In Preaching Articles: "Joy In Christ"

The Preacher's Task: Saving Souls Or Making Disciples?

By Nathan Aaseng on Jul 20, 2021

Pastors are often praised for “saving souls,” but Scripture teaches that salvation belongs to Christ alone. The preacher’s role is to proclaim the gospel and help make disciples.

Scripture: John 6:26-51, Acts 14:14-15, Matthew 28:19-20, Luke 4:18, Romans 1:16  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Evangelism, Soul, Preaching, Disciples, saved, evangelism, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Preaching That Cultivates Life Together

By Chris Surber on May 19, 2025

Faithful preaching does more than communicate truth. It helps form a community united in Christ, where believers learn to live, serve, and grow together.

Scripture: Acts 14:14-15, Matthew 28:19-20, Luke 4:18, Romans 1:16, 1 Corinthians 3:6-7  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Christian Fellowship

The 10 Commandments Of Preaching

By Tyler Scarlett on Feb 7, 2025

Preachers make mistakes, but some errors do lasting harm. These ten “commandments” outline the habits and convictions that guard faithful, compelling, Christ-centered preaching.

Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:21, 2 Timothy 4:1-5, 1 Timothy 3:15

Tags: Commandments, Preaching, church leadership, BIBLICAL TEACHING, Expository Preaching, preaching, expository preaching, Church Leadership, Biblical Teaching  (view more)  (view less)

How To Preach Jesus Using The Psalms

By Jason Hood on Feb 11, 2025

The Psalms reveal Jesus as sufferer, king, shepherd, and conqueror, inviting believers to see both Christ and themselves in the prayers he fulfilled and continues to shape in us.

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:21

Tags: spiritual formation, Spiritual Formation

When Preachers Intrude Too Much

By Joe Mckeever on Aug 21, 2024

Personal stories can help a sermon—but too much “me” distracts from Christ. This reflection warns preachers to minimize self and elevate the Savior.

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:5, Psalm 141:3, John 3:30, 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, 1 Peter 4:11  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Self examination, Sermon Craft, Self Examination

Is Your Preaching God-Centered?

By Bernie Van Eyk on Sep 10, 2024

People crave practical help, but their deepest need is God Himself. God-centered preaching lifts hearts from self to the glory revealed in Jesus Christ.

Scripture: 1 Timothy 4:4, Genesis 1:1, Psalm 73:17-26, John 1:18, 1 Corinthians 2:2  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Preaching, spiritual formation, preaching, Spiritual Formation

Why All Faithful Preaching Includes Healing

By Frederick J Gaiser on Apr 18, 2025

Biblical preaching proclaims God’s kingdom, where forgiveness, restoration, and healing belong together. To preach Christ is to preach healing in its fullest sense.

Scripture: Mark 2:1-12, Psalm 103:1-3, Luke 7:50, Luke 17:19, Isaiah 2:1-4  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Preaching, biblical theology, preaching, Biblical Theology

Don't Sell The Gospel!

By SermonCentral .com on Dec 17, 2020

The gospel is corrupted when it promises earthly prosperity or bases justification on human obedience. Faithful preaching keeps Christ alone as our treasure and our righteousness.

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 2:17, Luke 17:31-33, Luke 18:18-23, Luke 18:9-14, Romans 3:21-26  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Paul, Gospel, Preaching, Pharisees, peddle, gospel, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Not Every Exhortation Is Necessary

By Peter Mead on May 8, 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, Preaching, exhortation, Preaching Help, effective preaching, Effective Teaching, Know your audience, preaching, teaching  (view more)  (view less)

Dallas Willard: Preaching From A Satisfied Soul

By Dallas Willard on Apr 17, 2020

True preaching flows from deep satisfaction in Christ. When pastors rest in God, their message carries peace, power, and authenticity that programs can’t produce.

Scripture: Psalm 16:11, John 7:37-38, Philippians 4:11-13, Psalm 62:1-2, Jeremiah 2:13  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Peace, Preaching, Satisfaction, soul care, preaching, Soul Care  (view more)  (view less)

When The Applause Becomes A Drug

By Brady Boyd on Apr 19, 2020

Pastors face pressures that tempt them toward unhealthy escapes. One subtle danger is the craving for applause. True strength comes only from Christ, not the crowd.

Scripture: Galatians 1:10, John 3:30, 1 Peter 5:2-4, Psalm 73:26, 2 Corinthians 12:9  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Addiction, leadership, Preaching, Cross, Crowd, Leadership, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Powerful Preaching Means Transformation, Not Information

By James Scott on Jul 12, 2020

Being informed by Scripture can still leave lives unchanged. Biblical Christianity calls for Christ to be formed within us, producing real transformation, not mere knowledge.

Scripture: Galatians 4:19, Romans 12:1-2, 2 Corinthians 3:18, Colossians 1:27, James 1:22-25  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Preaching, Transformation, preaching, Pastoral Theology

How To Apply The Bible

By Josh Reich on Sep 20, 2022

"When we read the Bible, we want to understand it and apply it. We want to know what the Bible says and how it affects our lives. We want something to happen, we want to get something out of it. But we’re often left frustrated and wondering what we missed."

Scripture: Hebrews 4:12

Tags: understanding, BIBLE STUDY, Personal Growth, Bible Study, soul care, Growing in Christ, Study the Bible, applying scripture, bible study  (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: pastoral leadership, Pastoral Ministry, soul care, avoiding burnout, church ministry, Growing in Faith, Christ's Love for Us, Healthy Ministry  (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: time with God, pastoral leadership, Pastoral Ministry, soul care, avoiding burnout, Putting Christ First, Sincerity with God, church leadership  (view more)  (view less)