In Preaching Articles: "Good Story"

A Preacher's Prayer

By Bob Hostetler on Feb 2, 2024

If you're not in the habit of praying before you preach, here's a good place to start.

Tags: Preaching, Prayer, habit, preaching

How 450 Sermons Revealed Four Preaching Truths

By Ed Stetzer on Sep 1, 2021

LifeWay Research discovered four common factors in good preaching. Are they part of yours?

Scripture: 1 Timothy 4:12

Tags: Truth, Preaching, the word, ed stetzer

Growth Barriers, Effective Evangelism And Dangerous Church Trends

By SermonCentral .com on Dec 31, 2024

“A good leader is someone who is out in front of his people, but not too far…”

Tags:

The Work Life Balance Myth

By Shawn Lovejoy on May 27, 2022

Family and work can’t be balanced. The good news is that it’s not supposed to be.

Scripture: Proverbs 24:27

Tags: family, leadership, priorities, Balanced Life, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

Why Illustrations Matter In Preaching: Learning From Jesus’ Use Of Parables

By Leslie Holmes on Jan 15, 2024

Parables and illustrations bring preaching to life. These seven tests help pastors use stories wisely to clarify truth, reduce resistance, and make sermons memorable.

Scripture: Matthew 13:34, Nehemiah 8:8, 2 Timothy 4:2, Psalm 78:2, Luke 8:10  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Expository Preaching, expository preaching

When Preachers Intrude Too Much

By Joe Mckeever on Aug 22, 2024

Personal stories can help a sermon—but too much “me” distracts from Christ. This reflection warns preachers to minimize self and elevate the Savior.

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:5, Psalm 141:3, John 3:30, 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, 1 Peter 4:11  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Self examination, Sermon Craft, Self Examination

Narrative Preaching: Do You Make These 10 Mistakes?

By Peter Mead on Jul 3, 2020

Biblical narratives lose their power when preachers flatten them into lessons or principles. Avoid common pitfalls and learn how to preach stories as God intended.

Scripture: Genesis 22:1-14, Judges 6:11-24, Luke 10:25-37, John 2:1-11

Tags: Preaching Ministry

Biblical Preaching Is More Than Quoting The Bible

By Jeff K. Clarke on Jan 7, 2026

Not all ideas in the Bible are biblical. Discover how reading Scripture through the lens of Jesus helps us rightly interpret God’s redemptive story.

Tags: hermeneutics, biblical theology, Bible interpretation, Bible Interpretation, Christ Centered Reading, Biblical Theology, Hermeneutics, Narrative Theology  (view more)  (view less)

Disappointed With God -- At Christmastime!

By David J. Lose on Dec 26, 2022

Why is there an Advent passage about John and his doubts? Turns out there are plenty of good reasons.

Tags: Preaching, preaching

2 Keys For Better Preaching Prep

By Dr. Larry Moyer on Feb 1, 2025

Good preparation that leads to effective preaching begins with letting Scripture examine, speak, and preach to us.

Scripture: Psalm 119:99

Tags: Study, Preaching, preparation, Meditation, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Why Great Preachers Are Not Always Great Leaders

By Adrian Pei on Oct 12, 2020

If you’re a good speaker and skilled with people, you have the ability to use that your advantage.

Tags: Preaching

Preaching Needs Community: Here's Why

By Todd Hiestand on Nov 20, 2020

"One of the most individual things done in churches these days is preaching." (And that's not a good thing.)

Tags: Community, family, Preaching, Group, encouragement, community  (view more)  (view less)

The Problem With Both Talent And Charisma

By SermonCentral .com on Jan 11, 2022

Talent and charisma aren’t bad. They’re good. They’re gifts to be stewarded.

Scripture: 1 Timothy 4:16

Tags: Daniel, Humility, Integrity, charisma, Patriarchs Joseph, Relationship to God, Pastoral Character  (view more)  (view less)

Slaves In Your Church’s Backyard

By David Batstone on Dec 14, 2022

Modern slavery hides in plain sight. These stories reveal how trafficking thrives worldwide and even locally, calling Christians to seek justice with persistent, sacrificial love.

Tags: Compassion, Culture, Slavery, Justice, traffic, injustice, Human Trafficking, abolition, culture, Modern Slavery, Abolition  (view more)  (view less)

You Need To Know This Before You Preach

By SermonCentral .com on Feb 24, 2023

Here's a five-minute recap of the week's biggest news stories. Make sure you're in-the-know before you step into the pulpit this Sunday.

Scripture: James 5:10-20

Tags: Preaching, News, Politics, current events, world news, preaching  (view more)  (view less)