In Preaching Articles: "Decision Making"

Does Our Culture Make Kids Feel Ashamed Of Their Faith?

By Focus On The Family on Sep 9, 2022

As Christians, we all know how important it is to equip kids with a sense of joy in reading God’s Word and the confidence to freely express their faith in Jesus. But that goal is becoming more difficult in today’s culture.

Tags: Apologetics The Bible, Training children, Children's Faith

11 Ways To Make Christmas Your Best Outreach Of The Year

By Carey Nieuwhof on Dec 15, 2025

You may think it’s far too early to start thinking about Christmas, but think again. Whenever I’ve shared these ideas about Christmas, people say “Hey, I wish you’d talked about this earlier.” So we are.

Tags: Christmas, Outreach, Holidays, leadership, invite, pastoral leadership, Christmas Evangelism, church ministry, church leadership, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

8 Ideas To Make Your Christmas Eve Service Memorable

By Josh Reich on Dec 20, 2024

Christmas Eve is coming, and millions of people will walk into a church to experience something. But what will they get when they walk into your church or mine?

Tags: Christmas, Advent, Christmas Eve, invite, Simplicity, Gospel centered, church leadership, Christmas Service  (view more)  (view less)

When A Private Apology Is Not Enough

By Joe Mckeever on Jul 15, 2022

"Nothing is so lovely and so welcome and so healing in a church as for a member to go before the congregation and admit to his/her destructive behavior and ask for forgiveness."

Tags: Humility, Reconciliation, repentance, restitution, Confession of Sin, church ministry, Apology, Making things right, Admitting Guilt, Repentance  (view more)  (view less)

What If We Made Disciples And Left Church Growth To God?

By Karl Vaters on Sep 6, 2022

If we prioritized health, not as a means to growth, but as an end in itself, would we be in a greater position to represent Jesus to the world?

Tags: Discipleship, Church Growth, Make Disciples, great commission, pastoral leadership, church ministry, Growth Strategy, Equip the Saints  (view more)  (view less)

John Piper: God’s Sovereignty Makes Mission Courage Possible

By John Piper on Mar 20, 2025

"It is hard to exaggerate how important it is for the mission of the church...to have a fully biblical vision of the greatness and the sovereignty and the glory of God."

Scripture: Matthew 24:14, Isaiah 46:9-10, Romans 8:28-39, Acts 13:48, 1 Peter 4:11  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Perseverance, Discipleship, Missions, Sovereignty, Risk  (view more)  (view less)

Make Your Sermons More Memorable: 6 Tips From Neuroscience

By Charles Stone on Jul 29, 2020

Dr. Charles Stone draws from the study of the human brain and suggests how we can impact the human heart.

Tags: Preaching

Waiting To Preach: 5 Ways To Make Sure You're Ready

By Sherman Haywood Cox on Oct 5, 2020

You've heard the call and you're ready to respond, but what do you do while waiting for the opportunity to preach?

Scripture: Esther 1:1-4

Tags: Preaching, preaching

Why (And How) Transitions Can Make Or Break Your Sermon

By Peter Mead on Dec 2, 2020

Your sermon outline looks so good on paper, but how you transition from one point to another is just as important.

Scripture: Proverbs 11:24

Tags: Preaching, transition, effective, conclusion, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Why Being Bi-Vocational Can Make You A Better Preacher

By Adam Russell on May 18, 2021

"Having a job is so normal, and rigid, and bourgeois. It’s unbecoming a person who is destined to greatness."

Tags: Job, Preaching, better, vocation, preaching  (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

Pastoring Shouldn't Be This Hard (With 4 Steps To Make It Easier)

By SermonCentral .com on Feb 8, 2021

Our obsession with numerical growth may be the unseen culprit behind a lot of burnt out pastors and unhealthy churches. Here's a short list to help you make the task of pastoring less burdensome and far more joyful.

Tags: Preaching, difficult, Pastoring, shepherding, Shepherding, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

7 Ways To Make A Graceful Exit And Leave Your Church Well

By Charles Stone on May 28, 2024

"Unless you stay at the same church your entire life, you will leave one ministry or church and go to another, perhaps several times. I’ve learned that leaving is more of an art and is often difficult. Here are 7 insights I’ve learned that have helped me make a graceful exit."

Scripture: Acts 24:16, Romans 12:18, Hebrews 12:15, Colossians 3:23, Proverbs 22:1, 1 Kings 1:27, Acts 20:35-38  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Moving Forward, Integrity, pastoral leadership, let go, overcome bitterness, Transitions, church leadership, Pastoral Transition  (view more)  (view less)

6 Things To Do When Someone Insults You

By Josh Reich on Apr 14, 2023

You know the conversation. Someone in your church asks to meet with you, or you set up the meeting because you know they are angry at you, the church or a decision that was made.

Tags: Hurt, church conflict, Dealing with Conflicts, Leadership Listening

A Modest Proposal: Less Sermon Prep In Favor Of More Time Making Disciples?

By Bill Couchenour on Sep 6, 2021

Is it possible to reach the U.S. for Jesus in less than a decade by cutting sermon prep time in half?

Scripture: Matthew 7:24-28

Tags: Jesus, Outreach, Preaching, Disciples, sermon prep, Sermon Prep  (view more)  (view less)