In Preaching Articles: "connect the dot"

Who Says Bigger Is Better? 3 Reasons I'm Convinced God Works Through Small Churches

By Chris Surber on Oct 15, 2021

"Bigger churches can do things smaller cannot do. And little churches do things much larger churches can never do."

Scripture: Acts 11:15-18, Genesis 22:1-15

Tags: family, Preaching, friendship, connection, Small Church, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

5 Ways To Grow Your Church's Congregation

By Ricardo Hernandez on Apr 17, 2023

Dwindling church attendance is a concern faced by almost every established or newly-created church and should be strategically addressed. Here are five simple approaches that will make your church more inviting for your existing members and help attract new ones.

Tags: Community, Church, Church Members, members, Connect, Young people, social media, community, church members, connect, young people, church  (view more)  (view less)

No Pressure: Great Preaching Must Connect Worlds Separated By Time And Space

By Sherman Haywood Cox on Sep 18, 2021

Helping people understand the Scripture in its native Bible world is not enough. We must help people to experience it.

Scripture: Genesis 15:8-21

Tags: Bible, Preaching, guest preaching, lecture, bible story  (view more)  (view less)

Connect With Your Listeners: 7 Strategies To Make Your Preaching Relevant

By Peter Mead on Jul 5, 2021

The Bible is relevant. We don't need to "make it relevant," but we do need to demonstrate how it is relevant.

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Tags: Preaching

If Jesus Gave A Ted Talk Principle 3—create Connection (Affinity)

By Charles Stone on May 24, 2024

Create Connection is the third installment of an 8 part series on how neuroscience can improve your preaching.

Scripture: Matthew 9:4-7

Tags: Preaching, pastor, Brain, Pastor, neuroscience, brain, preaching, sermonprep  (view more)  (view less)

I Can’t Figure Out Millennials: 3 Reasons To Stay Connected

By Steven A. Hitz on Mar 16, 2022

There is a growing disconnect with Millennials because of the stereotypes many people hold about them.

Tags: Millenial, Listening, future generations, Generations

I Love Tv Shows, But I Don't Build My Sermons On Them

By Jonathan Malm on Feb 17, 2024

By all means we should connect with our listeners, but how we make that connection is a crucial choice.

Scripture: John 8:14-27

Tags: Preaching, permission, Reference, tv show, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

People Don't Want To Sit And Listen Anymore: 4 Ways To Connect With A New Generation

By SermonCentral .com on Nov 25, 2019

Most people who leave the church aren't leaving God. Many of them are leaving the way we do church to try and find God.

Scripture: Romans 3:21-31, Acts 20:7-12

Tags: Preaching, Listen, Shift, disconnect, distrust  (view more)  (view less)

3 Building Blocks Of A Truly Memorable Sermon

By Sherman Haywood Cox on May 26, 2023

Help your listeners connect with your preaching points--and their purpose!

Scripture: Hebrews 11:35-40

Tags: strong points, illustrate, preaching, Preaching, Building Blocks, memorable sermon  (view more)  (view less)

Christmas: The Dawn Of Death’s Destruction

By SermonCentral .com on Dec 19, 2020

John Piper helps connect the pain of the holidays--felt by so many--to the preacher's task.

Tags: Christmas, Death, Jesus, destruction

Five Essential Reasons For Christians To Gather In Public Worship

By Brian Croft on Nov 2, 2023

Does church attendance really matter? Here are five important reasons why it is essential that every Christian gather with other Christians in the same local church weekly to hear the preaching of God’s Word.

Scripture: Romans 10:17, Hebrews 10:25, Hebrews 13:17

Tags: Community, Discipleship, Church Attendance, church membership, Christian community, Growing in Faith, Connected, Covenant Community, community, church attendance  (view more)  (view less)

Do You Preach To Real People Or Straw Men?

By Chris Surber on Nov 8, 2024

Preaching in the abstract means missing real lives and real people. Here are four ways to connect to real people.

Tags: preaching, Holy Spirit, Preaching, Sensitive, real people, straw men  (view more)  (view less)

People Listen In Different Ways—can You Reach All Of Them?

By Leslie Holmes on Feb 28, 2023

You're preaching to one congregation, filled with many listening styles. How can you connect with every individual?

Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:1-15

Tags: Preaching, reflection, Listen, reach, application, 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

4 Steps From Good To Great Preaching

By Kenton C. Anderson on Feb 18, 2025

For those of us who try to preach “good sermons” every week, it's useful to understand what it takes to connect with our listeners.

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:1-3

Tags: Preaching, preaching