Sermon Prep: On the Use of Commentaries

"Usually sermons are far fresher and more interesting if commentaries are read later in the [sermon prep] process.... Further, when the preacher forms his own thoughts and uses his own words, he will greatly reduce dependence on a manuscript when preaching.... While depending on commentaries alone will generally produce stale and predictable sermons, depending on our own mind alone will eventually have the same effect" (David Murray, How Sermons Work, 57).