In Preaching Articles: "Connect"

8 Ways To Hook Your Congregation Into Your Message

By SermonCentral .com on May 11, 2020

Your sermon text is central, but it doesn’t always need to come first. Strong hooks help listeners connect their lives to Scripture before exposition begins.

Scripture: Numbers 1:1-2:1, Ecclesiastes 5:7-6:7, Nehemiah 8:8, Luke 24:27, Ecclesiastes 12:10  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Bird, Preaching, Anxiety, Field, flowers, preaching, anxiety  (view more)  (view less)

8 Ways To Make Your Church More Accessible

By Rod Arnold on Mar 13, 2025

Here are some smart, practical things you can do to connect with more people in your community and give them a chance to get to know your church.

Tags: Love, Forgiveness, Church, Compassion, Preaching, Together, Church General, Evangelism How To, preaching, church, love  (view more)  (view less)

Why Was I So Hard On That Church I Visited?

By Karl Vaters on Jul 1, 2022

How might a newcomer view your church? What barriers may they face? What obstacles could be unintentionally in the way of them connecting and finding a place to belong?

Tags: Leadership, leadership, Visitors, church ministry, Welcoming Others  (view more)  (view less)

Does Your Sermon Outline Serve You Or Do You Serve It?

By Joe Hoagland on Jul 29, 2019

Think you don’t need a sermon outline? Discover why using one can sharpen your message, increase clarity, and enhance your connection with the congregation.

Tags: Preaching, preaching tips, sermon prep, Sermon outline, Sermon Prep, preaching, Sermon prep, Preaching Tips, Sermon Outline, Preaching Structure  (view more)  (view less)

A Category You Won’t Find In The Bible: The Churchless Christian

By Thabiti Anyabwile on Oct 26, 2022

"It is important for Christians to be members of a local church because the New Testament apostles can’t conceive of anything called a Christian that’s not connected to Christ’s body."

Tags: Church, Discipleship, Christian Life, Healthy Church, Called to serve, local church, be the church, Church Body of Christ, Christian community, church  (view more)  (view less)

Start With A Bang! Crafting A Memorable Sermon Opener

By Tyler Scarlett on Feb 26, 2025

If you lose your congregation at the beginning, you will have to work twice as hard to get them back by the end. Why not give your message the best possible chance to connect with people at the outset?

Scripture: Titus 2:2, Titus 2:1-2, Philippians 4:10-15, Romans 13:11-14

Tags: Communication, Preaching, Introduction, communication, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Doing Ministry Without Losing Your Soul Part 1

By Lance Witt on May 12, 2024

"There is nothing worse than trying to inspire people to be passionate about God when you have little or no passion yourself. There is nothing more empty feeling than trying to connect people to God when you feel disconnected from God."

Tags: soul care, avoiding burnout, church ministry, Growing in Faith, Christ's Love for Us, Healthy Ministry, pastoral leadership, Pastoral Ministry  (view more)  (view less)

Prepare Your Heart To Lead Your Home: Advent Advice For Fathers

By Douglas Wilson on Dec 21, 2018

A father who wants to lead and disciple his family needs to remember that the one thing he must cultivate is heart loyalty. He must, of course, connect that loyalty to scriptural and worthy objects, but if he does not have heart loyalty, childrearing will simply be one grief replaced by another.

Scripture: Ephesians 6:4

Tags: Christmas, Advent, parenting, discipling, teach children, Discipline, Attitudes of thanks, child training  (view more)  (view less)

3 Tools Small Group Leaders Need To Succeed

By John Gilman Ii on Aug 7, 2024

Small groups help churches grow because they help strangers become great friends. People stay at churches where they find friends because friendship covers a multitude of sins. Small groups involve us in others’ lives and really invest us in the church. These friendships eventually turn into deep, meaningful connections that can last a lifetime.

Tags: friendship, Small groups, church organization

Are You Giving Everyone A Big Church Welcome?

By John Gilman Ii on Jun 18, 2023

A proper welcome needs to have more than just a greeting. Churches need to create welcome pathways that guide people into more familiarity, connection, and relationship with the church. Creating a positive and effective welcoming strategy has never been more important. There is still time to put a great welcome process in place. Here are six tips to get you started in the right direction.

Scripture: Genesis 1:25-30

Tags: Visitors