In Preaching Articles: "church community"

You Can't Please Everyone With Your Preaching

By Peter Mead on Feb 28, 2025

The challenge with criticism is to sort it through and preach for our audience of One, yet with a loving sensitivity to the many who sit and listen.

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16

Tags: Communication, Preaching, Criticism, criticism, communication, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

5 Ways To Shorten Your Sermon

By Peter Mead on Aug 20, 2024

It's important to think about what to include in your sermon, but it's probably just as important to carefully decide what to exclude. Learn how (and where) to trim your sermon down with these tips from Peter Mead.

Scripture: 1 Samuel 17:1-58, Matthew 28:18-20

Tags: Communication, Preaching, Edit, Time, communication, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

How Long To Preach: The Eternal Question

By Sherman Haywood Cox on Jul 11, 2020

How long is too long? Let's just say many preachers overestimate their ability to hold an audience.

Tags: Communication, Preaching, preparation, Time, communication, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Illustration Variation

By Peter Mead on Sep 1, 2023

Be careful that you don’t get stuck in a rut with your illustration material.

Scripture: Matthew 5:17-48

Tags: Communication, Preaching, illustration, Quotes, communication, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

5 Ways To Get People To Pay Attention To Your Sermons

By Charles Stone on Feb 16, 2022

One of the most disconcerting feelings we pastors experience is when we prepare a sermon and pour our heart into it, yet feel that it didn’t make a difference in people’s lives.

Tags: Communication, Preaching, Relevance, sermons, communication, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Courageous Conversations - Part 1

By Lance Witt on Sep 4, 2023

When it comes to correction, rebuke, or confrontation, to say it’s uncomfortable is a massive understatement. The truth is, pastors avoid it at all costs. That has certainly been true of me.

Tags: Communication, Courage, Confrontation, pastoral leadership, communication  (view more)  (view less)

Swindoll Says Stories Are Valuable

By Michael Duduit on Aug 15, 2023

Stories transport us into another world. They hold our attention.

Scripture: Matthew 13:34

Tags: Communication, Preaching, Story, storytelling, communication, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

The Silence Of God (Psalm 13)

By Josh Reich on May 6, 2022

While we often think God’s silence means He has abandoned us or left us, that is not true. God’s silence does not equal God’s absence.

Scripture: Psalm 13:1, Psalm 13:1-6

Tags: Community, Sin, God's silence, prayers, community  (view more)  (view less)

4 Traits Of Speakers Who Connect With Their Audience

By Lane Sebring on Jul 11, 2023

Recently my church hosted a leadership conference to encourage and equip our lay leaders and staff. One of the speakers at the event, Nikki, impacted me with her engaging presentation.

Tags: Preaching, humor, Honesty, Communication Speech, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

The Way A Leader Is Expected To Respond – Determines The Response They Receive

By Ron Edmondson on Dec 30, 2021

The way others expect you to respond often determines the way they respond to you.

Tags: Communication, Perception, Leadership General, pastoral leadership, communication  (view more)  (view less)

Preacher: Know The "Other Side" Well

By Joe Hoagland on Jul 20, 2023

Pretty much everything you preach on has at least one challenge to it, not even just from culture but also from within Christian theology.

Tags: Communication, Preaching, Culture, Theology, communication, preaching, culture  (view more)  (view less)

How To Recruit And Keep The Best Volunteers

By Josh Reich on Jan 26, 2022

The idea of recruiting volunteers is overwhelming and difficult at times. There never seems to be enough people, and the ones who are serving are often tired and feel like they are the only ones serving.

Tags: Communication, Lay Leadership, ministry vision, Recruiting, communication  (view more)  (view less)

Getting An Approachability Checkup

By Ken Sande on Mar 6, 2025

An expert in conflict management, Ken Sande brings his expertise to pastors and leaders to help them relate better with their congregation, co-workers, and families.

Scripture: Philippians 2:1-11, Philippians 2:3-4, Matthew 18:12-14, 1 Corinthians 1:4-9, Mark 10:42-45  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Church, Peace, leadership, pastor, conflict, relationships, counsel, Communication General, Leadership General, Pastor, Leadership, church  (view more)  (view less)

4 Problems With Passionate Preaching

By Peter Mead on Apr 28, 2020

Just because we feel strongly about our message doesn't mean we should strong-arm our listeners.

Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:16

Tags: Communication, Discernment, Preaching, passion, Passion of Christ, communication, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

One Critical Conviction

By Peter Mead on Apr 29, 2021

A preaching ministry is built on a whole set of convictions. Convictions about God, the Gospel, about people, about ministry.

Tags: Communication, Bible Influence, Bible Relevance, reading the bible, communication  (view more)  (view less)