In Preaching Articles: "First Things First" showing 31-45 of 200

If Jesus Gave A Ted Talk Principle 1—begin With The End In Mind (Clarity)

By Charles Stone on Mar 16, 2024

Begin with the End in Mind is the first installment of an 8 part series on how neuroscience can improve your preaching.

Scripture: Luke 6:40

Tags: Preaching, pastor, sermon prep, sermon, Pastor, Sermon Prep, Sermon, sermon writing, neuroscience, preaching, Sermon prep  (view more)  (view less)

3 Must-Do’s Of A Strong Sermon Opening

By Lane Sebring on Aug 30, 2019

The first 90 seconds of your sermon are some of the most powerful seconds you have. Don’t waste them.

Tags: Preaching

Give Your Sermon Added Power

By Brian Croft on Sep 27, 2019

Brian Croft reminds us the very first ingredient in every powerful sermon. Does your sermon have it?

Tags: Preaching, preaching

Start With A Bang! Open Your Sermon Strong

By Tyler Scarlett on Nov 21, 2024

A preacher's worst fear is that the congregation will stop listening. What's far more dreadful is if the people never were listening in the first place.

Scripture: Proverbs 3:5-6

Tags:

Six Ways To Raise Up Preachers In Your Church

By Kevin Larson on Jul 6, 2020

So you want to make the shift toward raising up more preachers from within your congregation? Here are the first steps.

Tags: leadership, Preaching, Equip, Leadership, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

4 Audiences You Need To Know When Preaching

By Mark Gomez on Sep 23, 2020

Pastor Mark Gomez shares the way he sees his audience: "Suddenly, there is a much broader audience than we first believed."

Scripture: Hebrews 2:1-18

Tags:

A Preaching Clinic From Paul Harvey

By SermonCentral on Jul 8, 2023

From the very first words, "On the eighth day . . ." Paul Harvey's poem and the accompanying visuals demonstrate how to inject poetry into your preaching.

Tags: Beauty, Preaching, Poetry, paul harvey, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Say Hard Things

By Marshall Segal on Apr 14, 2021

When was the last time someone told you you were wrong? If you can’t remember, you may have reason to be concerned. Sometimes the most loving thing someone can do for us is point out an error or inconsistency in the way we think or live.

Scripture: Matthew 6:16, Romans 12:3, Galatians 5:22-23, Galatians 1:6-10, 2 Corinthians 5:17, 1 Corinthians 13:7, Galatians 2:11-14, Acts 10:28, Acts 15:11, 2 Chronicles 7:14-19, Matthew 6:18, 1 Peter 1:10  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Love, Humility, Confrontation, Grace and Truth

7 Things Forgiveness Is Not

By Ron Edmondson on Jun 10, 2022

Understanding forgiveness doesn’t make it easier to forgive, but it does make it more meaningful. I believe understanding the process could make us more likely to offer the forgiveness we are commanded to give.

Tags: Grace, Forgiveness, relationships, Loving Others, Being merciful , grace  (view more)  (view less)

7 Things Forgiveness Is

By Ron Edmondson on Jun 11, 2022

As difficult as forgiveness may be to extend, it is often a most important ingredient in healthy relationships and in being a completely healthy person.

Scripture: Romans 12:19, Hebrews 12:1, Colossians 3:13, Romans 12:18

Tags: Grace, Forgiveness, relationships, Loving Others, grace  (view more)  (view less)

The Most Necessary Thing

By Thomas C. Brown on Jul 11, 2022

Greater is the value of personal intimacy with God than busyness for him. Service must follow surrender and solitude.

Scripture: Luke 10:42, John 17:3, Philippians 3:8-10

Tags: Scripture, leadership, devotion, priorities, God's Word, pastoral leadership, Intimacy With God, Pastoral Ministry, soul care, Guarding Your Soul, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

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

5 Qualities To Seek In The Heart Of A Leader

By Ron Edmondson on Jan 29, 2022

Someone asked me recently what I primarily look for in the hiring of a staff position. I said, without reservation, first and foremost, I look for the heart.

Tags: leadership, Integrity, Innovation, pastoral leadership, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

Five Ways To Turn Off Younger Listeners

By Adam Ramsey on Nov 7, 2024

If you're still in your first 5 years as a preacher, don’t give up! God has this wonderful way of drawing straight lines with crooked sticks.

Tags: Preaching, God's Love, Laughter, Young people, good advice, young people, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

How To Preach Repentance Like It's Good News

By Ray Hollenbach on Jan 4, 2020

"Repent" is the first word of the good news. Belief comes as we help our listeners rethink a way of life based upon what God has already done.

Tags: repent, repentance, Good News, grace