In Preaching Articles: "Communication Skills"

Sticks And Stones - Part 1

By Lance Witt on Oct 15, 2023

Our words have incredible power. Both what we say and, how we say it are of great importance.

Scripture: Proverbs 18:21, Proverbs 16:24, Proverbs 12:25, Matthew 3:17, Proverbs 18:20, Proverbs 25:15  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Communication, relationships, Speech, Encouraging Others, Power of the tongue, communication  (view more)  (view less)

Sticks And Stones Part 2

By Lance Witt on Oct 16, 2023

Pound for pound, nothing is as powerful as your tongue. As pastors, we count on God to use our tongues as His instrument. In last week’s article, we talked about using our words to bless and speak life into others. This week I want to add 2 additional strategies for the wise use of words.

Scripture: Proverbs 15:1, Proverbs 12:18, Proverbs 10:19, Proverbs 17:28, Psalm 19:14  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Communication, leadership, godly speech, POWER OF WORDS, Leadership, communication  (view more)  (view less)

What Listeners Really Wish They Could Tell Their Pastor

By Dr. Larry Moyer on Jun 13, 2021

A speaker recalls blunt feedback from a child to show how honest listener frustrations can shape better preaching—especially length, self-focus, and dryness.

Scripture: John 2:1-11, 1 Corinthians 9:16

Tags: Communication, leadership, Preaching, Church Health, Feedback, Leadership, communication, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Do You Get Nervous Before You Preach?

By H.b. Charles, Jr. on Feb 18, 2022

Even skilled, prepared, and experienced preachers get nervous at preaching time. If they do not, they should.

Tags: Preaching, Anxiety, Pray, sermon prep, Sermon Prep, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

5 Leaders Examine Plagiarism In Preaching

By Tim Keller on Jul 17, 2024

Pastors face real pressure, but passing off another’s sermon as your own is still theft. New Testament scholar D. A. Carson, senior pastor Sandy Willson, author and senior pastor Tim Keller, senior parachurch executive Matt Perman, and church research consultant Glenn Lucke speak to the issue of Plagiarism.

Tags: Communication, Preaching, Pastors, Plagiarism, DUTY CALLS, Biblical Leadership, communication, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Bigger Is Not Necessarily Better: 3 Reasons I'm Convinced God Most Often Builds His Church Small

By Chris Surber on Jun 30, 2025

God uses big churches for certain Kingdom jobs, and God uses little churches for specific assignments.

Scripture: Matthew 18:20-21

Tags: Small Church, big versus small, community, ministry, Ministry, Community, Kingdom  (view more)  (view less)

Five Strategic Advantages Of Small Churches

By Brandon O'brien on Feb 13, 2024

Small churches hold strategic strengths: authenticity, focus, people-powered ministry, intergenerational relationships, and margin-focused mission.

Tags: Community, Church, Growth, leadership, pastor, Church Growth, Leadership, church, Ministry Church, Authentic, Intergenerational Ministry, Community Outreach, Health, authentic, Small Church, community outreach, community, Pastor  (view more)  (view less)

The Power Of Saying: I Don't Know

By SermonCentral .com on Aug 5, 2020

In preaching, politics, and pastoral care, wisdom is often found not in having answers, but in knowing when silence and humility honor God most.

Scripture: John 11:32-35, Deuteronomy 29:29, Romans 11:33-36, Job 38:1-4, James 1:5  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: communication, preaching, Pastoral Care, Communication, leadership, Preaching, counsel, pastoral care, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

Why Passion For God Must Lead Christian Leadership

By Brad Lomenick on Dec 24, 2020

Effective Christian leadership does not begin with strategy or management skills but with a deep and growing passion for God rooted in Scripture and prayer.

Scripture: Joshua 1:8, Psalm 63:1, John 15:4-5, Mark 1:35, Hebrews 4:9-11  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Christian Living, Preaching, Face, Seek, Time, christian living, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Learning To Preach In The Youtube Age

By Gregory K. Hollifield on Nov 4, 2020

The Internet has flooded the world with sermons. Used wisely, it can strengthen a preacher’s soul, sharpen skill, and broaden perspective.

Scripture: Romans 10:17, Proverbs 27:17, 2 Corinthians 10:12, 2 Timothy 2:15, Acts 17:11  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Preaching, Learning, video, Homiletics, Improve, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Inject Grace Into Your Next Sermon—here Are Four Ways

By Dr. Scott M. Gibson on Oct 24, 2019

It's true: We can preach grace to the point of ignoring the truth. But that's not usually our problem.

Scripture: Micah 7:1-15

Tags: Grace, Truth, Preaching, communicate, tone  (view more)  (view less)

Don't Kill Your Message!

By Carey Nieuwhof on Aug 11, 2025

What’s the difference between a sermon that flops and a sermon that people still buzz about years later?

Tags: Preaching, Lame, communicate, crash, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Dave Stone’s 8 Principles To Great Preaching

By Brandon Kelley on Sep 9, 2022

Dave Stone’s 8 Principles to Great Preaching

Scripture: Ephesians 6:10

Tags: Communication, Teaching, Preaching, Preaching Help, Communication Speech, Pastoral Ministry, sermon prep, effective preaching, Sermon Prep, communication, preaching, teaching, Sermon prep  (view more)  (view less)

5 Team-Killers In Church Leadership

By Matt Steen on Jul 8, 2020

Healthy church teams don’t fail overnight. These five leadership behaviors quietly erode trust, unity, and effectiveness long before visible conflict appears.

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-16, Proverbs 11:14, Ephesians 4:1-3, Philippians 2:1-4, Romans 12:4-8  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Unity, Church Leadership, Team Building, Community, unity, Teamwork, team building, church leadership, community  (view more)  (view less)

No More Email: A Productivity Experiment That’s Paying Off

By Carey Nieuwhof on Nov 16, 2023

How are your email habits affecting your effectiveness?

Tags: stress, Communication, Stress, effective, productivity, email, Pastoral Ministry, avoiding burnout, church leadership, communication  (view more)  (view less)