In Preaching Articles: "Active Faith"

The Prayer I Have Prayed Most

By SermonCentral .com on Aug 23, 2022

I suppose, in my little prayer nook in my study, where I have a little prayer bench that I built in 1975, as I’ve bent over that bench thousands of times, the most common prayer has been, “Lead me not into temptation. Deliver me from evil (see Matthew 6:13). Keep me. Keep me. I feel so utterly unable to do the next thing. My kids are at the breakfast table. I have nothing. I’m supposed to model joyful fatherhood, and I’m so depressed I can hardly remember their names. Help me.”

Scripture: Ephesians 2:8, Psalm 16:1-5, Romans 11:36, Romans 8:16, Jude 1:20, Matthew 6:13  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Faith, Perseverance, Prayer, Depression, God's Strength, continue in faith, Power of the Spirit, By faith  (view more)  (view less)

Should You Start A Chapter Of The Boring Preacher's Club?

By Michael Duduit on Sep 27, 2020

In a culture obsessed with activity and extremes, a little bit of boring can build character.

Tags: Preaching, preaching

Leading From Fear: So Many Churches Do It

By Joe Mckeever on Dec 22, 2021

It’s so easy for a preacher to exhibit fear and not faith when standing before the church and calling the congregation to faithfulness and righteousness.

Scripture: Mark 4:40, Luke 14:7-14

Tags: Faith, leadership, Faith and Fear, church leadership, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

Doubt Busters

By Lance Witt on Jun 27, 2024

"One of the things I love about the Bible is how honest it is. The pages of Scripture don’t gloss over the flaws and sins and weaknesses of people. Even the great heroes of the faith are not airbrushed or photo-shopped to make them look superhuman."

Scripture: Psalm 77:4-14, Isaiah 40:26

Tags: Crisis Of Faith, doubt, Remember, Trust, God's Character, God's faithfulness, doubt and fear, Faith  (view more)  (view less)

The One Time Jesus Prayed For You (Part 1)

By Lance Witt on Apr 2, 2024

Unity is not passive, it is active. And if we are going to experience it, we have to work for it.

Scripture: Ephesians 4:3, John 17:21-23

Tags: Prejudice, selfish ambition

6 Ways Pastors Can Help People Deal With Doubts

By Ray Hollenbach on Jun 11, 2020

It seems like doubt is a popular subject these days, but doubt comes with a price. Here are six ideas that could help any pastor when asked to speak about the subject of doubt.

Scripture: John 20:24-31

Tags: Faith, doubt, Belief

Pastor Grinch

By Lance Witt on Jun 19, 2024

As pastors, how do we celebrate Christmas without getting lost in the shuffle of busy church activities?

Scripture: Luke 2:17-19

Tags: pastoral leadership, Pastoral Ministry, Serving Others, church ministry, Christmas, Advent, Holidays, Christmas Advent  (view more)  (view less)

Seeing Is Not Always Believing

By R. C. Sproul on Nov 28, 2022

One comment that Christian pastors sometimes hear from people they are counseling is that it would be easier for them to have a strong faith if they could see God doing the same kinds of miracles today as are recorded in the Bible.

Scripture: Joshua 7:6-9, John 11:45-53

Tags: Joshua, Believe, miracles, Courage, Seeing, faith and obedience, Faith, doubt  (view more)  (view less)

What You’ll Never Hear About Preaching In Seminary

By Mark A. Howell on Sep 23, 2024

Perhaps you've heard these suggestions before. The real issue is whether they are active in your ministry week to week.

Tags: Preaching, preaching

Does Your Preaching Wield A Sword Or An Anvil?

By Peter Mead on Sep 15, 2024

God's word is a living and active sword. Peter Mead suggests that too often preachers try to drop an anvil on their listeners.

Scripture: Hebrews 4:12, Jeremiah 23:29

Tags: Preaching, living word, words, Sword, Impact, Heavy, anvil, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

The Patented Preacher

By Warren Wiersbe on Apr 20, 2020

Preaching thrives when pastors embrace who God made them to be. God prepares the messenger as much as the message, and faithful preaching grows from that truth.

Scripture: John 12:35-50, Genesis 22:1-14, Acts 4:20, Acts 22:15, 2 Corinthians 4:5  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Faith, family, Adversity, Live

Check Your Church's Outreach Heartbeat

By Kevin Harney on Mar 16, 2025

If your church is struggling to invest in reaching your community and the world, ask yourself this question: Are we a church that is on fire with a passion for God?

Scripture: Revelation 2:1

Tags: Faith, Heart, Growth, Health

Learn How To Be Brought Low

By Scott Hubbard on Oct 14, 2022

"You don’t need to be anyone special to know what it means to be brought low."

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 6:10, Isaiah 53:3, Philippians 1:3-5, Philippians 4:12

Tags: Faith, Humility, Hope, Grief, Sorrow, mature faith, Enduring Hardship, School of Christ  (view more)  (view less)

Are You Training Lay Preachers? You Should!

By Chris Surber on Jan 23, 2024

When we neglect to develop and maintain active lay ministry in the life of the local church, our churches miss out in at least five ways.

Scripture: Proverbs 17:17

Tags:

Hope And Perspective When We’re Dealing With Doubt

By Randy Alcorn on Dec 2, 2022

"In times of doubt, difficulty, and trials, our fundamental beliefs about God and our faith are revealed. So how can Christians find faith in the midst of doubt? How can they trust God’s plan when their lives seem out of His control, and prayers seem to go unanswered or, sometimes it feels, even unheard?"

Scripture: Romans 10:17, Romans 8:28, Ephesians 1:11, 2 Timothy 3:16, Job 23:10, Isaiah 43:2  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Test of Faith, sovereignty of God, doubt, Perseverance, suffering, tragedy, Promises of God, Genuine Faith  (view more)  (view less)