In Preaching Articles: "God Hears Prayer"

Preaching God's Dangerous Truth

By Sherman Haywood Cox on Jun 16, 2020

Preaching must resist political birthright-stealers and proclaim the dangerous truth that God has come. Advent calls us to vision, courage, and bold proclamation.

Scripture: Luke 2:10, Matthew 13:17, Matthew 10:7, Revelation 10:10-11, Micah 4:1-2  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Preaching, preaching, pastoral courage, Pastoral Courage

Is Your Preaching God-Centered?

By Bernie Van Eyk on Sep 10, 2024

People crave practical help, but their deepest need is God Himself. God-centered preaching lifts hearts from self to the glory revealed in Jesus Christ.

Scripture: 1 Timothy 4:4, Genesis 1:1, Psalm 73:17-26, John 1:18, 1 Corinthians 2:2  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Preaching, spiritual formation, preaching, Spiritual Formation

Is Preaching Your Work Or God's?

By Peter Mead on Jul 28, 2021

Paul wrote and he wrote very strongly, but where was his confidence?

Tags: Paul, Preaching, work, action, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Thanksgiving And The Will Of God: A Preacher's Guide

By Ray Hollenbach on Nov 23, 2025

Thanksgiving sermons can sometimes sound like such a scolding, but guilt is a terrible motivation for giving thanks.

Scripture: Deuteronomy 26:1-11

Tags: Thanksgiving, Thanks, motivation, guilt

Thanksgiving: Echoing The Grace Of God

By SermonCentral .com on Jul 2, 2025

The Christian life, from the beginning to end, is a life of extraordinary grace. Saying "thank you" just makes sense.

Tags: Grace, Trust, Preaching, nullify grace, grace, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Church Growth And The Work Of God

By Josh Reich on Oct 5, 2023

We know that God is the one who makes a church grow, that it isn’t on us. This is both a comfort and a problem.

Tags: Communication, vision, Discipleship, Church Growth, communication  (view more)  (view less)

Trusting God In The Eleventh Hour

By Josh Read on Nov 3, 2025

We live by the clock. Every minute is measured against what we hope to achieve. Waiting, then, feels inefficient. We pray for breakthrough and expect God to move as fast as we refresh our screens. But when the silence lingers and the plans fall apart, what then? The parable in Matthew 20:1–16 reshapes how we see God’s timing, grace, and trust.

Scripture: Habakkuk 2:3, James 1:4, Psalm 13:1, Isaiah 55:8-9, Galatians 6:2, Galatians 6:9, Matthew 6:8, Isaiah 40:31, Matthew 20:1-16, Matthew 5:45, Numbers 14:6-9, Genesis 21:1-3  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Faith, Grace, Trust, Perseverance, encouragement, God's timing, spiritual growth, Kingdom of God, Waiting on God, christian living, kingdom of God, God's Timing, grace, Christian Living, Spiritual Growth, Encouragement  (view more)  (view less)

God's Grace Sermon Outline

By Josh Read on Mar 10, 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)

5 Personal Changes To Empower Your Preaching

By Rick Ezell on Feb 10, 2025

Preachers shape their sermons through personal integrity, clear priorities, grounded planning, spiritual investment, and prayerful dependence on God’s power.

Scripture: Galatians 6:1-10

Tags: leadership, Personal Change, Leadership

Would You Rather Hear *good Sermon, Pastor* Or *you Just Destroyed My World*?

By David Fitch on Feb 3, 2023

There's a difference between safe, enjoyable preaching and challenging the listener. How do you divide the two?

Tags: Devil, Preaching, Safe, challenge, listener, enjoyable, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

How To Craft Sermon Openers That Grab Attention

By Tyler Scarlett on Feb 26, 2025

A wandering introduction loses listeners before the sermon even begins. Strong, simple, and compelling first sentences draw people in and prepare them to hear God’s Word.

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

Tags: Pastoral Ministry

Jars Of Clay | 3 Observations On God’s Design For Weakness In The Ministry Of His Gospel

By Thomas C. Brown on Jul 29, 2022

"He has not chosen the strong, but the weak. He has not recruited the mighty, but the frail. He has not selected those who think themselves capable and worthy, but those who know themselves deficient and disqualified apart from his cleansing, preserving, and empowering grace."

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:5-7, Revelation 7:11-12, 1 Corinthians 10:31, Matthew 23:1-12, 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, John 15:5, Acts 4:13, Ephesians 3:11, Hebrews 1:3, 2 Corinthians 12:8-10, 1 Corinthians 2:2-5, 1 Corinthians 1:18-31  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Faith, Humility, obedience, leadership, Submission, Meekness, glorifying God, pastoral leadership, Pastoral Ministry, strength in weakness, gospel proclamation, gospel ministry, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

Why Preaching Is Impossible (And What You Can Do About It)

By Jacob Myers on Dec 30, 2025

When you make the long, lonely walk to the pulpit to proclaim the Word of God for the people of God, how often do you hear the Mission Impossible soundtrack playing in your mind?

Scripture: Mark 12:38-44, Colossians 4:1-11

Tags: Preaching, preaching

Honor Your Grandchildren’s Father And Mother

By Nancy Wilson on Jul 5, 2024

As grandmothers, we are to do more than simply cheer for our children and grandchildren and buy them Christmas jammies (though we should certainly do those things and more). Our foremost duty is to fear the Lord and obey him every day of our life.

Scripture: Psalm 103:7, 2 Timothy 1:5

Tags: family, parenting, Grandparents, GRANDCHILDREN, Prayer for Others, Family Relationships, future generations, Faithful Prayer  (view more)  (view less)

Five Things God Never Said

By Dr. Larry Moyer on Dec 31, 2024

Common sayings about God and salvation often distort the gospel. Exposing five popular misconceptions helps believers regain clarity, confidence, and grace in evangelism.

Scripture: Revelation 3:20, John 20:31, Ezekiel 3:18-19, John 6:44, Matthew 10:32-33  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Evangelism, Witness, Outreach, Salvation, Gospel, Preaching, myth, Assurance of Salvation, Bible Influence, Salvation By Faith, evangelism, gospel, preaching, gospel clarity, Gospel Clarity, Misconceptions About God, Assurance Of Salvation  (view more)  (view less)