In Preaching Articles: "Forgiveness In Jesus"

Does Our Culture Make Kids Feel Ashamed Of Their Faith?

By Focus On The Family on Sep 8, 2022

As Christians, we all know how important it is to equip kids with a sense of joy in reading God’s Word and the confidence to freely express their faith in Jesus. But that goal is becoming more difficult in today’s culture.

Tags: Apologetics The Bible, Training children, Children's Faith

The Haunted Hayride Of Human Approval

By Marshall Segal on Jan 24, 2022

Perhaps the single most significant hindrance to Christian witness in the world today is our hunger for human approval. By nature, we think more about what people think of us than about what they think of Jesus.

Scripture: Acts 14:8-22, Philippians 3:8

Tags: Criticism, Approval, Approval by Men, praise from men, criticism  (view more)  (view less)

5 Ways Judgmental Christians Are Killing Your Church

By Carey Nieuwhof on Aug 29, 2023

Jesus said Christians should be known for how deeply we love. Yet studies show that in the eyes of many non-Christians, we’re known for how deeply we judge, not for how deeply we love.

Tags: Evangelism, Grace, judgemental, grace, evangelism  (view more)  (view less)

The Best Way To Promote Church Growth? Support Small Churches

By SermonCentral .com on Jan 26, 2021

I want as many people as possible, all over the world, to know Jesus. The good news of the gospel can’t be confined within the walls of my church, the distinctives of my denomination, the borders of my country, or the customs of my culture.

Tags: Support, Preaching, Church Growth, Small Church

9 Things Great Leaders Do

By Charles Stone on Mar 1, 2021

The book of Acts describes the amazing story of Jesus’ work through the Holy Spirit in the early church. With an explosive start, problems were certain to surface. However, they lead the church well and model for us 9 things great leaders do.

Tags: Preaching, leaders, preaching

You Can Make A Difference As We Make A Difference Together

By SermonCentral .com on Mar 8, 2021

Two thousand years ago, Jesus gathered some ordinary misfits into a little community called the church. He trained them as his disciples, died for their sins, rose again and breathed life into them by sending his Holy Spirit.

Tags: Outreach, Preaching, Difference, preaching

Best Fourth Of July Sermons And Resources

By SermonCentral .com on Jun 30, 2019

At SermonCentral, we’ve put together a rich collection of our best Fourth of July sermons, video resources, and graphics to help you honor this patriotic holiday while pointing your congregation to the ultimate freedom found in Jesus.

Tags:

10 Global Churches Larger Than America's Largest

By James O. Davis on Jun 4, 2020

In the last six years, the Global Church has witnessed more than 1.4 million new church plants with more than 250 million coming to Christ. The Church of the Lord Jesus Christ is growing faster than any other time in history.

Scripture: Acts 1:8, Matthew 28:19-20

Tags: Evangelism, Church, Leader, Missions, Global, Church Growth, Evangelism The Lost, evangelism  (view more)  (view less)

Heads Up, Eyes Open, Everyone Looking Around Weekend Invitations

By Dean Hawk on Aug 2, 2023

I’m curious. When and where did ministers first begin asking people to bow their heads, close their eyes, and secretly raise their hand in a church service if they wanted to accept Jesus? Why do we feel like we need to sneak people into heaven?

Tags: Salvation, gospel invitation, Empowered churches

God's Grace Sermon Outline

By Josh Read on Mar 11, 2026

Grace might be the most preached-on topic in the history of the church and the least understood. Every pastor has a grace sermon in their back pocket. The problem isn't that we preach it too rarely. The problem is that we've filed it under "God is nice to us" and moved on. Dietrich Bonhoeffer identified this seventy years ago and named it precisely: cheap grace. Grace as doctrine, as principle, as system. Grace without discipleship, grace without the cross. Most congregations have heard enough grace sermons to believe God accepts them. Far fewer have heard one that made them uncomfortable. This outline is for that second sermon. Not grace as comfort but grace as disruption. The kind that doesn't just forgive what you were but refuses to leave you there.

Scripture: Titus 2:11-12, Romans 6:1-2, Ephesians 2:8-10, John 8:10-11, 2 Corinthians 12:9, Genesis 6:8, Luke 7:47, 2 Corinthians 5:14-15  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Grace, grace, sermonprep, SermonPrep, PastorLife, ChurchLeader, GodsGrace, PreachingWithPurpose  (view more)  (view less)

The Lord’s Prayer, A Missional Reading: Give Us Daily Bread

By Dr. Nijay Gupta on Apr 7, 2021

The “missional theology” movement has injected energy and life into the church. Who isn’t inspired when reading Emil Brunner’s famous words, “The church exists by mission as a fire exists by burning”? Missional theology has motivated many Christians and churches to seek out their purpose in God of bearing and embodying the good news of Jesus Christ.

Scripture: Deuteronomy 8:1-20, Exodus 16:1-36, John 6:1-71, Matthew 4:1-25

Tags: Humility, Lord's Prayer, Missional, walk by faith

8 Ways To Bust Leadership Discouragement

By Charles Stone on Sep 27, 2022

"Discouragement is a universal experience for ministry leaders and the word actually self-defines itself…dis-courage meaning no courage. Some of the Bible’s greatest characters faced it: Moses, David, Paul, Mary the mother of Jesus, and the apostles. Nehemiah, the great Old Testament leader faced it when he led the Jews to rebuild the wall. Yet, his response offers us hope when we face it."

Scripture: Psalm 77:11, Nehemiah 4:10-21

Tags: Blessings, Burdens, Leadership, Nehemiah, leadership, Discouragement, thought life, pastoral leadership  (view more)  (view less)