In Preaching Articles: "Courage In Ministry"

Fruit Over Size: What Jesus Really Measures In Ministry

By Mike Breen on May 13, 2021

Church success is often measured by size, but Jesus measured fruitfulness. Discover why disciple-making and spiritual reproduction matter more than growth metrics.

Scripture: John 15:8, Matthew 28:19, Luke 10:1, Acts 2:42, 2 Timothy 2:2  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Tree, Fruit, Reformation, lead, Movement  (view more)  (view less)

How Pastors Can Repurpose Sermons For Greater Ministry Impact

By SermonCentral .com on Jun 7, 2021

Sermon preparation takes hours, but many pastors use the message only once. Repurposing sermons through blogs, social media, and studies extends their impact.

Scripture: Matthew 28:19-20, 2 Timothy 4:2, Colossians 4:5-6, Psalm 78:4

Tags: Preaching, Sound, podcast, preaching, Digital Ministry  (view more)  (view less)

Digging Deep: How Do You Define The Ministry Of The Word?

By Peter Mead on Jul 3, 2025

"The ministry of the word is stewarding and heralding God's word in such a way that people encounter God through his word."

Scripture: Psalm 37:4-5

Tags: Ministry, Preaching, God's Word, blackaby, ministry, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

11 Reasons To Protect Your Spirit From The Demands Of Ministry

By SermonCentral .com on Jan 7, 2021

Pastoral ministry can be hazardous to our spiritual health. But it doesn’t need to be.

Tags: Preaching

Six Terrible Ways To Recruit Ministry Volunteers In Your Church

By SermonCentral .com on Dec 27, 2021

Sometimes I think church leaders take the most negative approaches in an attempt to encourage more people to get involved in ministry in the church.

Tags: Prayer, Spiritual Gifts, Lay Leadership, Recruiting

Three Questions Every Small Group Ministry Must Answer

By James Emery White on Sep 21, 2022

"Regardless of the type of small group ministry you may have, there are three foundational questions that must be settled for maximum effectiveness and clear focus––yet seldom are. And they are foundational questions because they speak to the heart of your philosophy of ministry."

Tags: strategy, BIBLE STUDY, Small groups, Bible Study, Church Small Groups, Fellowship Group, Small Group Ministry, bible study  (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: pastoral leadership, Pastoral Ministry, soul care, avoiding burnout, church ministry, Growing in Faith, Christ's Love for Us, Healthy Ministry  (view more)  (view less)

Doing Ministry Without Losing Your Soul Part 2

By Lance Witt on May 16, 2024

"In ministry, there are certain tensions that we must live with. Sometimes they seem contradictory, but they are tensions that are actually healthy for us."

Scripture: Philippians 3:7-8, Psalm 27:4, 2 Corinthians 3:18

Tags: leadership, Balance, pastoral leadership, Pastoral Ministry, church ministry, Healthy Ministry, Tensions in Ministry, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

Doing Ministry Without Losing Your Soul Part 3

By Lance Witt on May 21, 2024

When pastoring is your job, it adds complexity to simply loving Jesus. To live and lead from a healthy soul, we must learn the art of separating our own personal pursuit of loving Jesus from our “ministry” of leading in the church.

Scripture: Deuteronomy 30:19-20

Tags: time with God, pastoral leadership, Pastoral Ministry, soul care, avoiding burnout, Putting Christ First, Sincerity with God, church leadership  (view more)  (view less)

13 Benefits Of Putting An Expiration Date On New Ministries In Your Church

By SermonCentral .com on Jan 11, 2024

Here's a great way open your church up to innovative new ideas by minimizing the risk – or at least the sting – of failure.

Tags: Preaching, preaching

Are You Willing To Be Hated For Preaching The Gospel?

By SermonCentral .com on Aug 12, 2020

Faithful gospel preaching requires courage. Christians are not called to be hateful, but they must be willing to be hated for Christ’s sake.

Scripture: John 15:18, Mark 13:13, 2 Timothy 3:12, 1 Corinthians 15:1-6, Galatians 1:10  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Persecution, Gospel, Preaching, suffering, Hatred, hatred, gospel, preaching, Suffering  (view more)  (view less)

10 Ministry Principles I Wish I Knew When I Started

By Brady Boyd on Mar 3, 2025

Fifteen years of pastoral ministry reveal lessons a young minister rarely sees coming, from handling pressure and friendships to trust, rest, and long term faithfulness.

Scripture: 1 Timothy 5:17, Hebrews 13:17, 1 Peter 5:2-4, Mark 6:31, Galatians 6:9  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Lesson, Ministry, leadership, Leadership, ministry, Ministry Wisdom  (view more)  (view less)

How To (Finally) Stop Giving In To The Pressure To Add More Ministries In Your Church

By Carey Nieuwhof on Sep 26, 2023

When you’re a church leader, you feel a lot of pressure.

Tags: focus, Simplicity, Church Body of Christ, ministry philosophy

How To Preach Like You’re Having A Conversation

By Lane Sebring on Jan 20, 2026

Want your sermons to connect on a deeper level? Learn how a conversational preaching style can make your message more personal, relatable, and engaging.

Tags: authentic ministry, Authentic Ministry

Addressing Sexual And Domestic Violence In The Church

By John Mcclure on May 24, 2020

Sexual and domestic violence sits silently in every congregation. Pastors must preach hope to survivors, clarity to perpetrators, and courage to bystanders.

Scripture: 2 Samuel 13:1-21, Psalm 34:18, Isaiah 1:17, Ephesians 5:11, Luke 4:18  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Justice, affliction