In Preaching Articles: "Being merciful "

Pastor? Or Christian?

By Lance Witt on Jan 8, 2022

If you have been in ministry very long, you know how easy it is to get the two intertwined. When you feel called and when you have great passion for ministry, the lines between person and position can get fuzzy. You move from simply being a Christian to now being a professional Christian.

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4 Things We Wish People Knew About Us As Pastors

By Lane Sebring on Nov 6, 2019

Being a pastor is unlike just about any other profession. Because of the holistic nature of the work, we tend to take on "pastor" as an identity and not just a career.

Scripture: John 12:32, John 12:29-36

Tags: Preaching, pastor, identity, Profession

Does Your Sermon Outline Serve You Or Do You Serve It?

By Joe Hoagland on Jul 30, 2019

"I don’t really use an outline: it just gets in the way of me being free up there.” (I used to say that, too)

Tags: Preaching

Live To Make God Look Good

By SermonCentral .com on Sep 2, 2022

The great tragedy of the universe is that while human beings were made to glorify God because of who they are and what they see, we have all fallen short of this purpose.

Scripture: Isaiah 61:1-3, Romans 3:23, Romans 1:23, Isaiah 40:4, Isaiah 42:8, Isaiah 44:23, Isaiah 48:9-11, Isaiah 60:2, Isaiah 49:3  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Sin, glory of God, meaning of life, glorify Christ, what is the purpose of life, Eternal Purpose, Self glory  (view more)  (view less)

Allowing The Spirit To Take Control Of Your Sermon

By Leslie Holmes on Apr 17, 2025

Somewhere inside most of us who preach lingers the need to be in control. It's what we do best, but being in control is the worst thing we can be when it comes to preaching!

Tags: Holy Spirit, Preaching, Triune, Holy Spirit General, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

7 Strong Helps On Staying Married While Staying In Ministry

By Bob Hostetler on Jan 8, 2020

Pastor Bob Hostetler hasn't just survived the challenges that come with being married while in ministry; he lists his marriage as a major ministry success. How does that happen?

Tags: Ministry, Marriage

10 Things Every New Believer Should Know

By Brian Mavis on Nov 20, 2024

"I have been a Christian for over 25 years, and God has had to redirect me on multiple things because of what I mistakenly believed early on about being a Christian. And it is better to learn sooner than later."

Scripture: Colossians 3:13

Tags: Preaching, Pray, Mentor, love your neighbor, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Only One Perfect Pastor

By Taelor Gray on May 1, 2021

Growing up in church, I used to think of pastors as heroic, super-powered leaders who were almost like enhanced human beings. For me, they were moral superiors operating beyond the scope of failure and “common” struggle.

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:1-27, Galatians 2:11-14, Acts 20:17-38, 2 Corinthians 12:9

Tags: pastor, humanity, Imperfection, Pastoral Character, Pastor  (view more)  (view less)

How To Make Christmas Your Best Outreach Of The Year

By Carey Nieuwhof on Dec 19, 2023

You might think it’s an event you do, or perhaps it’s Easter. But whether Christmas has historically been your best opportunity to reach unchurched people or not, I believe it could be.

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10 Things Every New Believer Should Know

By Brian Mavis on Mar 7, 2025

"I have been a Christian for over twenty-five years, and God has had to redirect me on multiple things because of what I mistakenly believed early on about being a Christian. And it is better to learn sooner than later."

Scripture: Matthew 6:33, James 4:10, Romans 5:8

Tags: Discipleship, Preaching, temptation, Deliverance, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Five Steps To Respond To A Hurtful And Hateful Email

By SermonCentral .com on Jul 7, 2022

“You have no business being the pastor of our church. All you are interested in is getting your own way and changing all the good things we have going. People are saying you should be fired. I agree with them.”

Scripture: Proverbs 15:1

Tags: Perseverance, leadership, conflict, Criticism, loving people, pastoral leadership, church ministry, Difficult People, Facing Controversy, criticism, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

4 Ways To Process The Emotions Of Betrayal As A Leader

By Ron Edmondson on Jul 27, 2022

"Suddenly I was feeling a stirring in my stomach. I became slightly nervous. It was a brief encounter, but I quickly realized I was being reminded of a few very painful experiences in my own leadership and life. I was recalling the emotions of betrayal."

Scripture: Isaiah 61:3, Philippians 4:19, Acts 1:13

Tags: Forgiveness, Healing, leadership, conflict, Betrayal, Forgiveness for Others, pastoral leadership, Pastoral Ministry, grieving, Overcoming hurt, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

The Affair You Are Most Likely To Have As A Leader

By Carey Nieuwhof on Sep 8, 2023

Obviously, some leaders have emotional or sexual affairs with people to whom they are not married. As heartbreaking, future-altering and faith-shattering as those affairs can be, there’s another kind of affair you’re actually far more likely to have.

Tags: leadership, Healthy Church, avoiding burnout, workaholic, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

The Secret To God’s Power In Your Life And Preaching - Part 2

By Lance Witt on Jun 13, 2023

If you read last week’s article you know that we talked about holiness not just being a legalistic set of rules. True holiness always starts with relationship. And the highest motive for keeping ourselves pure is our love for God, not the fear of consequences.

Scripture: Acts 20:35

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Does Your Soul Have A Backbone?

By Lance Witt on Apr 26, 2021

Over the last few years my single most consistent prayer has been for spiritual courage. Being a coward comes quite naturally to me. I don’t like to fight. I don’t like rejection. I am definitely not a fan of pain. All of these are essential qualities of a coward.

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