In Preaching Articles: "Duty Calls"

You May Be Called To Preach, But You Still Need A Role Model

By Joe Mckeever on Jan 16, 2020

"He gave no introduction to the sermon. This man simply stepped off the high diving board into the deep water. Except there was no deep water."

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 12:9

Tags: Preaching, preaching

7 Ways To Keep From Killing Your Message

By Carey Nieuwhof on Mar 1, 2023

Every week, gifted communicators kill the messages they bring by making at least seven predictable, fixable mistakes.

Tags: Preaching, Feedback, call to action, preaching

Does Preaching Really Matter?

By Lance Witt on Sep 12, 2019

Like most pastors, I will never forget the first sermon I preached. Basically, we had to hold people at gun point to get them to listen . . .

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:21, 2 Timothy 4:2, 1 Corinthians 9:16

Tags: Preaching, God's Power, Bartimaeus, calling

Should Your Next Altar Call Be Focused On Private Prayer Or Public Confession?

By Jeff K. Clarke on Nov 11, 2019

If we tell people that all they need to do to become a follower of Christ is to bow their heads, close their eyes and repeat a 30-second prayer, what are we saying about Jesus?

Tags: Preaching, private prayer, altar call, public confession

Avoid The Wreck: 7 Ways To Crash A Sermon

By Carey Nieuwhof on Sep 24, 2025

What's the difference between a sermon that changes someone's life and one that no one can remember even as they drive out of the parking lot?

Tags: Preaching, Resistance, Ruin, call to action, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Listen To Your Sermon Just Before You Preach

By Mark Mohler on Dec 4, 2024

Sermons are not made for paper--they're made for the human ear. Have you tried listening to yours?

Scripture: Matthew 8:1-2

Tags: Preaching, Listen, Creativity, call to action, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

4 Reasons Why Some Preachers Get Better And Others Don't

By Hershael York on Aug 13, 2025

What makes the difference between someone who grows in preaching versus someone who doesn't?

Tags: Preaching, passion, stagnant, Improve, calling, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

A Missed Opportunity

By Dr. Larry Moyer on Jul 28, 2023

I want to invite you to put yourself in the shoes of an unsaved person.

Tags: Evangelism, Salvation, opportunity, Call to salvation, evangelism  (view more)  (view less)

Great Leadership Often Starts With A Broken Heart

By Brandon Cox on Oct 2, 2023

Usually, knowing what breaks your heart is knowing what you should do with your life, and how you should be leading others.

Scripture: Nehemiah 1:4

Tags: broken, Brokenhearted, authentic ministry, Call to ministry

You've Given The Altar Call: Now Watch Out For 7 Mistakes Afterward

By David R. Smith on Oct 15, 2019

"There's nothing more frustrating to me than seeing someone fall between the cracks at such a pivotal moment because of missed opportunities and careless mistakes."

Tags: Gospel, Preaching, altar, Invitation, unbeliever  (view more)  (view less)

John Piper: Preach The Word

By John Piper on May 16, 2025

"No other pastoral duty should be treated as solemnly and forcefully as this one simple exhortation from the Apostle Paul: Preach the Word."

Tags: Bible, Preaching, the word, teach, e, preaching, bible  (view more)  (view less)

How To Preach Without Cabin Pressure

By Ron Forseth on Aug 10, 2023

Preaching is an opportunity to creatively illustrate the urgency of the gospel and to challenge believers to watch for those people God brings into their lives to tell them about Christ—or at least to invite them to church to hear it where they know their pastor will consistently and clearly share the good news.

Tags: priorities, Evangelism Urgency, preaching Christ, Call to salvation

Remembering Why You Said Yes To Pastoring

By Chuck Warnock on Dec 16, 2022

There are times in a pastor's life when the clarity of our call fades, discouragement clouds our memory, and we wonder, "Why did I ever want to be a pastor?"

Tags: Church, Call, pastor, Pastors, Small Church, Church General, Leadership General, Pastor, church  (view more)  (view less)

What A Seminary Degree Will Not Do

By Joe Mckeever on Nov 22, 2023

“I have all this education and training. Why won’t churches call me as pastor?”

Tags: training, education, Seminary, Christian Education, calling, Pastoral Ministry, church ministry, Angry with God  (view more)  (view less)

Mentoring For Pastors: How To Find The Right Mentor At The Right Time

By Hal Seed on Oct 29, 2022

"Do you need a mentor? Only if you want to become more like Christ, live for Jesus more purposefully, and see your church take ground for God’s glory."

Tags: leadership, Grow, Mentor, pastoral leadership, Christian growth, mentoring, call to discipleship, church leadership, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)