In Preaching Articles: "Attacking The Pastor"

Live And Die By The Numbers

By Lance Witt on Apr 11, 2023

But numbers become a problem in the heart of a pastor when they move from being a point of celebration to becoming the driver of our motivation.

Scripture: Acts 2:47

Tags: motivation, Church Growth, success in ministry, intimacy with Christ

Your Struggling Church Can Turn Around Today – But Greatness Takes Time

By Karl Vaters on Aug 23, 2023

If you’re pastoring a church that has or is turning around, here's some great news - and possibly your greatest challenge.

Scripture: Revelation 21:5

Tags: leadership, renewal, patience, Church Health, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

How To Stay At One Church For 40+ Years

By Joe Mckeever on Jan 17, 2026

Discover timeless wisdom on staying rooted in one church for 40 years. Learn key habits, mindset shifts, and relational tools that sustain long-term ministry.

Tags: Preaching, Pastoral Ministry, church leadership, Conflict Resolution, how to stay, preaching, Church Leadership, Ministry Longevity  (view more)  (view less)

Pulpit Humour: Five Pointers

By Peter Mead on Jul 23, 2022

5 Tips on how to avoid landmines when using humor in the pulpit.

Tags: Teaching, Preaching, humor, Pastoral Ministry, Communication skills, Pulpit Helps, Humility in Teaching, e, preaching, teaching  (view more)  (view less)

What Are You Improving At Your Church Right Now?

By Karl Vaters on Oct 26, 2022

"Every church should constantly be improving. And not just in general terms. We should always be working on specific action plans to make our church better tomorrow than it is today."

Tags: leadership, Church Growth, Healthy Church, effective, productivity, pastoral leadership, church leadership, good leadership, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

11 Ways To Make Christmas Your Best Outreach Of The Year

By Carey Nieuwhof on Dec 15, 2025

You may think it’s far too early to start thinking about Christmas, but think again. Whenever I’ve shared these ideas about Christmas, people say “Hey, I wish you’d talked about this earlier.” So we are.

Tags: Christmas, Outreach, Holidays, leadership, invite, pastoral leadership, Christmas Evangelism, church ministry, church leadership, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

8 Signs You May Be An Anxious Leader

By Charles Stone on Jun 27, 2024

These seven signs might indicate that your leadership is being negatively affected by how you handle your anxiety.

Scripture: Philippians 4:6

Tags: stress, leadership, Stress, Anxiety, pastoral leadership, worry and anxiety, Scripture Memory, Ministry Leadership, Leadership, anxiety  (view more)  (view less)

The Double-Edged Sword Of Ambition

By Lance Witt on Jul 10, 2024

Ambition is a blessing and a curse. When it is God-directed and Spirit-managed, it can bear tremendous fruit. But when it is hijacked by self and ego, it can leave a wake of destruction in its path.

Tags: Faithfulness, motivation, Ambition, Rest in Christ, pastoral leadership, personal holiness, entering God's rest, ministry vision  (view more)  (view less)

God's Grace Sermon Outline

By Josh Read on Mar 11, 2026

Grace might be the most preached-on topic in the history of the church and the least understood. Every pastor has a grace sermon in their back pocket. The problem isn't that we preach it too rarely. The problem is that we've filed it under "God is nice to us" and moved on. Dietrich Bonhoeffer identified this seventy years ago and named it precisely: cheap grace. Grace as doctrine, as principle, as system. Grace without discipleship, grace without the cross. Most congregations have heard enough grace sermons to believe God accepts them. Far fewer have heard one that made them uncomfortable. This outline is for that second sermon. Not grace as comfort but grace as disruption. The kind that doesn't just forgive what you were but refuses to leave you there.

Scripture: Titus 2:11-12, Romans 6:1-2, Ephesians 2:8-10, John 8:10-11, 2 Corinthians 12:9, Genesis 6:8, Luke 7:47, 2 Corinthians 5:14-15  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Grace, grace, sermonprep, SermonPrep, PastorLife, ChurchLeader, GodsGrace, PreachingWithPurpose  (view more)  (view less)

How To Plan A Preaching Calendar

By Josh Reich on Jan 25, 2025

How we plan our preaching calendar at Revolution is one of the most common questions I get from other pastors.

Tags: preaching calendar, Preaching Calendar

Top 10 Tips For Handling Church Critics

By Charles Stone on Aug 9, 2024

Criticism is unavoidable in ministry, but how pastors respond shapes their health and leadership. Here are practical ways to face critics with maturity and grace.

Scripture: Proverbs 15:1, James 1:19-20, Galatians 6:1, Proverbs 27:6, Colossians 3:12  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Ministry Skills

Addressing Sexual And Domestic Violence In The Church

By John Mcclure on May 25, 2020

Sexual and domestic violence sits silently in every congregation. Pastors must preach hope to survivors, clarity to perpetrators, and courage to bystanders.

Scripture: 2 Samuel 13:1-21, Psalm 34:18, Isaiah 1:17, Ephesians 5:11, Luke 4:18  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Justice, affliction

How To Plan A Preaching Calendar

By Josh Reich on Apr 15, 2025

Planning your preaching calendar in advance brings clarity, balance, and creativity, helping pastors steward their time, teams, and congregations faithfully.

Scripture: Nehemiah 2:11-18, Habakkuk 2:2, Acts 20:27, 2 Timothy 4:2, Proverbs 16:3  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Teaching the Bible

C. S. Lewis On Clear Writing (And Better Preaching)

By Ray Hollenbach on Aug 14, 2020

C. S. Lewis’s advice on clear writing offers pastors a timeless guide for preaching that is precise, concrete, and spiritually effective.

Scripture: 1 John 4:4, Nehemiah 8:8, 1 Corinthians 14:8-9, Colossians 4:6, 2 Timothy 2:15  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Clarity

What You’ll Never Hear About Preaching In Seminary

By Mark A. Howell on Sep 24, 2024

Ten pastoral reminders on suffering, study, pride, family, and faithfulness to help ministers endure and honor Christ in long-term ministry.

Scripture: 1 Peter 3:13-17, 1 Timothy 4:6-8, Psalm 19:7, Hebrews 4:13, 1 Timothy 3:4-5  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Preaching, Spiritual Discipline, preaching