In Preaching Articles: "Bible"

7 Word Study Mistakes That Distort Scripture

By Nicholas Mcdonald on May 19, 2021

Biblical word studies can clarify Scripture, but many common methods actually distort meaning. Understanding these mistakes helps readers interpret the Bible more faithfully.

Scripture: John 3:16, Acts 19:32, John 21:15-17, James 2:21-24, 2 Timothy 2:15  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Dictionary, fallacy, preaching, Study, Preaching, the word  (view more)  (view less)

Why Faith Often Lives In The Tension

By Jonathan Martin on May 16, 2021

The Bible presents a world filled with complexity, flawed people, and unresolved tensions. Learning to live faithfully within that tension can deepen our understanding of God’s grace.

Scripture: Psalm 103:10-14, Romans 5:8, John 8:10-11, Hebrews 4:15-16, 2 Corinthians 12:9  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Christian Living, Grace, Jesus Christ, Certain, ambiguity, christian living, grace  (view more)  (view less)

Why Smart Christians Believe Dumb Spiritual Cliches

By Larry Osborne on Jun 11, 2021

Many believers unknowingly build their faith on popular Christian sayings rather than the full teaching of Scripture. Pastors must help people test these ideas against the Bible.

Scripture: John 14:6, Colossians 1:28-29, Acts 17:11, 2 Timothy 2:15, Matthew 7:13-14  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Christian Growth, Preaching, advice, cliche, platitude, Christian growth, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

8 Ways To Bust Leadership Discouragement

By Charles Stone on Sep 27, 2022

"Discouragement is a universal experience for ministry leaders and the word actually self-defines itself…dis-courage meaning no courage. Some of the Bible’s greatest characters faced it: Moses, David, Paul, Mary the mother of Jesus, and the apostles. Nehemiah, the great Old Testament leader faced it when he led the Jews to rebuild the wall. Yet, his response offers us hope when we face it."

Scripture: Psalm 77:11, Nehemiah 4:10-21

Tags: Nehemiah, leadership, Discouragement, thought life, pastoral leadership, Blessings, Burdens, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

We Can - And Should! - Preach Like The Apostles

By Dayton Hartman on Jun 20, 2021

As culture becomes increasingly skeptical of Scripture, preaching must not only proclaim the gospel but also defend its truth. Apologetic elements help listeners understand and trust the message of the Bible.

Scripture: Acts 2:22-24, Acts 17:22-31, 1 Corinthians 15:12-20, Acts 18:28, Jude 1:3  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Preaching, apostle, Millenial, Biblical Authority, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

God Wants To Shape Your Wants: An Invitation To The Psalms

By John Piper on Nov 29, 2022

Try to imagine the Bible without the Psalms. What a different book it would be! What a different place the church would be. And what a different person I would be.

Scripture: Psalm 1:3

Tags: Psalms, Emotions, Heart, taste and see, Delight, Personal Growth, Delight in the Lord, sovereignty of God  (view more)  (view less)

7 Phrases Christians Like To Say That Aren’t True

By Lori Hatcher on May 30, 2024

"We’ve all heard them—phrases that sound wise, insightful, and biblical. But are they really? Let’s look at some common sayings, compare them to the Bible, and see if they hold up."

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 1:8-9, James 1:14, 1 Corinthians 10:13, 1 John 3:10, Daniel 10:11, Psalm 148:2  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Theology, Know the Truth, Biblical truth, chosen people, Enduring Hardship, help in temptation, guard the truth, Contending for truth  (view more)  (view less)

1,000 Sermons Will Change Your Life

By Trevin Wax on Mar 25, 2020

Pastors, don’t underestimate the cumulative effect of your preaching. You are not dumping information into brains. You are forming the habits of your people, teaching them how to read and understand and apply the Bible for themselves.

Tags: New life, church leadership, Church Leadership

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

Will The Real Jesus Stand Up? Part 1

By Lance Witt on Dec 27, 2023

"It may be that the great sin of the church in our generation is the trivializing of God. The Jesus Christ, in whom the fullness of deity dwells, is not to be boxed in, airbrushed, made over, tamed, explained or explained away. I am deeply convinced that the way you live will be a direct consequence of how you see God."

Scripture: Hebrews 12:28-29, Colossians 1:15-17, Jeremiah 23:23

Tags: Jesus is Lord, Deity of Christ, christian testimony, authority of Christ, Identity of Christ, False View of God, God of the Bible  (view more)  (view less)

God’s Revealed Truth Is Something We Discover, Not Invent

By Randy Alcorn on Jun 28, 2024

“Truth is truth even if no one believes it; a lie is a lie even if everyone believes it.”

Scripture: John 10:27

Tags: Lies, Jesus the truth, Know the Truth, Biblical truth, study bible, Abide in Christ, guard the truth, Applying Truth  (view more)  (view less)

Preaching God’s Word Is Timeless (Find The Timeless Truth)

By Joe Hoagland on Jul 24, 2022

The Bible is wholly relevant to the modern person’s life sometimes it just takes some work for us to figure that out. The idea of making a “timeless truth” central to your sermon is important in communicating God’s Word in a postmodern age.

Tags: Scripture, Communication, Teaching, Preaching, Preaching Help, Teaching God's Word, Pastoral Ministry, effective preaching, communication, preaching, teaching  (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: Faith, doubt, Remember, Trust, God's Character, God's faithfulness, doubt and fear, Crisis Of Faith  (view more)  (view less)

Preach Better With SermonCentral And Accordance

By Rick Mansfield on Jan 22, 2021

SermonCentral and Accordance Bible Software make for a great sermon prep and preaching combination. Sermons and other content from SermonCentral can be imported into Accordance User Tools and User Notes for sermon prep, live preaching, or archived for later reference.

Tags: Accordance

Eight Indicators That Pastors Are Expected To Do Most Of The Ministry

By SermonCentral .com on Apr 20, 2021

Contrary to most of the indicators today, the Bible says the laity (saints) are to do the work of ministry. Most of the ministry should not be in the hands of pastors, but in the hands of the church members. Unfortunately, we often reverse the biblical truth. We expect ministry to be done by the pastors and staff. Here are eight indicators of that reality.

Scripture: Ephesians 4:11-12

Tags: Laity, Church Health, attacking the pastor, High expectations