In Preaching Articles: "Church Fathers"

Are Small Churches Less Fruitful?

By SermonCentral .com on Sep 26, 2022

Does the size of a church always speak of its faithfulness?

Scripture: John 15:5, Matthew 7:20, Matthew 12:33-34, Luke 3:9-14, Luke 3:8, Matthew 13:23  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Ministry, Fruit, Faithfulness, Trusting God, Church Growth, Church size, Love One Another, ministry  (view more)  (view less)

The Central Message Of The Church Is Reconciliation

By Jeff K. Clarke on Oct 10, 2022

“The essence of forgiveness is absorbing pain instead of giving it.” – Timothy Keller

Scripture: Romans 5:8, 2 Corinthians 5:18-19

Tags: Forgiveness, Gospel, Reconciliation, God's Love, forgive, Forgiveness in Jesus, gospel proclamation, The Church's Message, gospel  (view more)  (view less)

How To Get Out Of A Ministry Funk

By Tim Stevens on Apr 9, 2020

Tim Stevens offers encouragement and practical advice to pastors going through a tough ministry funk.

Scripture: Galatians 6:9

Tags: Ministry, Church, Church Practices, ministry, church  (view more)  (view less)

Five Strategic Advantages Of Small Churches

By Brandon O'brien on Feb 14, 2024

Brandon O'Brien offers five strengths that he believes are inherent in small congregations, which can leverage these characteristics for ministry success.

Tags: Church, Growth, pastor, Church Growth, Health, Small Church, Church General, Pastor, church  (view more)  (view less)

10 Reasons Small Churches Tend To Stay Small

By Joe Mckeever on Sep 21, 2024

After working for years among hundreds of small congregations, Joe McKeever speaks to the subtle growth barriers that tend to go unnoticed or unaddressed in stagnant churches.

Scripture: John 13:35, Psalm 85:6, Luke 11:1-2

Tags: Church, Outreach, pastor, Church Growth, Health, Fail, Small Church, Church Practices, Pastor, church  (view more)  (view less)

Though You Slay Me

By SermonCentral .com on Jun 21, 2022

For Shane Barnard, it came in the hospital room at the passing of his father. When the doctor informed Barnard and his mother that his father was dead, the flood of pain and shock came. As Barnard held his mother to comfort her, he says, as she wailed, she sang softly underneath her breath, the words of Job 1:21, "He gives, he takes, blessed be the name of the Lord."

Scripture: Philippians 3:10, John 6:66-67, Job 1:21

Tags: Worship, Perseverance, suffering, Surpassing Worth

10 Things Healthy Churches Do Well

By Joe Mckeever on Jan 24, 2025

Whether we are a critic or a lover of the church — or for some of us, both — it's important to remain balanced.

Scripture: Acts 6:1-7

Tags: Church Growth, Healthy Church, Pastors, CHURCH LIFE, Church General, Accept  (view more)  (view less)

4 Reasons Why People Leave And 3 Ways Pastors Respond

By Greg Surratt on Apr 29, 2020

In the early days of starting Seacoast, I used to wince when someone asked for an appointment. “Was this another ‘core team member’ hanging up their spurs?”, I’d think to myself.

Scripture: Hebrews 10:25-35, Hebrews 10:25

Tags: Church, Church Growth, Connect, Assimilation, Church Practices  (view more)  (view less)

5 Things That Are Not So Wrong With The Church

By SermonCentral .com on Mar 4, 2022

I’ve noticed that for a couple thousand years now, the church has had this tendency to be quick to point out what is wrong with the church, but slow to affirm what is right.

Tags: Church, Culture, negative, Church Health, church, culture  (view more)  (view less)

Eight Things I Like About The Church…and Five I Hate.

By Joe Mckeever on Jun 7, 2023

Show me a Christian who can please God better alone than with other believers and I’ll show you a one-of-a-kind, something never before seen on planet Earth. The Lord thought you and I would be needing each other, so placed us in a church fellowship when He saved us.

Tags: Church, Preaching, preaching, church

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

By Thabiti Anyabwile on Oct 27, 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)

7 Dangerous Church Hiring Mistakes

By Brian Orme on Mar 28, 2024

We don’t want you to drop $300K (or more) of Kingdom funds on bad staffing when it should go toward Gospel-centered initiatives. So, here are seven hiring mistakes you want to avoid at all costs.

Tags: Church, Preaching, mistakes, church and business, hiring, preaching, church  (view more)  (view less)

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

By Jonathan Herron on Jan 12, 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

52 Quotes For This Generation Of Church Leaders

By Brad Lomenick on Apr 15, 2020

52 insightful quotes from Brad Lomenick that pertain to the preaching and pastoral audience.

Tags: pastor, Pastors, Leadership General, Young, Church, leadership  (view more)  (view less)

The Case For The Hour-Long Church Service

By Dave Browning on Jan 5, 2023

For some Christian leaders, an hour-long service can be viewed as too short, if not restrictive. For the people we are trying to reach, however, an hour may seem long, if not excessive.

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:21

Tags: Preaching, church service, Time, preaching