In Preaching Articles: "Guarding Your Heart"

Seminary-Trained Preachers Face Unique Flaws: Are Yours On The List?

By Peter Mead on Dec 2, 2024

"You should wear your learning like your underwear: it's important that you have it on, but don't let it show."

Scripture: Psalm 119:10-12

Tags: education, Seminary, preaching, Preaching

8 Last-Minute Tips For Your Christmas Eve Service

By Josh Reich on Dec 20, 2023

An extra service this week doesn't have to be a chore: it just has to be authentic.

Tags: Preaching, preaching

What To Preach--And When: Build Your Preaching Calendar

By SermonCentral .com on Jan 5, 2021

There's no such thing as a perfect preaching calendar, but Hal Seed helps you get close!

Scripture: Ephesians 4:17-32

Tags: Preaching

11 Reasons To Protect Your Spirit From The Demands Of Ministry

By SermonCentral .com on Jan 7, 2021

Pastoral ministry can be hazardous to our spiritual health. But it doesn’t need to be.

Tags: Preaching

4 Signs Your Church May Not Need Small Groups

By SermonCentral .com on Jan 13, 2021

When it comes to small groups, what works for big churches may not work for small churches.

Scripture: Psalm 69:1-25

Tags: Preaching

Maybe Your Church Doesn't Need More Money

By Kent Woodyard on Mar 26, 2023

“If your church isn’t strapped for cash, your vision isn’t big enough.”

Tags: Money, church planting, Cost of Discipleship

5 Thoughts About Spending Your Leadership Equity Wisely

By SermonCentral .com on Feb 5, 2021

When you walk into a leadership opportunity, you go with a little bit of equity by virtue of your position. Every decision you make, and every risk you lead your organization to take will require an investment of some of your leadership equity (the trust people place in you).

Tags: Trust, leadership, Preaching, parables, opportunity, jesus parables, Leadership, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Six Terrible Ways To Recruit Ministry Volunteers In Your Church

By SermonCentral .com on Dec 27, 2021

Sometimes I think church leaders take the most negative approaches in an attempt to encourage more people to get involved in ministry in the church.

Tags: Prayer, Spiritual Gifts, Lay Leadership, Recruiting

If You're Going To Do Church That Way, Do It Well

By Karl Vaters on Nov 29, 2023

Churches don’t become great by adding more programs. They get better at the ones they already have.

Tags: liturgy, Denomination, Pastoral Ministry, church ministry, church leadership, People Over Programs, Form and Substance, Do What's right, e  (view more)  (view less)

Doing Ministry Without Losing Your Soul Part 1

By Lance Witt on May 12, 2024

"There is nothing worse than trying to inspire people to be passionate about God when you have little or no passion yourself. There is nothing more empty feeling than trying to connect people to God when you feel disconnected from God."

Tags: soul care, avoiding burnout, church ministry, Growing in Faith, Christ's Love for Us, Healthy Ministry, pastoral leadership, Pastoral Ministry  (view more)  (view less)

Doing Ministry Without Losing Your Soul Part 2

By Lance Witt on May 16, 2024

"In ministry, there are certain tensions that we must live with. Sometimes they seem contradictory, but they are tensions that are actually healthy for us."

Scripture: Philippians 3:7-8, Psalm 27:4, 2 Corinthians 3:18

Tags: Pastoral Ministry, church ministry, Healthy Ministry, Tensions in Ministry, Leadership, leadership, Balance, pastoral leadership  (view more)  (view less)

Doing Ministry Without Losing Your Soul Part 3

By Lance Witt on May 21, 2024

When pastoring is your job, it adds complexity to simply loving Jesus. To live and lead from a healthy soul, we must learn the art of separating our own personal pursuit of loving Jesus from our “ministry” of leading in the church.

Scripture: Deuteronomy 30:19-20

Tags: soul care, avoiding burnout, Putting Christ First, Sincerity with God, church leadership, time with God, pastoral leadership, Pastoral Ministry  (view more)  (view less)

8 Ideas To Make Your Christmas Eve Service Memorable

By Josh Reich on Dec 19, 2024

Christmas Eve is coming, and millions of people will walk into a church to experience something. But what will they get when they walk into your church or mine?

Tags: Simplicity, Gospel centered, church leadership, Christmas Service, Christmas, Advent, Christmas Eve, invite  (view more)  (view less)

5 Tips For Preaching Funerals For Unbelievers

By John Powell on Jan 28, 2021

We are people of conviction and kindness. This means we cannot just preach anyone into heaven, because we haven’t been given the authority to do so. Also, we can’t condemn anyone because we don’t know their heart.

Tags: Preaching, Funeral, speak truth in love

No More Email: A Productivity Experiment That’s Paying Off

By Carey Nieuwhof on Nov 16, 2023

How are your email habits affecting your effectiveness?

Tags: church leadership, communication, Stress, effective, productivity, email, Pastoral Ministry, avoiding burnout, stress, Communication  (view more)  (view less)