In Preaching Articles: "Know Your Audience"

What To Do When Your Preaching Turns Stale

By Peter Mead on Aug 14, 2025

On the dashboard of our ministry life, we need to have a light that flashes when we are preaching flat. What causes it? What should we do?

Tags: Preaching, give thanks, stale, ministry life, spiritual dryness, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

7 Ways To Keep From Killing Your Message

By Carey Nieuwhof on Mar 1, 2023

Every week, gifted communicators kill the messages they bring by making at least seven predictable, fixable mistakes.

Tags: Preaching, Feedback, call to action, preaching

What Distracts You While You're Preaching?

By SermonCentral .com on Oct 6, 2021

For preachers, distractions are a way of life, but they are no less annoying.

Scripture: Nehemiah 8:1-15

Tags: Preaching, Listen, Distract

Make Your Sermons Sticky With Just Three Words

By SermonCentral .com on Oct 8, 2021

Could it possibly be just this simple? Karl Vaters offers a startling suggestion.

Scripture: Matthew 16:21-28, Exodus 3:1-15

Tags: Message, Preaching, How to pray, sticky, karl vaters, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

4 Deep Changes Your Preaching Should Produce

By Peter Mead on Sep 2, 2025

God's work is transformational. Is our preaching doing God's work?

Tags: Preaching, Character, Transformation, conduct, deep change, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Your Congregation Needs An Arc Of Hope, Not A String Of Pearls

By Nathan Aaseng on Nov 5, 2021

In our information-saturated age, your listeners have all the gems of wisdom they need, far more than they can process.

Tags: Parable, Hope, Preaching, string of pearls, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

One Change Can Restructure Your Entire Sermon

By Bob Hostetler on Sep 22, 2025

Bob Hostetler identifies one part of the sermon nearly every preacher overlooks.

Tags: Preaching, Change, sermon, restructure, Sermon, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Are Your Illustrations Fresh? Use This 9-Point Checklist

By Peter Mead on Oct 18, 2025

Every illustration should "let the light in." Do yours?

Tags: Preaching, preaching

Pastor, Does Your Preaching Have Prophetic Imagination?

By SermonCentral .com on Mar 15, 2024

As ministers of the Gospel, let's stop dumbing down the Gospel in the way we speak.

Tags: Preaching, preaching

How To Preach Like You’re Having A Conversation

By Lane Sebring on Jan 21, 2026

Want your sermons to connect on a deeper level? Learn how a conversational preaching style can make your message more personal, relatable, and engaging.

Tags: authentic ministry, Authentic Ministry

7 Ways To Keep Teenagers Listening To Your Sermons

By Brandon Hilgemann on Feb 7, 2026

Engaging the short attention span of teenagers (and even adults!) isn't easy.

Tags: Preaching, preaching

Turn Your (Small) Church's Limitations Into (Huge) Advantages

By SermonCentral .com on May 27, 2020

Karl Vaters reminds us of the power that flows from leveraging our strengths.

Tags: Preaching

5 "On-Ramps” To Drive Giving To Your Church

By Kent Woodyard on Mar 31, 2023

The Church itself plays an important role in fostering generosity. Yes, at the end of the day, it is the responsibility of the giver to give. But it is also the responsibility of the church to create opportunities for generosity.

Tags: Money, Giving, Generosity, giving generous

3 Keys To Making Change Stick In Your Church

By Charles Stone on Jul 13, 2023

Change is inevitable. And unless a church creates healthy change in itself, it will soon become obsolete.

Tags: leadership, Change, church conflict, Leadership Listening, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

How To Lead People-Friendly Change In Your Church

By SermonCentral .com on Jan 13, 2022

I’ve been studying the art of change management lately and wanted to share a process with you that could save you a lot of grief the next time you think about a change in your church’s programs or procedures.

Tags: Communication, leadership, Change, Resilience, Leadership, communication  (view more)  (view less)