In Preaching Articles: "Good Story"

How To Attract And Keep Amazing Volunteers You Can’t Afford To Pay

By Carey Nieuwhof on Jul 12, 2024

If you want to attract and keep great people, value them.

Tags: Trust, Respect, Volunteer, Volunteerism, Leadership Listening, pastoral leadership, Good leaders, church leadership  (view more)  (view less)

What Do I Do With Church Members Who Hate Me?

By Brian Croft on Nov 24, 2021

At this point, some of you may be thinking these kinds of people are a good reason to leave and start over, but I submit to you they are actually a good reason to stay and endure. Why are these difficult people a good reason to stay and endure?

Tags: Preaching, preaching

How To Make The Most Of Your Morning

By Josh Reich on Jun 15, 2024

"There is a lot at stake in what we do with our mornings."

Scripture: Psalm 34:8

Tags: Morning, priorities, distractions, Personal Growth, Quiet time, productivity, Good Habits, pastoral leadership, prayers  (view more)  (view less)

Work Smarter, Not Harder

By Lance Witt on Jan 10, 2022

There is a story in the Bible about a very gifted and competent leader who wasn’t working smart.

Scripture: Exodus 18:1-27

Tags: priorities, advice, Leadership Listening, walking wisely

What Are You Improving At Your Church Right Now?

By Karl Vaters on Oct 26, 2022

"Every church should constantly be improving. And not just in general terms. We should always be working on specific action plans to make our church better tomorrow than it is today."

Tags: leadership, Church Growth, Healthy Church, effective, productivity, pastoral leadership, church leadership, good leadership, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

How Much Does A Pastor Share With His Wife In Regard To Confidential Matters?

By Brian Croft on Nov 10, 2022

Pastors, we must lead our wives well to capture a fruitful balance.

Tags: leadership, Pastors, lead, Godly Wisdom, pastoral leadership, church ministry, pastor's wife, good leadership, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

7 Ways Great Leaders Handle Their Mistakes

By Carey Nieuwhof on Jul 2, 2024

What makes leaders great is not that they stop making mistakes. What makes them great is how they handle their mistakes.

Scripture: Exodus 32:21-24, 2 Samuel 12:13-16

Tags: Humility, leadership, mistakes, Godly Leaders, Good leaders, practical advice, Correcting Mistakes, Problem Solver, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

When Illustrations Become Sermon-Killers (And What To Do About Them)

By Joe Mckeever on Dec 5, 2025

The smart preacher never tells a story that clobbers his sermon and destroys the point he is trying to make.

Tags: Preaching, preaching

You're Preaching, But Do You Know Who's Listening?

By Mike Miller on Jan 18, 2023

Good preachers must develop the extra skill of "congregational exegesis."

Tags: Preaching, Listen, Congregation, audience, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Why Preaching 'the Problem With The Church Today' Is A Recipe For Disaster

By SermonCentral .com on Nov 6, 2021

The problems with the church are nothing new. But in a way, that's good news.

Scripture: John 1:2-26

Tags: Preaching, problem, church problems, problem with church, recipe for disaster, complain, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Is Your Preaching Too Intense?

By Lane Sebring on Feb 10, 2026

I know what some of you are thinking… Wait! Heaviness is good. Intensity is good. People need their toes stepped on! That’s just the Holy Spirit working on them!

Tags: Preaching, preaching

Have You Heard The Four Laws Of Sermonomics?

By Chris Foster on Jan 19, 2023

Are there laws that define a sermon as good or bad, effective or ineffective, memorable or forgettable?

Tags: Preaching, Refresh, Change, sermonomics, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Thinking About Expository Preaching—part 1

By Ed Stetzer on Mar 2, 2022

Expository is the best form of preaching, except for the other good styles, too.

Tags: pastor, Preacher, sermon prep, sermon, Expository Preaching, Pastor, Sermon Prep, Sermon, preacher, expository preaching, Sermon prep  (view more)  (view less)

Why We Preach: Gospel Bread For Desperate Hearts

By David J. Lose on Oct 6, 2020

Preaching is not merely instruction or exhortation. It is weekly renewal in the story of God’s love for weary believers who struggle to believe.

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:2, Romans 10:17, Matthew 4:4, 1 Corinthians 1:23, Hebrews 10:23  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Gospel, Preaching, gospel, preaching, Christian worship, Christian Worship  (view more)  (view less)

God Plans For The Unexpected And Inconvenient

By SermonCentral .com on Jun 2, 2022

What’s odd is that a story about a socially humiliating situation and a reluctant, irritated benefactor is supposed to encourage us to pray.

Scripture: Luke 11:2-4, Luke 11:5-8, John 15:5, Luke 11:9-13

Tags: Sacrifice, Lord's Prayer, Unexpected, inadequate