In Preaching Articles: "Growing In Faith"

Why Small Churches Don’t Grow

By Joe Mckeever on Sep 21, 2024

Small church growth stalls for reasons deeper than numbers. These ten barriers reveal why congregations stay stuck and how leaders can pursue renewed health and mission.

Scripture: John 13:35, Psalm 85:6, Luke 11:1-2

Tags: Church, Outreach, pastor, Church Growth, Health, Fail, Church Health, Small Church, Church Practices, pastoral leadership, spiritual vitality, Pastor, church, Pastoral Leadership, Small Church Growth, Congregational Renewal, Spiritual Vitality  (view more)  (view less)

Three Foundational Passages For Growing Disciples Of Jesus

By Ray Hollenbach on Jul 17, 2025

"Try to imagine talking about your subject every single day for two years. If the idea still thrills you, you've found your topic."

Tags: Jesus, Gospel, Growth, Discipleship, Disciples, gospel  (view more)  (view less)

5 Ways To Grow Your Church's Congregation

By Ricardo Hernandez on Apr 17, 2023

Dwindling church attendance is a concern faced by almost every established or newly-created church and should be strategically addressed. Here are five simple approaches that will make your church more inviting for your existing members and help attract new ones.

Tags: Community, Church, Church Members, members, Connect, Young people, social media, community, church members, connect, young people, church  (view more)  (view less)

Why Faithful Preaching Educates, Forms, And Mobilizes

By Ken Collins on Jul 27, 2020

Faithful preaching educates without elitism, addresses real spiritual pain, motivates discipleship, and ultimately glorifies God through transformed lives and obedient faith.

Scripture: John 1:14, Ecclesiastes 1:2-11, James 2:17, Luke 6:46, Matthew 7:16-20  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Preaching, motivation, goals, education, Leadership General, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Can You Defend The Faith Without Ranting?

By Joe Mckeever on Jul 18, 2025

Excellent advice from Joe McKeever: "Stand firm, preach the word, rebuke error, and be nice about it."

Tags: Preaching, advice, preach, defend the faith, ranting, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

7 Things That Get Harder As Your Church Grows

By Carey Nieuwhof on Nov 7, 2023

Ever think that growth will solve all your problems?

Tags: leadership, Church Growth, Healthy Church, pastoral leadership, church ministry, church problems, church priorities, Effective Leadership, Focus on Numbers, Elias livingstone, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

How To Be A Strategic Pastor And See Your Church Grow

By Hal Seed on Aug 29, 2022

You make a dozen decisions a day. How do you know what’s the right decision? What moves your church forward? What’s wasting time?

Tags: leadership, strategy, Retreat, Effectiveness, productivity, pastoral leadership, Pastoral Ministry, church leadership, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

Why Faith Empowers Ordinary People For Extraordinary Works

By Miles Mcpherson on May 20, 2020

God equips every believer for good works, yet many never act because they doubt what He’s already given them. Help your church stop striving and start believing.

Scripture: John 1:50, John 15:16-17, John 14:12, Ephesians 2:10, Philippians 2:13  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Empowerment

6 Faith Qualities Every Leader Should Embody

By Charles Stone on Feb 22, 2021

Hebrews 11, one of the greatest chapters in all the Bible, offers leaders profound insight about faith that we must believe and embody to effectively lead. Every leader must lead with great faith. Those who have gone before us model what it means to lead with such faith.

Scripture: Job 38:1-21, Hebrews 11:1-40

Tags: Faith, Preaching, preaching

Does Our Culture Make Kids Feel Ashamed Of Their Faith?

By Focus On The Family on Sep 9, 2022

As Christians, we all know how important it is to equip kids with a sense of joy in reading God’s Word and the confidence to freely express their faith in Jesus. But that goal is becoming more difficult in today’s culture.

Tags: Apologetics The Bible, Training children, Children's Faith

Constant Explanations From God Wouldn’t Allow For Our Faith Or Trust

By Randy Alcorn on Dec 9, 2022

The God of providence weaves millions of details into our lives and into all the lives around us. Maybe He doesn’t have one big reason for bringing a certain person or success or failure or disease or accident into our lives; in fact, He may have hundreds of little reasons. In order to understand God’s explanations, we would have to be God.

Scripture: Romans 8:28

Tags: Faith, Trust, Sovereignty, Surrender, sanctification, Will of God, personal holiness, sovereignty of God  (view more)  (view less)

The Blessing Of Doubt

By Lance Witt on Jun 22, 2024

How can our doubts be a blessing?

Scripture: Psalm 77:4-9

Tags: Faith, doubt, Blessing, Faith and Trust

The Prayer I Have Prayed Most

By SermonCentral .com on Aug 24, 2022

I suppose, in my little prayer nook in my study, where I have a little prayer bench that I built in 1975, as I’ve bent over that bench thousands of times, the most common prayer has been, “Lead me not into temptation. Deliver me from evil (see Matthew 6:13). Keep me. Keep me. I feel so utterly unable to do the next thing. My kids are at the breakfast table. I have nothing. I’m supposed to model joyful fatherhood, and I’m so depressed I can hardly remember their names. Help me.”

Scripture: Ephesians 2:8, Psalm 16:1-5, Romans 11:36, Romans 8:16, Jude 1:20, Matthew 6:13  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Faith, Perseverance, Prayer, Depression, God's Strength, continue in faith, Power of the Spirit, By faith  (view more)  (view less)

4 Thoughts On Finding A Mentor

By Ron Edmondson on Jun 25, 2024

"I have had many mentors who have invested deeply in my life. I am who I am partly because of the intentionality of others pouring into my life. They have made me a better leader, better husband, father, friend, and person."

Scripture: Proverbs 15:22

Tags: Character, Grow, Personal Growth, Mentor, Godly Leaders, mentoring, personal holiness, Disciple  (view more)  (view less)

Leading From Fear: So Many Churches Do It

By Joe Mckeever on Dec 23, 2021

It’s so easy for a preacher to exhibit fear and not faith when standing before the church and calling the congregation to faithfulness and righteousness.

Scripture: Mark 4:40, Luke 14:7-14

Tags: Faith, leadership, Faith and Fear, church leadership, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)