In Preaching Articles: "Know Your Audience"

Pastoral Transition: Setting Your Church Up For Ministry Success After You're Gone

By Karl Vaters on Oct 20, 2023

Following a long-term, successful pastorate is one of the hardest callings in ministry. Every pastor should do everything we can to make it as easy as possible for the next pastor and the church to do great ministry after we leave.

Scripture: Ephesians 4:11-12

Tags: Pastoral Transition, Decentralize, Leadership, leadership, servant leadership  (view more)  (view less)

Slaves In Your Church’s Backyard

By David Batstone on Dec 14, 2022

Modern slavery hides in plain sight. These stories reveal how trafficking thrives worldwide and even locally, calling Christians to seek justice with persistent, sacrificial love.

Tags: Compassion, Culture, Slavery, Justice, traffic, injustice, Human Trafficking, abolition, culture, Modern Slavery, Abolition  (view more)  (view less)

Check Your Church's Outreach Heartbeat

By Kevin Harney on Mar 17, 2025

If your church is struggling to invest in reaching your community and the world, ask yourself this question: Are we a church that is on fire with a passion for God?

Scripture: Revelation 2:1

Tags: Faith, Heart, Growth, Health

8 Starts To Avoid In Your Preaching

By Rachel Blom on Jan 4, 2023

Thinking of starting off your sermon in one of these ways? You might want to try a different approach.

Tags: Preaching, preaching

Catalyze Giving Through Your Preaching

By Casey Graham on Feb 6, 2020

As you preach on the subject of money, you've got to engage people who are motivated by different reasons. Here's a list of the top five reasons people give.

Scripture: Ruth 1:8-16

Tags: Preaching, preaching

The Art Of Creating Change In Your Church

By John Bisagno on Aug 7, 2024

Are you making ministry changes according to the latest "church growth" fads or the prompting of the Holy Spirit?

Tags:

Pastors, Articulate Your Vision (Again)

By SermonCentral .com on May 21, 2020

In this two-minute video John Piper reminds us that vision often leaks and it's our role to articulate it in fresh new ways.

Tags: vision, leadership, Leadership General, Leadership

5 Ways To Shorten Your Sermon

By Peter Mead on Aug 20, 2024

It's important to think about what to include in your sermon, but it's probably just as important to carefully decide what to exclude. Learn how (and where) to trim your sermon down with these tips from Peter Mead.

Scripture: 1 Samuel 17:1-58, Matthew 28:18-20

Tags: Communication, Preaching, Edit, Time, communication, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

4 Remedies For Discouragement In Your Preaching

By Erik Raymond on Apr 3, 2025

Take heart! There's one big reason our preaching is not in vain, and three more after that!

Scripture: 1 Samuel 12:23

Tags: preaching, Trust, Hope, Preaching, Discouragement  (view more)  (view less)

How To Preserve Your Creative Energy

By Peter Mead on Jul 21, 2020

Most of us have a limited tank of energy when it comes to creative flair. Don’t waste it.

Scripture: Ephesians 4:6-8

Tags: Preaching

Addressing Your Blind Spots In The Pulpit

By Sherman Haywood Cox on Jul 22, 2020

Do your sermons address the same themes over and over? You might have a few blind spots in your preaching.

Scripture: Proverbs 4:23, Ephesians 4:13-15, Ephesians 4:13

Tags: Preaching, preaching

6 Ways To Recycle Your Sermon

By SermonCentral .com on May 5, 2025

You've put in all that time developing a powerful word, so why not find other avenues for the message?

Tags: Preaching, resources, social media, preaching, Study  (view more)  (view less)

Gird Your Preaching: 10 Supports

By Peter Mead on Nov 14, 2020

Imagine the Bible as a "superstructure." Which texts gird the grand message of the Scripture?

Scripture: Joshua 4:1-9

Tags: preaching, bible, Bible, Preaching, important, entire, prevent  (view more)  (view less)

Five Ways To Improve Your Sermons

By Charles Arn on Nov 24, 2020

Research has found that we remember less than 10 percent of the unsupported spoken word.

Scripture: Jonah 1:1-11, Jonah 1:1

Tags: Preaching, teach, Retention, Improve, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Where Do Your Sermons Point?

By SermonCentral .com on Jul 29, 2023

When you preach, do people see you or what you are talking about?

Tags: Preaching, points, michael curry, preaching