Sermon Builder - 1st Time Use Not Great ...

Rob Wilson
Rob Wilson Member Posts: 68 ✭✭
edited November 2024 in English Forum

I'm a long time Logos member (since '96) and our church has subscribed to Mobile Ed, Logos TV, Proclaim and now Equip (for several years now).

I've given most of my teachings using Powerpoint and now Faithlife Proclaim.  With Logos 9 (just released) I thought I'd try Sermon Manager & Sermon Builder in conjunction with Proclaim but am having difficulty getting anything reasonable (see attached file).

I appreciate video's I've watched (Graham Criddle, etc.) greatly, but my 1st try at Slides isn't very encouraging.  Word Layout gets messed up when "Published" to Proclaim (also see PDF Print from inside Sermon Builder (Slide Capture).

I have lots of questions.  Is there a detailed manual of wiki available?

I tried to attach a copy of "Seder 001.prs", but it failed.  I'd hoped this might be a "Template" for an extended series based on an ancient lectionary cycle, but I lack "facility" regarding spacing, layout, etc.

Also ... It seems that Graham Criddle offered a series of videos on organizing and creating and using a sermon document.  I'd be interested to be able to find this series which may be beneficial.

Best Regards,

Rob Wilson

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

* (See JPS Bible Commentary:  Haftarot, Fishbane, M. A. (2002). Haftarot The Jewish Publication Society Page xxi & xxii and also The Bible As Read and Preached in the Old Synagogue, Jacob Mann 1940 (etc.) and Article by Charles Perrot, “The Reading of the Bible in the Ancient Synagogue” in Mikra: Text, Translation, Reading and Interpretation of the Hebrew Bible in Ancient Judaism and Early Christianity, Mulder & Sysling (2004).)

 5226.Prophets - Haftarah.pdf

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Comments

  • I'm also having problems with the slides in sermon builder. They are not showing up when I create them. And they are not loading when I try to edit them. 

  • Graham Criddle
    Graham Criddle MVP Posts: 32,666

    Hi Rob

    Apologies - I saw this yesterday but wasn't in a position to respond to it.

    I thought I'd try Sermon Manager & Sermon Builder in conjunction with Proclaim but am having difficulty getting anything reasonable (see attached file).

    Word Layout gets messed up when "Published" to Proclaim (also see PDF Print from inside Sermon Builder (Slide Capture).

    So I think you are saying that the screenshot is from Sermon Builder. If so, what steps did you take to produce it?

    And how does this relate to publishing to Proclaim?

    I have lots of questions.  Is there a detailed manual of wiki available?

    There is a detailed section on Sermon Builder in the Logos 9 help file

    I'd hoped this might be a "Template" for an extended series based on an ancient lectionary cycle, but I lack "facility" regarding spacing, layout, etc.

    I don't understand this sentence, please expand / clarify.

    Also ... It seems that Graham Criddle offered a series of videos on organizing and creating and using a sermon document.  I'd be interested to be able to find this series which may be beneficial.

    Are you referring to the video series at https://support.logos.com/hc/en-us/articles/360017433952 

    Graham

  • Graham Criddle
    Graham Criddle MVP Posts: 32,666

    Hi Brent - and welcome to the forums

    I'm also having problems with the slides in sermon builder. They are not showing up when I create them. And they are not loading when I try to edit them. 

    This sounds like a different problem.

    Please start a new thread in this forum and we'll try to help

    Graham

  • Rob Wilson
    Rob Wilson Member Posts: 68 ✭✭

    Hi Graham!

    Thanks for your response!
    The Slide Background I'd used was "Generic Parchment Title" (Find Media).

    Problems (see attached Pic): 
    (1) The "Title Slide" looked fine in Sermon Builder, but when Published to Proclaim, "smashed" the "Title Slides'"
    Title, Subheader & References together.
    (2) The "Header 1 Slides"looked fine in Sermon Builder, but when Published to Proclaim, "flipped" the Header and Subheader text with the Subheader above the Header.

    My "method":
    (1) From Sermon Builder, I hit "Publish" to Faithlife Proclaim
    (2) Selected: New Presentation - Send - Open in Faithlife Proclaim

    Note: The Slide Background "Parchment Scroll Sermon" (Find Media) doesn't seem to have the same issue.

    Sermon Builder help file was somewhat helpful.
    Your video series https://support.logos.com/hc/en-us/articles/360017433952 was also helpful ... Thanks!

    In earlier "video series" you prepared I remember seeing one where you used a "list" from an bible book outline to develop additional slides or subheaders. I can't seem to be able to find that reference/series. I'd very much like to use that feature, but can't figure out how to get there.

    Also if you have a listing of the various "video series" you've developed, I'd appreciate links. In some, you've said "in a previous video ..." / 'in the next video ..." but I can't find the Series. 
    I came across such videos from a Logos search that don't preserve each of the many series they were developed under.

    I greatly appreciate your work. It continues to be very helpful.

    Best Regards,
    Rob Wilson

  • Graham Criddle
    Graham Criddle MVP Posts: 32,666

    Hi Rob

    Thanks for the more detailed information - looks very strange.

    So I think you are adding the extra fields to the Title and Header 1 slides in the Media Tool. Is that correct?

    I tried that and I can't reproduce the problem you describe - it all transfers across fine for me.

    I am running on Windows, which platform are you using?

    That's good to hear

    In earlier "video series" you prepared I remember seeing one where you used a "list" from an bible book outline to develop additional slides or subheaders. I can't seem to be able to find that reference/series. I'd very much like to use that feature, but can't figure out how to get there.

    It sounds as though you are referring to the ability to create a sermon outline from the Sermon Starter Guide. That is covered in the first video of the series you linked to.

    Also if you have a listing of the various "video series" you've developed, I'd appreciate links. In some, you've said "in a previous video ..." / 'in the next video ..." but I can't find the Series. 

    The only other series I can think of that I have been involved in is https://support.logos.com/hc/en-us/articles/360018345231-Logos-8-Academic-and-Theologian-Study-Series (as well as the Logos 8 version of the one you linked to above). This one has not been updated to Logos 9.

    I greatly appreciate your work. It continues to be very helpful.

    So pleased to hear that

    Thanks, Graham 

  • Rob Wilson
    Rob Wilson Member Posts: 68 ✭✭

    Graham,

    Using Windows 10 Home with Logos 9 Portfolio (& Messianic Jewish Platinum).

    What's (is there) a good way to share the Logos Sermon Builder file with you?

    I select "Docs" then the Sermon "Semi-Septennial Cycle (2)"

    I right click the Title Slide and select "Edit".  That's where I added the Title/Subheader/Reference information.

    I guess this is what you are calling the "Media Tool".

  • Rob Wilson
    Rob Wilson Member Posts: 68 ✭✭

    Graham,

    Using Windows 10 Home with Logos 9 Portfolio (& Messianic Jewish Platinum).

    What's (is there) a good way to share the Logos Sermon Builder file with you?

    I select "Docs" then the Sermon "Semi-Septennial Cycle (2)"

    I right click the Title Slide and select "Edit".  That's where I added the Title/Subheader/Reference information.

    I guess this is what you are calling the "Media Tool".

    Thanks, Rob Wilson

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

  • Rob Wilson
    Rob Wilson Member Posts: 68 ✭✭

    Graham,

    Using Windows 10 Home with Logos 9 Portfolio (& Messianic Jewish Platinum).

    What's (is there) a good way to share the Logos Sermon Builder file with you?

    I select "Docs" then the Sermon "Semi-Septennial Cycle (2)"

    I right click the Title Slide and select "Edit".  That's where I added the Title/Subheader/Reference information.

    I guess this is what you are calling the "Media Tool".

    Thanks, Rob Wilson

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  • Graham Criddle
    Graham Criddle MVP Posts: 32,666

    Using Windows 10 Home with Logos 9 Portfolio (& Messianic Jewish Platinum).

    So I'm running on the same platform - so that's not the issue.

    I select "Docs" then the Sermon "Semi-Septennial Cycle (2)"

    If you right-click the Sermon Doc in the Docs Menu, you will see a Share option.

    If you share it publicly, I (and others) should be able to see it

    I guess this is what you are calling the "Media Tool".

    That's right

  • Rob Wilson
    Rob Wilson Member Posts: 68 ✭✭

    Share came back with "There was an error communicating with the server".

    I tried it twice,  Same error both times ...

  • Graham Criddle
    Graham Criddle MVP Posts: 32,666

    Share came back with "There was an error communicating with the server".

    I have seen that on various occasions but it normally clears up.

    I’d give it a while and try again

  • Phil Gons (Logos)
    Phil Gons (Logos) Administrator, Logos Employee Posts: 3,799

    Share came back with "There was an error communicating with the server".

    I tried it twice,  Same error both times ...

    Sharing isn't supported yet. Only collaboration. But sharing is under development right now and will be coming in the near future. I'm sorry for this poor experience in the meantime.

  • Graham Criddle
    Graham Criddle MVP Posts: 32,666

    Sharing isn't supported yet. Only collaboration. But sharing is under development right now and will be coming in the near future.

    Thanks Phil

    Does this mean a sermon doc can be shared at the Group level so long as collaboration is specified?

  • Phil Gons (Logos)
    Phil Gons (Logos) Administrator, Logos Employee Posts: 3,799

    Does this mean a sermon doc can be shared at the Group level so long as collaboration is specified?

    Yes. That's right.

  • Bill Cook
    Bill Cook Member Posts: 494

    So, trying to use Sermon Builder in L9 on MacOS. It seems like I can't add my own topic. I am working on a sermon and trying to enter a topic. I can enter "spiritual" and I can enter "blindness". But, I can't enter "spiritual blindness". Can we not build our own topics? I see Spiritual Warfare on the list. But, I can't have spiritual Blindness...

  • Graham Criddle
    Graham Criddle MVP Posts: 32,666

    Bill Cook said:

    Can we not build our own topics? I see Spiritual Warfare on the list. But, I can't have spiritual Blindness...

    No, they need to be topics already defined within the software.

    Please note that, in general, it is better to start a new thread for a new issue such as this one.

  • Bill Cook
    Bill Cook Member Posts: 494

    Bill Cook said:

    Can we not build our own topics? I see Spiritual Warfare on the list. But, I can't have spiritual Blindness...

    No, they need to be topics already defined within the software.

    Please note that, in general, it is better to start a new thread for a new issue such as this one.

    Yep. I did know that... I thought my issue might coincide. I'll do that next time.

  • Rob Wilson
    Rob Wilson Member Posts: 68 ✭✭

    Several reboots & several retrys, yield the same results ("There was an error communicating with the server") ...

    Please advise how to restore Default Slide format (Black Background with White Letters). 

    It might help.  Not clear how to "unassign" Media from Slide(s).

    In the interim I've been learning a lot .  re-watched several of your videos ...

    Thanks!

    Rob

  • Graham Criddle
    Graham Criddle MVP Posts: 32,666

    Please advise how to restore Default Slide format (Black Background with White Letters). 

    In the Media Tool, search for black and then click the slide with the description of Simple Black Title. Then use that to upload your semon slides

    Several reboots & several retrys, yield the same results ("There was an error communicating with the server") ...

    As per Bradley's comment above, we can't currently share sermons publicly which explains the message you are seeing.

    If you like, I could invite you to a Faithlife group and you could share the sermon there and I could see if I get the same issues when exporting to Proclaim