In Preaching Articles: "Follow Your Heart"

How To Say Good-Bye: Preaching Your Last Sermon

By Chris Surber on Nov 9, 2021

People usually listen closely to your first words--and your last. Make them meaningful.

Scripture: Matthew 16:18

Tags: Preaching, Purpose, preparation, Goodbye, last sermon, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

What Do Your Gestures Say While You Preach?

By SermonCentral .com on Dec 1, 2024

It's true: we speak with more than words, more than our voice. How does your body preach?

Tags: Preaching, effective, gestures, thom rainer, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Seminary-Trained Preachers Face Unique Flaws: Are Yours On The List?

By Peter Mead on Dec 2, 2024

"You should wear your learning like your underwear: it's important that you have it on, but don't let it show."

Scripture: Psalm 119:10-12

Tags: Preaching, education, Seminary, preaching

8 Last-Minute Tips For Your Christmas Eve Service

By Josh Reich on Dec 20, 2023

An extra service this week doesn't have to be a chore: it just has to be authentic.

Tags: Preaching, preaching

What To Preach--And When: Build Your Preaching Calendar

By SermonCentral .com on Jan 5, 2021

There's no such thing as a perfect preaching calendar, but Hal Seed helps you get close!

Scripture: Ephesians 4:17-32

Tags: Preaching

11 Reasons To Protect Your Spirit From The Demands Of Ministry

By SermonCentral .com on Jan 7, 2021

Pastoral ministry can be hazardous to our spiritual health. But it doesn’t need to be.

Tags: Preaching

4 Signs Your Church May Not Need Small Groups

By SermonCentral .com on Jan 13, 2021

When it comes to small groups, what works for big churches may not work for small churches.

Scripture: Psalm 69:1-25

Tags: Preaching

Maybe Your Church Doesn't Need More Money

By Kent Woodyard on Mar 26, 2023

“If your church isn’t strapped for cash, your vision isn’t big enough.”

Tags: Money, church planting, Cost of Discipleship

5 Thoughts About Spending Your Leadership Equity Wisely

By SermonCentral .com on Feb 5, 2021

When you walk into a leadership opportunity, you go with a little bit of equity by virtue of your position. Every decision you make, and every risk you lead your organization to take will require an investment of some of your leadership equity (the trust people place in you).

Tags: Trust, leadership, Preaching, parables, opportunity, jesus parables, Leadership, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Six Terrible Ways To Recruit Ministry Volunteers In Your Church

By SermonCentral .com on Dec 27, 2021

Sometimes I think church leaders take the most negative approaches in an attempt to encourage more people to get involved in ministry in the church.

Tags: Prayer, Spiritual Gifts, Lay Leadership, Recruiting

If You're Going To Do Church That Way, Do It Well

By Karl Vaters on Nov 29, 2023

Churches don’t become great by adding more programs. They get better at the ones they already have.

Tags: liturgy, Denomination, Pastoral Ministry, church ministry, church leadership, People Over Programs, Form and Substance, Do What's right, e  (view more)  (view less)

Doing Ministry Without Losing Your Soul Part 1

By Lance Witt on May 12, 2024

"There is nothing worse than trying to inspire people to be passionate about God when you have little or no passion yourself. There is nothing more empty feeling than trying to connect people to God when you feel disconnected from God."

Tags: pastoral leadership, Pastoral Ministry, soul care, avoiding burnout, church ministry, Growing in Faith, Christ's Love for Us, Healthy Ministry  (view more)  (view less)

Doing Ministry Without Losing Your Soul Part 2

By Lance Witt on May 16, 2024

"In ministry, there are certain tensions that we must live with. Sometimes they seem contradictory, but they are tensions that are actually healthy for us."

Scripture: Philippians 3:7-8, Psalm 27:4, 2 Corinthians 3:18

Tags: leadership, Balance, pastoral leadership, Pastoral Ministry, church ministry, Healthy Ministry, Tensions in Ministry, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

Doing Ministry Without Losing Your Soul Part 3

By Lance Witt on May 21, 2024

When pastoring is your job, it adds complexity to simply loving Jesus. To live and lead from a healthy soul, we must learn the art of separating our own personal pursuit of loving Jesus from our “ministry” of leading in the church.

Scripture: Deuteronomy 30:19-20

Tags: time with God, pastoral leadership, Pastoral Ministry, soul care, avoiding burnout, Putting Christ First, Sincerity with God, church leadership  (view more)  (view less)

11 Ways To Make Christmas Your Best Outreach Of The Year

By Carey Nieuwhof on Dec 14, 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)