In Preaching Articles: "Church Life"

Does Your Preaching Draw A Line From The Bible To Real Life?

By Sherman Haywood Cox on Feb 3, 2023

Every sermon should ask the people for some sort of response, a response in real life.

Tags: Bible, Preaching, Homiletics, real life, preaching, bible  (view more)  (view less)

The Secret To God’s Power In Your Life And Preaching - Part 1

By Lance Witt on Jun 12, 2023

Do you mistake fruitfulness for holiness? Sit with those words a moment. What does that look like practically? And how have you seen this in your life and in the lives of other leaders?

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The Secret To God’s Power In Your Life And Preaching - Part 2

By Lance Witt on Jun 13, 2023

If you read last week’s article you know that we talked about holiness not just being a legalistic set of rules. True holiness always starts with relationship. And the highest motive for keeping ourselves pure is our love for God, not the fear of consequences.

Scripture: Acts 20:35

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How Your Calendar Is Killing You (And What To Do About It)

By Carey Nieuwhof on Jul 1, 2024

Here’s the sad truth: when your calendar is out of control, so are you. And so is your life.

Tags: Schedule, Busyness, Time Management, productivity, Personal Life, Balanced Life, Workplace Balance, pastoral leadership  (view more)  (view less)

Eight Ideas For Reaping The Fruit Of Your Vacation Bible School

By Hal Seed on Jul 8, 2024

Learn how to move beyond counting VBS attendance to measuring true fruit by building relationships, following up well, and enfolding unchurched families into the life of your church.

Tags: Evangelism, Church, Children, Outreach, family, VBS, evangelism, church  (view more)  (view less)

Live To Make God Look Good

By SermonCentral .com on Sep 2, 2022

The great tragedy of the universe is that while human beings were made to glorify God because of who they are and what they see, we have all fallen short of this purpose.

Scripture: Isaiah 61:1-3, Romans 3:23, Romans 1:23, Isaiah 40:4, Isaiah 42:8, Isaiah 44:23, Isaiah 48:9-11, Isaiah 60:2, Isaiah 49:3  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Sin, glory of God, meaning of life, glorify Christ, what is the purpose of life, Eternal Purpose, Self glory  (view more)  (view less)

Eight Reflections On 40 Years Of Marriage

By Thom Rainer on Nov 25, 2022

I want to share with you readers eight of the most powerful lessons I have learned in 40 years of marriage.

Tags: Marriage, Thankfulness, Personal Life, Marriage Commitment, Marriage Faithfulness, Lessons in life, marriage and family, blessing children  (view more)  (view less)

Journey In The Dark

By Peter Mead on Jan 14, 2022

God delights to transform lives. There are many ways to depict this journey of transformation, but let’s focus on one example from the Old Testament.

Scripture: Psalm 131:1-3, Psalm 130:1-8

Tags: Psalms, Transformation, transformed life, Christian Maturity

Shut Down The Bus Tours: What Older Members Should Really Be Doing

By Carey Nieuwhof on Aug 9, 2023

What if this one generation actually just sacrificed for the sake of another? What if they gave up their preferences in music, style and taste so that others could come to know Christ?

Tags: God's family, Life Mission, mission, Intergenerational

When I Don't Feel Successful

By Rev J.r. Vassar on Mar 21, 2022

From small mistakes to colossal meltdowns, we are all too familiar with the pain and shame of failure.

Scripture: Galatians 2:16, Philippians 3:8

Tags: failure, idolatry, Success In Life, success in ministry

7 Subtle Signs Your Church Is Dying

By Carey Nieuwhof on Feb 18, 2021

As with almost everything in life, there are subtle signs your peak may be near or you may be cresting past it. Other times, the signs of death are evident to everyone but the leaders. If you recognize the signs early enough, you can reverse the trend.

Tags: leadership, Preaching, Church Health, Leadership

Slaves In Your Church’s Backyard

By David Batstone on Dec 14, 2022

Modern slavery hides in plain sight. These stories reveal how trafficking thrives worldwide and even locally, calling Christians to seek justice with persistent, sacrificial love.

Tags: Compassion, Culture, Slavery, Justice, traffic, injustice, Human Trafficking, abolition, culture, Modern Slavery, Abolition  (view more)  (view less)

Increasing Youth Retention And Involvement In Your Church

By John Gilman Ii on Mar 24, 2021

Families have long been the cornerstone of church congregations. Parents bring their children to church every Sunday. At a certain point, it becomes the children’s choice and responsibility to decide if they want to continue going to church every Sunday or not. That’s why it’s so important to show your children God’s grace and make Him a priority in their life from an early age.

Scripture: Malachi 2:15, Proverbs 22:6

Tags: Youth, Small groups, Equipping Disciples, Youth Ministry, paying attention  (view more)  (view less)

Why I Pace Before I Preach

By Walter Wangerin Jr. on May 1, 2020

Preaching demands the whole person, and fear often accompanies love for God and His people. Pacing, trembling, and praying become part of delivering a faithful message.

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 2:3, Jeremiah 20:9, Exodus 4:10-12, 2 Corinthians 4:7, James 3:1  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Emotions, Preaching, pulpit, preparation, preaching, Pastoral Life, Pulpit  (view more)  (view less)

6 Tools For Overcoming Preacher’s Block (You'll Love #3)

By SermonCentral .com on Sep 10, 2025

I've been preaching for 30 years. At some point I have to run out of things to say, right? Actually, at hundreds of points I have run out of things to say!

Tags: Preaching, Devotional Life, preacher's block, body clock, preaching  (view more)  (view less)