In Preaching Articles: "Congregational Health"

Preacher To Preacher: Three Vital Questions Before You Quit The Ministry

By Leslie Holmes on Sep 26, 2024

Astounding: 50 percent of pastors serving American congregations are so discouraged in ministry that they would quit if they could afford to do so.

Tags: Ministry, Preaching, quit, ministry, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Are You Serving Slop In The Pulpit?

By Sherman Haywood Cox on Aug 25, 2021

Sherman Cox warns, "There's an inclination today to resort to tactics and tricks to manufacture a connection to the congregation that is neither real nor helpful."

Scripture: Romans 14:1-23

Tags: Preaching, pulpit, Insult, frown

15 Sermon Starters For Your Easter Message

By SermonCentral .com on Apr 2, 2021

Let these great thoughts prime the pump for your Easter sermon. Start with great words and develop them uniquely for your congregation.

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 7:17-24, John 10:1-18, John 20:1-30, Acts 2:1

Tags: Easter, Message, Preaching, Jesus Christ, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Start With A Bang! Open Your Sermon Strong

By Tyler Scarlett on Nov 21, 2024

A preacher's worst fear is that the congregation will stop listening. What's far more dreadful is if the people never were listening in the first place.

Scripture: Proverbs 3:5-6

Tags:

The Secret To Picking The Best Illustration? It's Right In Front Of You!

By Sherman Haywood Cox on Nov 29, 2019

We must think deeply about how our illustration choices affect how our congregation hears our sermon.

Scripture: Ezekiel 9:1-11, Jeremiah 5:1-10

Tags: best illustration, choices, preaching, Preaching

Leading From Fear: So Many Churches Do It

By Joe Mckeever on Dec 23, 2021

It’s so easy for a preacher to exhibit fear and not faith when standing before the church and calling the congregation to faithfulness and righteousness.

Scripture: Mark 4:40, Luke 14:7-14

Tags: Faith, leadership, Faith and Fear, church leadership, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

How Long Should I Preach

By Brian Croft on Aug 22, 2023

The answer to this question largely depends on the kind of pastor you are, the quality of preacher you are, and the kind of congregation you serve.

Tags: Preaching, sermon prep, good sermon, poor preaching, Sermon Prep, preaching, Sermon prep  (view more)  (view less)

Six Ways To Raise Up Preachers In Your Church

By Kevin Larson on Jul 6, 2020

So you want to make the shift toward raising up more preachers from within your congregation? Here are the first steps.

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

3 Reasons Why I Give My Listeners Homework (And Why You Should, Too)

By Ray Hollenbach on Oct 21, 2025

When we ask something more of our congregation we will quickly discover whether we are preaching for spiritual entertainment or spiritual formation.

Tags: Discipleship

4 Points Of Principle Preaching

By Chris Surber on Nov 12, 2025

"Can I call her up to the front on Sunday morning, have her sit in front of the congregation and use her sin as an example?”

Scripture: Psalm 128:1-2

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Preaching To Inspire True Generosity

By Matt O’reilly on Nov 19, 2021

What if preachers and their congregations actually looked forward to the stewardship series instead of dreading it? Matt O'Reilly believes it can be done.

Scripture: Matthew 6:5-8

Tags: Preaching, preaching

Restore Passion To Your Preaching: Three Essential Steps

By Ken Davis on Aug 28, 2024

You may think it can be hidden, but when you lose your passion for the pulpit your congregation can hear the difference. Recapture the fire!

Scripture: John 12:20-30

Tags: Preaching, preaching

6 Messy Truths About Your Church—and 3 Helpful Realities

By SermonCentral .com on Nov 6, 2025

"I was taught never to wrestle with difficult truths in front of the congregation. Give them simple three-point, alliterated answers to life’s problems."

Tags: preaching, bible, Bible, Preaching, messy truth, efficient, confusing  (view more)  (view less)

Why Spiritual Transformation Stalls And How Pastors Can Restart It

By Thom Rainer on Mar 5, 2020

Spiritual transformation often stalls in believers and churches. Identifying its root causes helps pastors guide congregations from stagnation to renewed gospel growth.

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 3:1-3

Tags: Spirit, Church, Growth, Discipleship, Preaching, Transformation, In Christ, preaching, church  (view more)  (view less)

How To Preach A Stressful Sermon

By David J. Lose on Jun 29, 2021

What might our personal and congregational lives look like if we took Jesus' words more seriously at home, work, school and in our communities?

Scripture: Luke 18:31-34, Proverbs 17:1-5

Tags: stress, Preaching, Stress