In Preaching Articles: "Christmas Joy"

11 Ways To Make Christmas Your Best Outreach Of The Year

By Carey Nieuwhof on Dec 1, 2019

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 Last-Minute Tips For Your Christmas Eve Service

By Josh Reich on Dec 21, 2023

An extra service this week doesn't have to be a chore: it just has to be authentic.

Tags: Preaching, preaching

What A Rabbi Taught Me About Keeping Christ In Christmas

By SermonCentral .com on Dec 12, 2024

When people come to your church this Christmas season, they want to hear the story of Jesus. Give them what they came for.

Tags: Christmas, Culture, set apart, incarnation of Jesus, culture  (view more)  (view less)

We Need A Theology Of Rest

By Lance Witt on Jul 27, 2023

You don’t have to be running at an insane pace to be running on empty. I think the primary issue here isn’t the size of your ministry or the pace of your ministry. The PRIMARY issue has to do with the health of your soul (your interior life).

Scripture: Proverbs 14:8, Exodus 33:14-15, Jeremiah 6:16

Tags: Wisdom, Rest, endurance with joy, spiritual leadership, entering God's rest  (view more)  (view less)

"Get To" Vs. "Have To"

By Lance Witt on Apr 13, 2022

I am not exempt from the needs of my humanity simply because I am a pastor or ministry leader.

Scripture: Matthew 11:28-30

Tags: pastor, endurance with joy, rest in Jesus, fixing eyes on Jesus, Pastor  (view more)  (view less)

Bethlehem This Day Resembles Heaven

By SermonCentral .com on Dec 20, 2023

One the earliest--and one of the best--Christmas sermons ever preached. You're invited to John Chrysostom's place for Christmas!

Tags:

Brandon Cox: 3 Unique Christmas Series You Can Preach

By SermonCentral .com on Dec 4, 2023

After a few minutes of brainstorming, Brandon Cox could approach the holidays in a variety of ways. You can, too.

Tags: Preaching, preaching

Christmas Is Too Big For One Day: Why We Celebrate Advent

By Dr. Andreas Kostenberger on Dec 6, 2024

Jesus’s birth did not come in a vacuum. His coming was the culmination of centuries, even millennia, of mounting expectation of the coming Messiah and Savior of humankind.

Scripture: Genesis 3:15, 1 Samuel 13:14, Luke 2:10-11

Tags: Advent, Christmas Advent, Waiting on God, Spiritual Preparation

God’s Work In Your Depression

By SermonCentral .com on Jul 5, 2022

“Is this depression? I have almost no motivation for anything. I have been praying and I will keep praying for God to be my strength but how do you fight when you don’t feel like fighting?"

Scripture: Isaiah 43:2-3, Psalm 139:11-12

Tags: Fighting for Joy, Help for the Hurting, Emotions, Healing, endurance, Depression, Struggles, soul care  (view more)  (view less)

5 Questions That Reveal Your Leadership Strengths

By Charles Stone on Mar 23, 2023

When we discover, develop, and deploy our strengths and gifts, we maximize our Kingdom impact and experience the greatest joy.

Scripture: John 19:28-29

Tags: Preaching, preaching

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)

The Lost Art Of Feasting

By David Mathis on Nov 4, 2022

"Most of us have never given any serious thought to what it might mean to feast with Christ-honoring intentionality."

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:31, 1 Timothy 4:4-5, Luke 14:13, Romans 14:5-6

Tags: Thanksgiving, Fellowship, Community, feast, Christian Joy, give thanks, thank god, Thanksgiving Holiday, community, fellowship  (view more)  (view less)

We All Need Adversity And Affliction

By SermonCentral .com on Aug 23, 2022

I would not exchange any of my discipline-afflictions for anything. In fact, I have made it a habit to keep asking God to discipline me. This isn’t because I love affliction, but because the hope in God I’ve tasted in the promises of God I’ve trusted in the darkest days are the sweetest things my soul has ever known.

Scripture: Psalm 119:71-72, Hebrews 12:11

Tags: Spiritual Maturity, Christian Maturity, joy in trials, spiritual immaturity, fruit of sorrow, Adversity, sanctification, Hardship of Life  (view more)  (view less)

Leading *chreasters* To Christ: 8 Ideas

By SermonCentral on Apr 3, 2020

Here's how you can reach the people who attend your church only on Christmas and Easter.

Tags: Church, Outreach, New, interest

How To Resolve Most Relational Conflict

By Jon Bloom on Nov 5, 2022

"Few things sap more of our joy, are as emotionally demanding and mentally distracting, as relational conflict. And few things wreak as much havoc and destruction on lives as relational conflict. And so much of it is avoidable."

Scripture: Matthew 10:34-36, James 4:1, Matthew 18:21-35, 1 Peter 5:6, Philippians 2:14-15  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Humility and Pride, Humility, conflict, resolving conflict, Love Others, Dealing with Conflicts, selfish ambition, Peace  (view more)  (view less)