In Preaching Articles: "Cost Of Discipleship"

Church Discipline, Short Skirts, And Angry Deacons

By Ray Hollenbach on Mar 11, 2025

Loving someone enough to help them find freedom from their fears and appetites is the heart of church discipline.

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 5:1

Tags: Discipleship, Preaching, Church General, preaching

Forget Seminaries: What Are You Doing To Train The Next Generation Of Preachers?

By Chris Surber on Aug 16, 2025

We have a lot of people genuinely called, sincerely gifted people who struggle to find their way past the gatekeepers in our churches and denominations.

Scripture: Colossians 3:1-5, Mark 5:24-34

Tags: Discipleship, Gift, Seminary, Next Generation

Don't Abandon The Babies This Easter

By Lance Witt on May 2, 2024

The greatest gift we give a new believer is not information, it is RELATIONSHIP. The primary need of a new believer is nurture not knowledge.

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 2:7-8

Tags: Easter, Discipleship, relationships, New believer

9 Ways To Preach A Lousy Sermon

By Ben Reed on Aug 26, 2020

If you want to preach a great sermon, here are nine things you must avoid at all costs.

Tags: Preaching, prosper, Faith, Fear, endurance  (view more)  (view less)

Confronting Idols, Making Disciples

By SermonCentral .com on Jul 22, 2023

Chris Wright suggests that the way we do church may actually prop up idolatry in the church. Are there any idols in your church?

Scripture: Matthew 8:1-10

Tags: Idol, Discipleship, Disciples, Confront, chris wright  (view more)  (view less)

Three Foundational Passages For Growing Disciples Of Jesus

By Ray Hollenbach on Jul 17, 2025

"Try to imagine talking about your subject every single day for two years. If the idea still thrills you, you've found your topic."

Tags: Growth, Discipleship, Disciples, gospel, Jesus, Gospel  (view more)  (view less)

3 Simple Steps To Reproduce Church Leadership

By Ron Edmondson on Mar 30, 2022

In every church I’ve been in, people want to reproduce leaders, but few think they know how.

Tags: Discipleship, multiply, church leadership, Empowered Leaders

Church Growth And The Work Of God

By Josh Reich on Oct 6, 2023

We know that God is the one who makes a church grow, that it isn’t on us. This is both a comfort and a problem.

Tags: communication, Communication, vision, Discipleship, Church Growth  (view more)  (view less)

Not A Fan: The Hard Words Sparked A Church-Wide Revival

By Kyle Idleman on Jan 13, 2025

A preacher’s honest reckoning with crowd-pleasing sermons led to a bold call for true discipleship, sparking repentance, revival, and hundreds of unexpected baptisms.

Scripture: Luke 9:23

Tags: Love, Baptism, Jesus, Church, Commitment, Discipleship, church, love, Gospel call, Revival, Gospel Call, Preaching, Disciples, revival, Church Growth, follower, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Top 3 Mistakes Churches Make With New Believers

By Bob Franquiz on May 9, 2020

Discover the three mistakes churches make that keep new believers from "sticking."

Tags: Outreach, Discipleship, Assimilation, New believer, Church General  (view more)  (view less)

How To Stop People From Playing On Their Phones In Church

By SermonCentral .com on Sep 20, 2025

Cell phones in church don't bother me because I've discovered an ancient secret that keeps people from getting bored in church.

Tags: Preaching, Entertainment, Boredom, better church, preaching, Discipleship  (view more)  (view less)

Jesus: Friend To Sinners, No Friend To Sin

By Ray Hollenbach on Jul 26, 2019

Jesus befriended sinners without ignoring sin. Christians can hold truth and grace together without compromising either.

Tags: Grace, Jesus, Sin, Discipleship, Preaching, grace, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Has The Church Lost Its Passion?

By Jim Morgan on Mar 18, 2021

Passion is what we can’t keep inside. It spills over and can’t be contained. We love our kids – we can’t help but talk about them. We love our favorite sports teams – we talk about them first thing Monday morning at the water cooler. Christians love God more than anything else – He should constantly be on the tips of our tongues. Our passion for the Lord should be evident to all those around us. “Private Christian” should be an oxymoron – our faith should pour out through every fiber of our being.

Tags: Discipleship, passion, social justice, Sharing Your Faith

Don't Fear Bruised Toes

By Chris Surber on Dec 25, 2021

He is a poor preacher who gives no offense to his listeners.

Tags: Discipleship, Preaching, poor preaching, measuring success, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Growing A Church

By Barry O. Johnson on Aug 19, 2024

Should church growth be our focus?

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 10:12, Matthew 28:20

Tags: Discipleship, Preaching, Church Growth, glorifying God, preaching  (view more)  (view less)