In Preaching Articles: "Good Works"

Expect More From Young Men

By Joe Hamilton on Aug 19, 2022

We are eager to see young men exert energy because we all know what happens when you put testosterone together with capacity to work for the kingdom. And we also know what happens when you mix the same testosterone and capacity with idleness. The ancient saying proves true: “the devil finds work for idle hands.”

Tags: Youth, Singleness, Idleness, young adults, adolescence, immaturity, Young Men, Expectation, e  (view more)  (view less)

What Kind Of Christians Will People Be If They Listen To Your Sermons For A Decade?

By Ray Hollenbach on Jul 23, 2025

Beyond the weekly phrase, "Good word, Preacher," the spiritual lives of the people in your church provide excellent feedback regarding the effectiveness of your preaching.

Tags: spiritual health, preaching, believer, Preaching, Congregation, Generation  (view more)  (view less)

Should We Try To Please Our Listeners? How Much?

By Peter Mead on Sep 18, 2025

If listeners aren't satisfied, it could be a good sign, or it could be a bad sign. In the same way, happy listeners may mean something is wrong.

Tags: Preaching, Criticism, please, listener, Feedback, criticism, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Advice For Preaching Funeral Sermons

By H.b. Charles, Jr. on Feb 24, 2021

Brief. Gospel-centered. Be sensitive to family. There are other important factors to consider when preaching funerals. But these three pieces of advice are a good place to start.

Scripture: Isaiah 63:7-14

Tags: Preaching, Funeral, Christian Funeral

How To Preach A Stressful Sermon

By David J. Lose on Jun 29, 2021

What might our personal and congregational lives look like if we took Jesus' words more seriously at home, work, school and in our communities?

Scripture: Luke 18:31-34, Proverbs 17:1-5

Tags: stress, Preaching, Stress

Smaller Churches Can Do Discipleship—without Wearing Out The Pastor

By SermonCentral .com on Nov 12, 2021

After a few hit-and-miss attempts, our church has discovered a simple five-step process that can work for any small church.

Tags: Preaching, Process, Small Church, Limitations, preaching, Discipleship  (view more)  (view less)

4 Threats To Every Sermon You Preach

By Lane Sebring on Oct 26, 2019

The reason we have to work harder to gain and keep attention has to do with what competes for the attention of our people every time we preach.

Tags: sermon, threats, Preaching, irrelevant

4 Things We Wish People Knew About Us As Pastors

By Lane Sebring on Nov 6, 2019

Being a pastor is unlike just about any other profession. Because of the holistic nature of the work, we tend to take on "pastor" as an identity and not just a career.

Scripture: John 12:32, John 12:29-36

Tags: Preaching, pastor, identity, Profession

Not Every Exhortation Is Necessary

By Peter Mead on May 9, 2024

It is important to discern when an exhortation needs to be given, and when the listener is already aware of their need for growth and working hard by faith to become more like Christ.

Tags: teaching, exhortation, Preaching Help, effective preaching, Effective Teaching, Know your audience, preaching, Teaching, Preaching  (view more)  (view less)

4 Attributes Of Powerful Preaching

By Kevin Deyoung on Jan 29, 2025

Kevin DeYoung presents four qualities of what he calls "truly good preaching–-the kind that resonates with people and the kind God tends to employ."

Scripture: Matthew 7:28-29

Tags: Preaching, Authenticity, Clarity, Veracity, Authority, Leadership General, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Why Authentic Preaching Could Be A Trap

By Maurilio Amorim on May 15, 2020

Maurillo Amorim: "I hope we are not creating a culture that encourages people to be authentic about their sins but excuses them from doing the hard work of making things right."

Tags: Preaching, preaching

Passion, Prayer, And Planning Ministry: Building The Nehemiah Way

By Todd Brown on Mar 11, 2022

Working with hundreds of churches over the last 35 years, I have observed three common elements of successful building programs and all three are characteristics displayed by quality leaders.

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 12:13

Tags: Nehemiah, Prayer, strategy, Church Building

8 Reasons Churches Should Partner With Secular Community Groups

By Karl Vaters on May 5, 2022

How can we reach our communities if they have no idea we love them? And how will they know we love them if we don’t work alongside them?

Tags: Service, Humility, Culture, community outreach, culture  (view more)  (view less)

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)

The Greatest Gift You Give Your Team- Part 1

By Lance Witt on Jul 11, 2024

This week work at paying attention to your soul. Listen to your emotions. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand what is going on beneath the surface of all your “doing”.

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 7:1, John 16:32, John 16:32

Tags: Approval, personal holiness, Growth in Christ, pastoral leadership, God's Approval, Guarding your heart, motives, soul care  (view more)  (view less)