mail. The ebook is a download. Price and shipping show at checkout.
The books
Buy the ebook, or order a printed copy
Every finished book is here as an ebook. The printed copy of The Sermon That Holds the Room is the one I mail myself. The family books are the Fruit and Foundations series, written for the whole house, kids ages 5 to 18.
Family series · Book 2
Watch Out, Stand Strong
48 Laws for Families Who Refuse to Be Played
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Family series · Book 4
Tiny Habits, Big Courage
Small Brave Steps That Build a Fearless Family
Buy the ebook
Family series · Book 5
Run It Like It's His
Success Secrets from Pastors and Business Owners
Buy the ebook
Family series · Book 6
Extreme Patience in Scary Times
Waiting on God When the Market and the Headlines Turn Scary
Buy the ebook
Family series · Book 8
Won't Bow, Won't Break
Mental Toughness Under Fire for Families Who Stand With God
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Family series · Book 9
Grateful Out Loud
The Girl Who Noticed Every Good Gift, and the Family Who Learned to See
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Family series · Book 10
Money Won't Be Our Master
Old Gold Secrets for Families Who Serve God, Not Money
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Family series · Book 11
Win Them With Love
Friend-Making Secrets for Families Who Build Bridges, Not Walls
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Family series · Book 12
Not Yet, Not Never
Grow-Strong Secrets for Families Who Refuse to Stop Learning
Buy the ebook
Family series · Book 13
Say No to the Good
Focus Secrets for Families Who Choose the Best Thing First
Buy the ebookWho it's for
Written for the preacher who almost quit
You know that Sunday. You studied all week, you stood up, and somewhere around the second point the room went quiet in the wrong way. This book is a field manual, not a theory book, for the people who have to stand up and speak.
Pastors
For pastors who preach every week and are running on fumes, and who want a repeatable way to prepare instead of starting over every Thursday night.
Chaplains
For chaplains who have to bring a word in hospital rooms, units, and at gravesides, often with little time and a lot of weight.
Lay preachers
For lay preachers, youth pastors, and anyone asked to “bring a word” on short notice, including Bible college and seminary students learning to preach.
What's inside
A framework you can use this week
Nine steps, in order. Every step points to Jesus as the hero — not you, and not a list of tips. The printed book also includes a free resource on how to preach a funeral, and a one-page Quick Reference for the pulpit.
- A Letter to the Preacher Who Almost QuitWhy this book exists, and who it is for.
- Part One: The Problem Nobody Talks AboutWhy most sermons don't do anything, and what to do about it.
- Part Two: The Nine-Step FrameworkFrom Scripture to the Call to Action.
- Part Three: The Hero's JourneyHow to preach a story so people see themselves in the text.
- Part Four: The Preacher's ToolboxSupporting scriptures, Greek and Hebrew word meanings, illustrations, testimony, and questions.
- Part Five: From Blank Page to PulpitA preparation process, plus help with nerves.
- Part Six: The Daily Practice ChallengeTrain your mind to think in the framework.
- Part Seven: How to Preach a FuneralA ready resource for one of the hardest assignments in ministry.
The nine steps
- 1Scripture
- 2The Problem
- 3A Glimpse of Hope
- 4The Causes
- 5Intensify
- 6Another Glimpse of Hope
- 7The Solution
- 8Application
- 9The Call to Action
About the author
Chaplain Michael Reece
Chaplain Michael Reece has been a hospice chaplain for 10 years. He wrote The Sermon That Holds the Room for the preacher who almost quit — the pastor, chaplain, or lay preacher who is tired of sermons that don't land. It's direct, practical, and built to be used, not shelved.
He also writes the Fruit and Foundations family series for his own children first, and then for every family that wants to sit down together and talk about faith, character, and a good life. He serves families in the Tulsa area as a funeral officiant. His YouTube video on how to officiate a funeral has almost 50,000 views. You can read more about his chaplain work at tulsafuneralchaplain.com, or watch the funeral video.
Questions
Before you order
How do I order a printed copy?
Use the Order the book button on this page. You'll go to checkout for a printed copy of The Sermon That Holds the Room. I sign it and mail it myself. Price and shipping show at checkout.
Can I buy an ebook?
Yes. Use the Buy the ebook button on the book you want. The file is a download. Price shows at checkout. The family series is in the Books section above.
Is there a free guide on how to prepare a sermon?
Yes. Read the free guide, How to Prepare a Sermon, for the nine sermon preparation steps from the book.
How much is the printed book, and how does it ship?
The printed copy of The Sermon That Holds the Room has been listed at $35. Ships by mail. Price and shipping show at checkout, so you'll see the current total before you pay.
How fast will the printed book ship?
Ships by mail, usually within a few days of payment.
Do you ship outside the US?
Please reach out first through the contact form on my chaplain site. International shipping costs extra, and the details will be confirmed before you order.
Does the preaching book include the chapters on expository preaching and finishing strong?
Not the copies on hand now. Those chapters are going into the next edition.
Can churches or schools order in bulk?
Yes. Use the contact form on my chaplain site for a group price.
How do I learn how to preach if I've never had training?
Start with a framework. This book walks you through every step, from the text to the call, in plain language.
How long does sermon preparation take with this method?
The book gives you a repeatable process from blank page to pulpit, so you spend your week on the text and the people instead of starting over every Thursday night. The free How to Prepare a Sermon guide walks through those steps.
Get your printed copy
I mail The Sermon That Holds the Room myself. Ships by mail. Price and shipping show at checkout. Ebooks are in the Books section above.