In Preaching Articles: "Hidden Work Of God"

God Wants To Shape Your Wants: An Invitation To The Psalms

By John Piper on Nov 29, 2022

Try to imagine the Bible without the Psalms. What a different book it would be! What a different place the church would be. And what a different person I would be.

Scripture: Psalm 1:3

Tags: Psalms, Emotions, Heart, taste and see, Delight, Personal Growth, Delight in the Lord, sovereignty of God  (view more)  (view less)

The Vigil Of Waiting In Advent

By Steve Smith on Dec 12, 2024

Every 11 months, we get one month of waiting. It’s an interesting rhythm which should affect our cadence of busyness and distraction.

Tags: Advent, God's sovereignty, Waiting on God, advent candle

"All Things Work Together For Good” — 3 Things You Never Noticed About Romans 8:28

By Lori Hatcher on Jun 13, 2024

"Here are three things about this popular verse you may never have noticed."

Scripture: Romans 8:28

Tags: Scripture, redemption, teach, Sound Teaching, all things work for good, Meditate on the Word, guard the truth, faith and obedience  (view more)  (view less)

Does Everything Need A Biblical Precedent?

By SermonCentral .com on Dec 2, 2020

Some Christians reject anything new without a clear biblical precedent. Yet Scripture shows a God who often works in surprising and unexpected ways.

Scripture: Matthew 13:52, Acts 2:1-4, Joshua 10:13, Acts 8:39, 2 Kings 2:11  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Faith, Church, Change, Congregation, unprecedented, church  (view more)  (view less)

Turning To Jesus In Exhaustion

By Adam Weber on Apr 27, 2022

I had only recently completed my master’s degree, I didn’t want to start this church in the first place, it was struggling to grow, and here I was moving this stupid sign through three feet of snow. Without thinking, the words came out: God, what am I doing here? I’m tired!

Tags: Exhaustion, rest in god

Thirty Seconds Alone With God: The Effects Of Our Phones On Prayer

By Tony Reinke on Sep 17, 2023

Our Twitter and Facebook habits make praying harder than ever.

Scripture: Colossians 3:2, Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Deuteronomy 11:18-19, 1 Corinthians 7:35, Luke 10:38-42, Matthew 13:22-23, 1 Corinthians 16:13, Titus 2:2, 1 Peter 1:13, 1 Peter 4:7, 1 Peter 5:8, Revelation 16:15, 1 Thessalonians 5:17, Ephesians 6:18  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: focus, distractions, Disciplines Prayer, focus on GOD

What If We Made Disciples And Left Church Growth To God?

By Karl Vaters on Sep 5, 2022

If we prioritized health, not as a means to growth, but as an end in itself, would we be in a greater position to represent Jesus to the world?

Tags: Discipleship, Church Growth, Make Disciples, great commission, pastoral leadership, church ministry, Growth Strategy, Equip the Saints  (view more)  (view less)

11 Mistakes That Take Your Preaching Focus Off Jesus

By Jared Moore on May 7, 2023

God-centered preaching helps hearers focus on the glory of God. These common preaching mistakes distract from Scripture and keep listeners from seeing Christ.

Scripture: Luke 24:27, John 5:39, Acts 20:27, 2 Timothy 4:2, Hebrews 4:12  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Jesus, Preaching, mistakes, focus, preaching, God centered, God Centered  (view more)  (view less)

Identity Theft

By Lance Witt on Sep 21, 2023

For many years I did ministry as an employee rather than as a son. My value and acceptance were dependent on how well I performed.

Scripture: 1 John 3:1

Tags: children of God, Trust God, Performance, Children of the King, Estrella genio  (view more)  (view less)

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

A Year-End Prayer For Weary Waiters

By Jon Bloom on Dec 29, 2024

“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son” (Galatians 4:4).

Scripture: 2 Peter 3:4, Luke 1:78-79, Galatians 4:4, Revelation 22:20, Psalm 119:105  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Prayer, Second Coming, God's Promises, God's Fullness, End of the Year, eagerly await, Waiting on God, fullness of time  (view more)  (view less)

Preaching Can Be Bad News, Too

By Sherman Haywood Cox on Sep 1, 2021

The fact of the matter is that the Kingdom of God is near. It is not good news to those who do not wish to give up all for the kingdom.

Tags: Preaching, Good News, Kingdom of God, bad news, kingdom of God, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

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

By Randy Alcorn on Dec 8, 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 Power Of Testimony

By Peter Mead on Nov 18, 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, Church leaders, Our Testimony, Sharing My Testimony, Personal Testimony, christian testimony, church leadership, Power Of Testimony, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

3 Things To Do When You’re Stuck In A Sermon Prep And Writing Rut

By Brandon Kelley on Oct 30, 2022

"Sermon prep and sermon writing can be hard. Often times, it can even be painful. Anything seems better to be doing when we get stuck in a sermon prep and writing rut. But we all know that the work is worth it. The pain is worth it. The plodding is worth it."

Tags: Teaching, Pray, writing, Teaching God's Word, Pastoral Ministry, sermon prep, tools, Preaching Rut, Sermon Prep, teaching, Sermon prep  (view more)  (view less)