In Preaching Articles: "Growing In Christ"

7 Bad Reasons Pastors Don't Share The Gospel In Every Sermon

By Greg Stier on Aug 13, 2023

In my interactions with pastors I’ve heard seven primary reasons for why some chose not to give the Gospel in every sermon.

Scripture: Ephesians 4:11-12, 1 Timothy 4:1-5

Tags: Evangelism, Gospel, Excuses, preaching Christ, evangelism, gospel  (view more)  (view less)

Live And Die By The Numbers

By Lance Witt on Apr 10, 2023

But numbers become a problem in the heart of a pastor when they move from being a point of celebration to becoming the driver of our motivation.

Scripture: Acts 2:47

Tags: motivation, Church Growth, success in ministry, intimacy with Christ

Get Alone With God

By SermonCentral .com on Mar 21, 2022

As Jonathan Edwards expresses, and Scripture exemplifies, one aspect of a Christ-enamored heart is a gnawing ache to get alone with him.

Scripture: Mark 1:35, Matthew 4:1, Psalm 63:5-6, Hebrews 10:25, Luke 4:42, Matthew 14:23  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Solitude, Alone with God, soul care, intimacy with Christ

Timothy Keller On How To Preach To And Reach A Culture

By Brandon Kelley on Mar 22, 2022

Timothy Keller seems to have the pulse of our present culture in a way that I’ve not encountered before.

Tags: Preaching, Culture, skepticism, preaching Christ, preaching, culture  (view more)  (view less)

How To (Finally) Stop Giving In To The Pressure To Add More Ministries In Your Church

By Carey Nieuwhof on Sep 26, 2023

When you’re a church leader, you feel a lot of pressure.

Tags: focus, Simplicity, Church Body of Christ, ministry philosophy

Practically Impractical

By Chris Surber on Apr 29, 2022

In all of our efforts to be relevant are we forgetting the mysterious beauty of God?

Tags: Kingdom, God's Kingdom, mystery of Christ, eternal perspective

Success Is Never About Defeating The Giants

By Brandon Cox on Nov 26, 2023

Success isn’t about beating giants. It’s about building a life that grows through trials and challenges.

Scripture: 1 Samuel 17:34-37

Tags: Facing Giants, church ministry, success, goals, achievement, pastoral leadership, Pastoral Ministry, success in ministry  (view more)  (view less)

How To Preach Like The Weeping Prophet

By Chris Surber on May 20, 2025

Love in the pastorate--not logic in the academic hall--wins people to Christ.

Tags: Preaching, Gospel of Luke, Weeping, preaching, Prophet, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Matthew  (view more)  (view less)

Don’t Be Yourself

By Greg Morse on Dec 7, 2022

Don’t be yourself. Be something higher. Be who God predestined you to be. Be who you are in Jesus.

Scripture: Ephesians 5:8

Tags: Abide in Christ, personal holiness, Born Again, Character, Born Again, sanctification, new creation, Personal Growth, Becoming like Christ  (view more)  (view less)

5 Marks Of A Mature Leader

By Brandon Cox on Jul 2, 2024

Your body’s physical maturity typically peaks in early adulthood, but your spiritual maturity will keep growing even into eternity.

Tags: church leadership, Leadership Traits, Humble, godly character, Godly Leaders, Leadership Listening, Encourage Others, pastoral leadership  (view more)  (view less)

Preaching Without Cabin Pressure

By Ron Forseth on Mar 12, 2025

Preach about sin? Emphasize God’s wrath? Talk about Christ’s blood? Can that possibly have a positive effect? Most certainly. Ultimately, it’s the only way to have a lasting effect.

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:20

Tags: Evangelism, Preaching, Urgency, Evangelism Urgency, evangelism, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Three Root Causes Of Stalled Spiritual Transformation

By Thom Rainer on Mar 4, 2020

Why does spiritual growth sometimes stall out in believers? Thom Rainer offers his view and solutions from a study of the Corinthian church.

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 3:1-3

Tags: Spirit, Church, Growth, Discipleship, Preaching, Transformation, Growth in Christ  (view more)  (view less)

4 Problems With Passionate Preaching

By Peter Mead on Apr 27, 2020

Just because we feel strongly about our message doesn't mean we should strong-arm our listeners.

Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:16

Tags: Communication, Discernment, Preaching, passion, Passion of Christ, communication, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

The First Step In Being A Great Pastor

By SermonCentral .com on Feb 11, 2022

The first step in being a great pastor is to walk with God.

Scripture: 1 Chronicles 16:11

Tags: Pastor, pastor, Basics of Christianity, Intimacy With God, intimacy with Christ  (view more)  (view less)

The Call No One Wants To Get - Part 2

By Lance Witt on Sep 25, 2023

Looking back, I see that obscurity allowed God to redirect my sense of identity and significance.

Tags: obscurity, Relationship to God, intimacy with Christ, Hidden work of God