In Preaching Articles: "Better Church"

Seven Deadly Statements Of Church Members

By Thom Rainer on Oct 12, 2022

"Words have meaning. And if church members start articulating words consistently, those words begin to reflect the priorities and passions of the church."

Tags: conflict, relationships, Church worship, pastoral leadership, church membership, Pastoral Ministry, church ministry, shepherding, Shepherding  (view more)  (view less)

10 Mistakes Churches Make At Christmastime

By Jonathan Howe on Dec 20, 2024

Unfortunately stress can lead churches to plan poorly and make unnecessary mistakes. Here are ten such mistakes to avoid in your church this Christmas.

Tags: Christmas, Advent, Holidays, prepare, focus on GOD, Christmas Gospel, church priorities, church leadership  (view more)  (view less)

Break All The Preaching Rules: 10 Reasons Why

By Rolf Jacobson on Sep 4, 2020

Strong preaching requires biblical convictions, but wise pastors know that creative rule-breaking can sometimes serve the gospel better than rigid formulas.

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:2, 2 Corinthians 11:23, Matthew 13:34, 1 Corinthians 14:40, Nehemiah 8:8  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Preaching, Creativity, preaching

Five Ways Satan Slips Into A Pastor’s Pulpit

By Dr. Larry Moyer on Mar 25, 2025

Pastors rarely fall through dramatic attacks but through subtle lies. These five common tactics reveal how the enemy quietly infiltrates a ministry and how to resist him.

Scripture: 1 John 4:4, 1 Corinthians 12:21, 2 Timothy 4:2, Ephesians 6:19-20, Revelation 22:12  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: church leadership, Church Leadership

9 Reasons Why I Preach Expositionally

By Danny Slavich on Apr 11, 2025

Expository preaching allows God to set the agenda, keeps sermons Christ-centered, grounds the church in Scripture, and shapes both preacher and people.

Scripture: John 8:1-11, Luke 24:27, 1 Corinthians 2:2, Acts 20:27, 2 Timothy 4:1-2  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: church leadership, Church Leadership

Preaching That Raises The Water Level

By Ray Hollenbach on Apr 29, 2025

Faithful preaching often works slowly. One sermon at a time, pastors nourish long-term growth that shapes congregations over the years.

Scripture: Jeremiah 2:13, John 4:14, Acts 20:27, Hebrews 5:12-14, Colossians 1:28  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: church leadership, Church Leadership

11 Signs Your Church Is Going Extinct

By Carey Nieuwhof on Nov 12, 2025

Unless you’re in a free fall right now, it can be hard to know whether your congregation will thrive, survive or take a dive in the next decade.

Scripture: 1 Samuel 2:1-11

Tags: preaching, church, Church, Preaching

A Category You Won’t Find In The Bible: The Churchless Christian

By Thabiti Anyabwile on Oct 26, 2022

"It is important for Christians to be members of a local church because the New Testament apostles can’t conceive of anything called a Christian that’s not connected to Christ’s body."

Tags: Church, Discipleship, Christian Life, Healthy Church, Called to serve, local church, be the church, Church Body of Christ, Christian community, church  (view more)  (view less)

10 Ways To Authenticate Your Preaching

By Jared Moore on Aug 10, 2020

Your hearers often hear you before they hear the Scriptures. If your people know you, they’ll have a better basis for understanding your sermons.

Scripture: 1 Timothy 3:1-7, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Tags: Service, Humility, Preaching, Biblical, Context, authentic, preaching, context, Authentic  (view more)  (view less)

Your Preaching Should Be Out Of This World--Seriously

By Sherman Haywood Cox on Oct 24, 2024

Beware of preaching that merely provides tools to help us become better situated in this present world rather than helping us to become ambassadors of the coming Kingdom.

Tags: preaching, Gospel, Preaching, Poverty, Debate, Confront, gospel  (view more)  (view less)

If Your Church Is Drifting And Stuck, Should You Try To Change It From Within?

By Jonathan Herron on Jan 11, 2022

What do you do if you’re a frustrated support staff member of a visionless church? Do you try to change things from within?

Tags: church planting, Church Death, pastoral leadership, Church and change

6 Reasons To Preach The Same Sermon Twice

By Joe Mckeever on Apr 22, 2020

Many pastors avoid repeating sermons, but revisiting them can deepen impact, sharpen insight, and better serve a changing congregation. Here’s why repeats matter.

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:2, Matthew 13:1-23, Galatians 6:6, 1 Timothy 4:13-16, 2 Corinthians 4:5-6  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Expository Teaching

Stop The Revolution. Join The Plodders.

By Kevin Deyoung on Jan 23, 2022

It’s sexy among young people—my generation—to talk about ditching institutional religion and starting a revolution of real Christ-followers living in real community without the confines of church.

Scripture: Ephesians 6:21, Romans 16:8

Tags: Church, Commitment, endurance, Faithfulness, church  (view more)  (view less)

How To Evaluate A Sermon Using The Preach Framework

By Rev. Tejado Hanchell on Oct 2, 2020

Was it truly a great sermon? Use the PREACH rubric to evaluate preaching effectiveness through punctuality, relevance, exegesis, appearance, clarity, and conviction.

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:2, Ephesians 4:15, 1 Corinthians 2:1-2, 2 Corinthians 5:11, Proverbs 25:11  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Church Leadership, Excellence, church leadership

Pastor: Lead Your Church From The Pulpit!

By SermonCentral .com on Jan 12, 2020

Pastors sometimes make the mistake of separating preaching from leading, but Brandon Cox explains how they go together.

Tags: Preaching, pulpit, preaching