In Preaching Articles: "Ed Stetzer"

How 450 Sermons Revealed Four Preaching Truths

By Ed Stetzer on Sep 1, 2021

LifeWay Research discovered four common factors in good preaching. Are they part of yours?

Scripture: 1 Timothy 4:12

Tags: Preaching, the word, ed stetzer, Truth

Ed Stetzer: no Word, No Kingdom

By Ed Stetzer on Jul 15, 2021

Jesus’ parable of the sower reveals that the kingdom of God begins not with strategy but with seed. The Word alone produces lasting fruit.

Scripture: Matthew 13:3-8, Matthew 13:19, 1 Peter 1:23, James 1:21, 1 Peter 2:2  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: preaching, Parables Of Jesus, Preaching, the word, seed, Parables of Jesus  (view more)  (view less)

Ed Stetzer: Do Pastors Really Hate The Ministry?

By Ed Stetzer on Mar 27, 2025

Ed Stetzer shares insights from a new study that reveals what pastors really think about the ministry.

Tags: Preaching, preaching

Ed Stetzer: Preach The Gospel, And Since It’s Necessary, Use Words

By Ed Stetzer on Oct 18, 2021

"Preach the gospel. Use words if necessary." There are two basic problems with this quote: One, Francis never said it, and two, the quote is not biblical.

Scripture: Acts 2:42-47

Tags: Preaching, earnest, understandable, st francis of assisi, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Preaching Real Gospel Change In A World Obsessed With Self-Improvement

By Ed Stetzer on Jan 7, 2025

True transformation is not moral effort but new life in Christ. Preachers must translate “change” into gospel terms, clarifying how God recreates, reshapes, and renews His people.

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:7

Tags: Church, Growth, Discipleship, Preaching, Change, Transformation, Christian Growth, New Life In Christ, counsel, Christian growth, new life in Christ, Spiritual Transformation, preaching, church  (view more)  (view less)

"Jesus Is Lord” Is Not A Slogan

By Ed Stetzer on Oct 29, 2020

To confess Jesus as Lord in the first century was treason. Today it risks becoming cliché. The words still demand total allegiance.

Scripture: Romans 10:9, Philippians 2:11, Matthew 6:24, 2 Corinthians 5:20, Luke 12:32  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Preaching, preaching, Lord, Jesus, Outreach, Missions  (view more)  (view less)

Four Foundations Of Handling God's Word

By Ed Stetzer on Aug 13, 2021

Faithful preaching requires more than using Bible verses. Preachers must present God’s Word so it is heard, organized clearly, trusted as sufficient, and applied usefully.

Scripture: Romans 10:14, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Acts 20:27, Hebrews 4:12

Tags: Bible, Preaching, Useful, God's Word, sufficient, preaching, bible  (view more)  (view less)

Are You Sharing Information Or Changing Lives?

By Ed Stetzer on Jun 24, 2025

True transformation is not moral improvement but new life in Christ. Scripture reveals that gospel change begins with regeneration and continues through lifelong sanctification.

Scripture: Ephesians 4:6-9, 2 Corinthians 5:17, John 3:3, Philippians 1:6, 2 Corinthians 3:18  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Sanctification, Preaching, Transformation, sanctification, Forward, deep change, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

How To Pastor An Evangelistic Church

By Ed Stetzer on Jan 24, 2021

Pastors, do you know what an"evangelistic church" looks like? Are you even taking the time to share the gospel?

Scripture: Ephesians 4:10, 1 Corinthians 11:1

Tags: Evangelism, leadership, challenge, Sharing Your Faith, Setting an example, evangelism, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

When A Pastor Is A Growth Barrier - Part One: Dealing With Sin

By Ed Stetzer on Apr 15, 2024

I have worked for a long time to help pastors with growth barriers in their church. They can be anything from worship issues to strategy to theology and more. So many barriers can get in the way of a church growing, but a central one isn’t found in the processes of the church. There may be a number of reasons a ministry grows cold and a church slows down. But often, the heart of the problem is the heart of the pastor.

Tags: CLERGY SIN

The Supreme Court Fight And Your Church: What To Say In This Divided Time

By Ed Stetzer on Oct 11, 2024

This weekend, the United States Senate is scheduled to vote to confirm President Trump’s nomination of Judge Kavanaugh...As a pastor, how should you respond?

Tags:

Facing The Issue Of Biblical Literacy

By Ed Stetzer on Jan 13, 2022

This article is the first of six in a series on preaching in light of cultural shifts and biblical illiteracy.

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Tags: Bible, Preaching, pastor, Preacher, Teacher, sermon prep, Biblical Literacy, Pastor, Sermon Prep, preaching, preacher, bible, biblical literacy, teacher  (view more)  (view less)

Insights From Keller On Contextualizing

By Ed Stetzer on Jan 19, 2022

This article is the second of six in a series on preaching in light of cultural shifts and biblical illiteracy.

Tags: Preaching, Culture, Context, insight, sermon prep, Sermon Prep, preaching, culture, context, Sermon prep  (view more)  (view less)

Using Contextualized Language

By Ed Stetzer on Apr 18, 2024

This article is the third of six in a series on preaching in light of cultural shifts and biblical illiteracy.

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16, Acts 17:16-34

Tags: Preaching, Context, Speaking, sermon prep, The Apostle Paul, Sermon Prep, preaching, context, speaking, Sermon prep  (view more)  (view less)

Facing The Issue Of Low Or Infrequent Church Attendance

By Ed Stetzer on Apr 19, 2024

This article is the fourth of six in a series on preaching in light of cultural shifts and biblical illiteracy.

Scripture: Hebrews 10:24

Tags: Fellowship, Community, Preaching, Church Attendance, why go to church, community, preaching, church attendance, fellowship  (view more)  (view less)