In Preaching Articles: "Christ In Us"

3 Ways To Defeat Leadership Discouragement

By Charles Stone on Dec 11, 2023

Discouragement comes with the territory for ministry leaders. Unmet goals, putting out fires, staff issues, displeasing people, and general tiredness all contribute to discouragement. When it weighs us down, how can we dig out? The life of the prophet Elijah gives us hope.

Tags: Pastoral Ministry, Elijah's Depression, Fighting for Joy, Leadership, Perseverance, leadership, Discouragement, Depression, Elijah's faith  (view more)  (view less)

Do You Need Help Reading Your Bible?

By C.j. Mahaney on Jun 7, 2024

"If more people approached the Bible with a deep sense of helplessness, and hope-filled reliance on God’s merciful assistance, there would be far more seeing and savoring and transformation than there is.”

Tags: Growth in Christ, Christian growth, Spiritual Discipline, dependence on God, bible study, bible, Bible, BIBLE STUDY, priorities, bible reading, Bible Study  (view more)  (view less)

5 Ways To Make Your Preaching More Practical And Relevant

By Rick Ezell on Jan 31, 2025

Use these methods to practically reach people suffering from real hurts, problems, doubts, fears, and anxieties gnawing at their faith.

Scripture: Acts 17:16-34, Romans 10:4

Tags: Preaching, Culture, Self, Relevance, audience, application, preaching, culture  (view more)  (view less)

4 Reasons Not To Give An Altar Call

By Dr. Larry Moyer on Aug 12, 2024

There is a place for a properly given altar call, but we must maintain a correct understanding of how, when, and where to use one.

Tags: Preaching, altar, Invitation, preaching

Sex, Marriage, And Fairy Tales

By Jefferson Bethke on Dec 16, 2023

This creative spoken-word poetry provides a powerful statement about God's purpose for marriage--to make us holy.

Tags: Marriage, Preaching, preaching

How I Preach From An Ipad

By Jeremy Roberts on Oct 19, 2020

Technology meets preparation. Pastor Jeremy Roberts shows how he uses everyone's favorite toy in the service of preaching.

Scripture: Ephesians 5:1-21, Ephesians 5:1

Tags: imitator, Light, Preaching, walk, submit  (view more)  (view less)

How To Preach Transformative Sermons

By Sherman Haywood Cox on Oct 16, 2020

Sherman Cox reminds us, "We all have heard preachers with all the skills of great orators, but something is missing."

Scripture: John 10:10

Tags: transform, God, Preaching

Six Essential Skills For Transformational Pastors

By Tod Bolsinger on Jun 9, 2021

There's a gap between our aspired values and our actions. Effective pastors/preachers help us "mind the gap."

Tags: transform, Growth, leadership, Preaching, work, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

20 Questions Every Preacher Should Ask The Day Before Preaching

By Bob Hostetler on Jan 20, 2020

Bob Hostetler has a penetrating set of questions as part of his sermon prep. Perhaps they could help us all.

Tags: question, Preaching, routine, Checklist, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Preach The Way The Bible Preaches--Tell Stories!

By Ray Hollenbach on Nov 12, 2024

Those of us who feed God's flock must become God's storytellers. Here's the journey we must take.

Scripture: 2 Peter 1:5-9, Exodus 17:8-16

Tags: storytelling, preaching, Parable, Preaching, narrative  (view more)  (view less)

God Plans For The Unexpected And Inconvenient

By SermonCentral .com on Jun 2, 2022

What’s odd is that a story about a socially humiliating situation and a reluctant, irritated benefactor is supposed to encourage us to pray.

Scripture: Luke 11:2-4, Luke 11:5-8, John 15:5, Luke 11:9-13

Tags: Sacrifice, Lord's Prayer, Unexpected, inadequate

How Do I Study A Specific Topic In The Bible?

By SermonCentral .com on Sep 7, 2022

Studying the Bible does not need to be complex. Simple tools can help us glean amazing insights from the word.

Scripture: Proverbs 2:3-6, Jeremiah 29:13, 2 Timothy 2:7

Tags: BIBLE STUDY, Concordance, bible study, Personal Growth, writing, spiritual growth, Bible Study, Spiritual Discipline, Journaling  (view more)  (view less)

Doing Ministry Without Losing Your Soul Part 2

By Lance Witt on May 17, 2024

"In ministry, there are certain tensions that we must live with. Sometimes they seem contradictory, but they are tensions that are actually healthy for us."

Scripture: Philippians 3:7-8, Psalm 27:4, 2 Corinthians 3:18

Tags: Pastoral Ministry, church ministry, Healthy Ministry, Tensions in Ministry, Leadership, leadership, Balance, pastoral leadership  (view more)  (view less)

Just What Is Pulpit Plagiarism?

By Ron Forseth on Jan 1, 2024

A thoughtful look at plagiarism, quotation, and citation in preaching, showing how conscience, diligence, and trust shape ethical and faithful sermon use.

Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:15, 1 Corinthians 10:29

Tags: Preaching, Character, Integrity, Honesty, Plagiarism, Homiletics, Pastoral Integrity, Sermon Preparation, preaching, sermon preparation, Sermon Plagiarism, Preaching Ethics  (view more)  (view less)

Slaves In Your Church's Backyard

By David Batstone on Dec 14, 2022

Activist David Batstone urges pastors to focus ministry against the terrible prevalence of human trafficking in the U.S. and around the world.

Tags: Culture, Slavery, Justice, traffic, injustice, culture  (view more)  (view less)