In Preaching Articles: "Confession"

When Should We Confess Sins Publicly?

By SermonCentral .com on Jan 8, 2024

That's not always easy to judge. If you commit a sin, it may ripple out in a lot of ways—more than you think—and you may have a lot of tracks to cover. Basically, a public sin or a public consequence of sin is going to need public confession and repentance.

Scripture: Jeremiah 1:4-10

Tags: Preaching, preaching

The Dangers Of Self-Righteousness: Lessons From Luke 18:9-14

By Josh Read on Oct 29, 2025

In today’s world, especially in the age of social media, it’s easy to curate a version of ourselves that looks impressive—sharing successes, opinions, and spiritual highlights while hiding our struggles. But Jesus’ parable in Luke 18:9–14 cuts straight through that façade. It reminds us that self-righteousness doesn’t bring us closer to God, it drives us further from Him.

Scripture: Luke 18:9-14, Romans 3:23-24, James 4:10

Tags: Mercy, Parable, Prayer, confession, repentance, justification, sanctification, Repentance, Justification, Confession, Sanctification  (view more)  (view less)

Without Accountability, Confession And Friendship, ‘we’re Going To End Up Out Of Ministry’

By Michael Duduit on Jan 27, 2022

My friend Clayton King, who has never served as a senior pastor (and had not expected to), suddenly found himself leading one of the nation’s largest congregations as interim pastor of NewSpring Church in Anderson, South Carolina.

Scripture: James 5:16

Tags: Spiritual Warfare, Isolation, Leadership General, pastoral leadership

Preacher's Block: 8 Sure-Fire Ways To Beat It

By Peter Mead on Aug 26, 2025

Time ticks by and Sunday's deadline keeps approaching. What should you do if you feel stuck?

Scripture: Ezekiel 16:25-35, Ezekiel 16:39-40, Ezekiel 16:49-50

Tags: Read, Preaching, confess, writing, writer's block, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Building Preacher-Listener Connection – Part 1

By Peter Mead on Apr 21, 2024

People can usually sense if you are not being genuine.

Tags: relationships, Confess Sin, God's Word, Genuine Faith

What Is The ‘sin Not Leading To Death’ In 1 John 5?

By John Piper on Jul 12, 2024

Check out John Piper's answer to a perplexing question from 1 John.

Scripture: 1 John 1:9, 1 John 5:16-17

Tags: confession, repentance, God's Promises, faith and repentance, Repentance  (view more)  (view less)

Why Great Preachers Are Not Always Great Leaders

By Adrian Pei on Oct 11, 2020

Confessing weaknesses can impress a crowd, but true leadership maturity requires repentance, accountability, and real change.

Scripture: Matthew 21:28-31, James 1:22, 1 Samuel 16:7, Proverbs 27:6, 2 Corinthians 7:10  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Humility, leadership, Preaching, Leadership, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Bad Theological Analogies, Brought To You By St. Patrick

By SermonCentral .com on Mar 15, 2021

The problem with using analogies to explain the Holy Trinity is that you always end up confessing some ancient heresy.

Scripture: John 5:1-16

Tags: Preaching, Theology, analogy, St Patrick

"Jesus Is Lord” Is Not A Slogan

By Ed Stetzer on Oct 28, 2020

To confess Jesus as Lord in the first century was treason. Today it risks becoming cliché. The words still demand total allegiance.

Scripture: Romans 10:9, Philippians 2:11, Matthew 6:24, 2 Corinthians 5:20, Luke 12:32  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Lord, Jesus, Outreach, Missions, Preaching, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Why Authentic Preaching Could Be A Trap

By Maurilio Amorim on May 14, 2020

Authenticity blesses the church, but permissive confession erodes repentance. True vulnerability must lead to real change, not sympathy without transformation.

Scripture: James 5:16, 2 Corinthians 7:10, Proverbs 28:13, Psalm 51:10-12, 1 John 1:8-9  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Integrity

The Power Of Weak Preaching

By SermonCentral .com on Jun 18, 2020

God channels His power through weak preachers, not showmanship. True potency comes from courage, confession, and preaching Christ with humble dependence.

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:21, 2 Corinthians 12:9, John 17:17, 2 Timothy 4:2, 1 Corinthians 2:1-5  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Preaching, weakness, preaching, Weakness

When A Private Apology Is Not Enough

By Joe Mckeever on Jul 14, 2022

"Nothing is so lovely and so welcome and so healing in a church as for a member to go before the congregation and admit to his/her destructive behavior and ask for forgiveness."

Tags: Humility, Reconciliation, repentance, restitution, Confession of Sin, church ministry, Apology, Making things right, Admitting Guilt, Repentance  (view more)  (view less)

4 Spiritual Disciplines Pastors Often Neglect

By Charles Stone on Nov 15, 2023

What spiritual disciplines might you be neglecting?

Tags: leadership, Submission, confession, Solitude, Christian Disciplines, pastoral leadership, Spiritual Discipline, Pastoral Ministry, church ministry, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

Leave Your Secret Sin Behind Today

By Jon Bloom on Dec 5, 2022

God can turn a day of reckoning into a day of amnesty. But he’s calling today. Come out of the dungeon.

Scripture: Proverbs 14:12, Proverbs 23:19, Hebrews 3:13, Jeremiah 17:9

Tags: Character, Judgment, repentance, God's Grace, God's mercy, Confession of Sin, hardened heart, personal holiness, judgment, Repentance  (view more)  (view less)

What’s The Big Hurry?

By Lance Witt on Feb 8, 2021

I confess to you that I am a hurrier. I wish I had a dollar for every time my kids have heard me say in an agitated tone “Hurry up!” Sometimes I walk in a hurry and leave my wife behind. When I have to wait in line, or a flight gets delayed, or there is dead time in a worship service, or someone is telling a long story, I find myself internally saying, “Could you please hurry up?”

Tags: Busyness