In Preaching Articles: "First Things First"

4 Things Every Preacher Should Forget Each Sunday Morning

By Leslie Holmes on Aug 23, 2025

When it's time to stand and deliver, we need to leave some things behind.

Scripture: John 14:20-30, Galatians 6:1-10

Tags: Forget, Sins, blue, criticism, preaching, Preaching, mistakes, Criticism  (view more)  (view less)

4 Things We Wish People Knew About Us As Pastors

By Lane Sebring on Nov 6, 2019

Being a pastor is unlike just about any other profession. Because of the holistic nature of the work, we tend to take on "pastor" as an identity and not just a career.

Scripture: John 12:32, John 12:29-36

Tags: Preaching, pastor, identity, Profession

9 Things That Won’t Make Us Better Pastors ... And 4 That Will

By SermonCentral .com on Feb 11, 2020

It’s easy to get lost chasing the newest, coolest, biggest thing. Or on the other hand hanging on to old, stale methods.

Scripture: 1 Timothy 3:1-13

Tags: Preaching, Pastors

3 Things I Need God To Do For Me As I Preach

By H.b. Charles, Jr. on Dec 23, 2019

H.B. Charles: "Can you preach and pray at the same time? You better!" Here's what he asks for while he's preaching.

Scripture: Job 1:1-10

Tags: Preaching, preaching

2 Things Every Pastor Should Do Before Preaching On Marriage

By Josh Reich on Oct 9, 2025

It's hard to do but incredibly helpful to your church. Your marriage is unique because of who you are and who your wife is.

Tags: Preaching, preaching

5 Things Every Pastor Should Have In Check Before Sunday

By H.b. Charles, Jr. on Oct 27, 2025

We may pray that God would hide us behind the cross as we preach. But there is no place to hide in the pulpit.

Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-20

Tags: Preaching, preaching

7 Things Pastors Wish Church Members Knew About Their Children

By SermonCentral .com on Jan 10, 2024

Should Pastors' children behave differently than regular kids? Thom Rainer speaks from the heart in this powerful post.

Tags: Preaching, preaching

6 Things Church Leaders Need To Know About Small Churches

By SermonCentral .com on Feb 15, 2022

Ninety percent of the churches on earth are under 200 people. Eighty percent are under 100. There may be no segment of the church that is more normative. But they may also be the most misunderstood.

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:25

Tags: christian unity, Church Unity, Megachurch, Small Church

5 Things You Should Never Say To A Small Church Pastor

By Karl Vaters on Oct 24, 2023

Don’t just get the content right. Consider how it might feel to the hurting pastors who need your help the most.

Tags: Pastoral Ministry, Leadership, leadership, advice, Small Church  (view more)  (view less)

Turning To Jesus In Exhaustion

By Adam Weber on Apr 28, 2022

I had only recently completed my master’s degree, I didn’t want to start this church in the first place, it was struggling to grow, and here I was moving this stupid sign through three feet of snow. Without thinking, the words came out: God, what am I doing here? I’m tired!

Tags: Exhaustion, rest in god

Has The Church Lost Its Passion?

By Jim Morgan on Mar 18, 2021

Passion is what we can’t keep inside. It spills over and can’t be contained. We love our kids – we can’t help but talk about them. We love our favorite sports teams – we talk about them first thing Monday morning at the water cooler. Christians love God more than anything else – He should constantly be on the tips of our tongues. Our passion for the Lord should be evident to all those around us. “Private Christian” should be an oxymoron – our faith should pour out through every fiber of our being.

Tags: Discipleship, passion, social justice, Sharing Your Faith

9 Things We Can All Learn From Billy Graham's Preaching

By Dennis Phelps on Jul 3, 2021

Someone asked Billy Graham how long it took to prepare a sermon. He answered, "A lifetime."

Tags: prepare, Billy Graham, Preaching

9 Things We Can All Learn From Billy Graham's Preaching

By Dennis Phelps on Oct 22, 2025

Someone asked Billy Graham how long it took to prepare a sermon. He answered, "A lifetime."

Scripture: Jeremiah 1:1-2, 1 Corinthians 2:2

Tags:

10 Things You Shouldn't Say To A Pastor Right After The Sermon

By SermonCentral .com on Dec 9, 2019

These ten post-sermon comments are the ones that produced the most visceral reactions in pastors.

Tags: Preaching, Criticism

Check Your Sermon Today For Three Things You Must Have Tomorrow

By Lane Sebring on Dec 16, 2019

Even great content needs careful structure and presentation. Here's a three-point checklist that will improve any message.

Scripture: James 4:1-5, Colossians 4:5-6

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