In Preaching Articles: "Giving Up"

10 Suggestions For The Shepherd Of A Stagnant Flock

By Joe Mckeever on Jun 3, 2020

Non-growing churches are not healthy, at least in some significant ways. Joe McKeever gives his input to help revive a church that seems to have "plateaued."

Tags: Preaching, Sheep, Apathy, lead, Church Purpose of, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Why "Preach Like The Room Is Full" Is Some Of The Worst Advice

By SermonCentral .com on Sep 16, 2025

"Even if only three people show up to church, preach like the room is full!" That's some of the worst advice I've ever received in ministry.

Tags: Preaching, opportunity, full room, terrible advice, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

How To Teach Old Testament Characters

By J.d. Greear on Feb 25, 2025

"I believe most contemporary teaching on Old Testament stories is hopelessly moralistic, giving us merely examples to emulate rather than a Savior to adore and hope in."

Scripture: Psalm 23:1-6

Tags: Old Testament, David, Preaching, preaching

New Poll: What's The Average Length Of Sermon Prep?

By SermonCentral .com on Jun 16, 2021

LifeWay's Thom Rainer took a Twitter poll to see how much time most preachers give to sermon preparation. Where do you fall on the scale?

Tags: preparation, average, Prep, Time

Have You Fallen Into The 'passionate Preaching Trap'?

By Josh Reich on Dec 26, 2019

If you aren't careful, you will only preach on the things you find important...and you'll end up missing an enormous part of your church.

Scripture: Acts 2:1-13

Tags: Preaching, Spirit led, exegesis, preaching

Shut Down The Bus Tours: What Older Members Should Really Be Doing

By Carey Nieuwhof on Aug 9, 2023

What if this one generation actually just sacrificed for the sake of another? What if they gave up their preferences in music, style and taste so that others could come to know Christ?

Tags: God's family, Life Mission, mission, Intergenerational

6 Things To Do When Someone Insults You

By Josh Reich on Apr 14, 2023

You know the conversation. Someone in your church asks to meet with you, or you set up the meeting because you know they are angry at you, the church or a decision that was made.

Tags: Hurt, church conflict, Dealing with Conflicts, Leadership Listening

In Recruiting, Don’t Say No For Someone

By Josh Reich on Feb 27, 2021

What happens then is the leader says no for the person without giving them a chance to say yes or no. Would that person say no? I have no idea and neither do you.

Tags: Preaching, Recruiting

The Power Of Testimony

By Peter Mead on Nov 19, 2022

"Hearing how God has worked in a life can be very powerful. Having someone “give their testimony” can also backfire. Here are a few of the problems that can create the tension."

Tags: Leadership, Our Testimony, Sharing My Testimony, Personal Testimony, christian testimony, church leadership, Power Of Testimony, leadership, Church leaders  (view more)  (view less)

10 Reasons Even Committed Church Attenders Are Attending Church Less Often

By Carey Nieuwhof on Jun 21, 2023

It comes up in a surprising number of conversations these days. And no one’s quite sure how to respond to it. The issue? Even committed church attenders are attending church less often.

Scripture: Hebrews 10:25, 2 Thessalonians 2:2-3, Matthew 24:9-13

Tags: Technology, Culture, church decline, Church attendence, culture  (view more)  (view less)

Keep Learning To Lead: Five Practical Lessons

By Gavin Ortlund on Apr 29, 2022

Leadership is hard. I rank it up there with pain, parenting, and preaching as one of those things in life that we never fully master, but only hope to keep learning over a lifetime.

Scripture: John 13:15-16, John 16:12

Tags: Teamwork, Leadership General, servant leadership, Jesus' leadership

4 Reasons Why People Leave And 3 Ways Pastors Respond

By Greg Surratt on Apr 29, 2020

In the early days of starting Seacoast, I used to wince when someone asked for an appointment. “Was this another ‘core team member’ hanging up their spurs?”, I’d think to myself.

Scripture: Hebrews 10:25-35, Hebrews 10:25

Tags: Church, Church Growth, Connect, Assimilation, Church Practices  (view more)  (view less)

7 Phrases Christians Like To Say That Aren’t True

By Lori Hatcher on May 31, 2024

"We’ve all heard them—phrases that sound wise, insightful, and biblical. But are they really? Let’s look at some common sayings, compare them to the Bible, and see if they hold up."

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 1:8-9, James 1:14, 1 Corinthians 10:13, 1 John 3:10, Daniel 10:11, Psalm 148:2  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: guard the truth, Contending for truth, Theology, Know the Truth, Biblical truth, chosen people, Enduring Hardship, help in temptation  (view more)  (view less)

Start With A Bang! Crafting A Memorable Sermon Opener

By Tyler Scarlett on Feb 27, 2025

If you lose your congregation at the beginning, you will have to work twice as hard to get them back by the end. Why not give your message the best possible chance to connect with people at the outset?

Scripture: Titus 2:2, Titus 2:1-2, Philippians 4:10-15, Romans 13:11-14

Tags: Communication, Preaching, Introduction, communication, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

How John Piper Prepares A Sermon

By SermonCentral .com on Mar 12, 2020

What I take into the pulpit on Sunday is about 10 double-spaced pages that are so marked up they look like chicken scratch, and they function as my outline while I'm talking.

Tags: Preaching, Prep, preaching