In Preaching Articles: "Know Your Audience"

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

Does Your Preaching Impress Your Old Professor Or Your People?

By Gavin Adams on Oct 10, 2021

A deep, layered and rich sermon might impress some people, but it does it work?

Scripture: Acts 13:15-20

Tags: marinate, preaching, Preaching, focus, Complicated, point  (view more)  (view less)

Change Your Sermon By Changing Your Spices

By Erik Raymond on May 18, 2023

Are you constantly mining the same sources for your sermon illustrations?

Scripture: Psalm 38:1-10, Colossians 4:1-5

Tags: Spices, Classic, preaching, Read, Preaching, Devotional  (view more)  (view less)

3 Unspoken Promises People Expect Leaders To Keep

By Hal Seed on Mar 6, 2020

Every Christian leader I know wrestles with leading with diligence. Become aware of the promises you make as a leader, especially the ones you might not know about.

Scripture: Romans 12:8

Tags: Leadership, leadership, Promise, Integrity, diligence, Christian Values, Leadership General  (view more)  (view less)

The Overlooked, Underrated, Desperately Needed Virtue Of Curiosity

By Brandon Cox on Oct 2, 2023

Curiosity is the art of knowing that we don’t know, and discovering more about God, about people, about ourselves, and about the amazing world around us.

Tags: intimacy with Christ, Love, Curiosity, Creativity

8 Ways To Hook Your Congregation Into Your Message

By SermonCentral .com on May 11, 2020

Your sermon text is central, but it doesn’t always need to come first. Strong hooks help listeners connect their lives to Scripture before exposition begins.

Scripture: Numbers 1:1-2:1, Ecclesiastes 5:7-6:7, Nehemiah 8:8, Luke 24:27, Ecclesiastes 12:10  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Bird, Preaching, Anxiety, Field, flowers, preaching, anxiety  (view more)  (view less)

How Your Preaching Can Hurt Your Church

By Erik Raymond on Apr 24, 2025

Like so many blessings from God, we can elevate them to become a distraction or even an idol.

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:1

Tags: Preaching, preaching

11 Steps To Connect Your Volunteers To Your Vision

By John Gilman Ii on Feb 18, 2021

How can a group of people who are committed to seeing something great happen and are willing to put in the time and energy it takes, only to see their vision fail?

Tags:

Has Your Emotional Brain Hijacked Your Leadership?

By Charles Stone on Nov 30, 2023

Great ministry leaders keep their emotions in check. Unfortunately, when we don’t keep them in check, our emotional brain can hijack clear thinking and good leadership.

Scripture: Romans 10:10

Tags: pastoral leadership, Pastoral Ministry, church ministry, Leadership, brain, Emotions, leadership, Brain, memory, Decision making  (view more)  (view less)

A Word To The Small Town Pastor

By Ron Edmondson on Mar 7, 2022

Sometimes people don’t know how well they are doing.

Tags: Perspective, Pastors, Small Church, Pastoral Ministry, perspective  (view more)  (view less)

If You Overpack Your Sermon, Your Listeners Are In For A Bumpy Ride

By Chris Surber on Aug 29, 2025

Perhaps your sermon outline is actually a sermon series. Can you tell the difference?

Scripture: Acts 5:15-25

Tags: central point, preaching, Preaching, Content, Logic, Research  (view more)  (view less)

Cut Off Your Hand, Tear Out Your Eye

By Ray Ortlund on Aug 2, 2022

Hard words are not harmful words—when they come from Jesus. The real Jesus loves us enough to accept us freely and confront us honestly.

Scripture: Colossians 2:23, Philippians 3:14, Hebrews 13:21, Matthew 5:6, Titus 2:11-12, Hebrews 12:4, 1 Corinthians 9:27, Matthew 5:29-30  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Righteousness, Theology, soul care, Hard Teaching

Is Your Church Lying?

By Greg Stier on Jan 14, 2025

When it comes to evangelism, a mission statement can turn from big black letters on a church marquee to a little white lie that the church is telling the community.

Scripture: Acts 4:31

Tags: Evangelism, Church, Gospel, Honesty, Church General, Evangelism How To, evangelism, gospel, church  (view more)  (view less)

Understanding Your Capacity

By Steve Smith on Mar 16, 2022

If we do not understand our own limits in this life, we will never be content, satisfied or happy!

Tags: recovery, Rest, soul care, avoiding burnout, Capacity, capacity  (view more)  (view less)

Your Weakness Is Not Meaningless

By SermonCentral .com on Apr 15, 2020

God has given you so many limitations because he loves you.

Scripture: 2 Peter 1:4, John 15:13, Romans 5:8, 1 John 4:19, Ephesians 3:19, Luke 7:47, 1 John 4:7-8, Luke 10:27, 1 Corinthians 12:18, 1 Corinthians 12:27, Romans 12:4-5, John 3:16, John 13:34-35  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Overcome limitations, Human Weakness, Love One Another, Christ's Love for Us