In Preaching Articles: "Leading Like Christ"

Pastor The Church You’d Want To Attend

By Bill Couchenour on Jan 24, 2024

Church health is shaped less by charisma and more by character, relationships, and adaptive leadership in hinge moments of history.

Scripture: 1 Timothy 3:2-7, Proverbs 22:1, Acts 2:47, Esther 4:14

Tags: Building, Preaching, relationships, lead, Leadership General, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

When Preaching Opportunities Are Limited

By Sherman Haywood Cox on May 20, 2021

Many associate or assistant ministers feel called to preach but receive few opportunities in their local church. Faithful ministry often requires serving in supporting roles while finding other outlets to proclaim God’s Word.

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:2, Acts 20:24, 1 Peter 5:2-3, Colossians 4:17, 1 Corinthians 15:58  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Support, Preaching, opportunity, lead, ministry, preaching, Ministry  (view more)  (view less)

"I Felt My Soul Rejoice”: The Christ-Centered Happiness Of David Brainer

By Randy Alcorn on Nov 11, 2022

"If a young man without modern medicine and dying of an excruciating disease could make choices that brought him happiness in Christ, surely we can too."

Tags: Missionary, Hope, hope in Christ, eternal perspective, Joy in Suffering, Delight in the Lord, Joy in Christ, enduring suffering  (view more)  (view less)

Prepare Your Heart To Lead Your Home: Advent Advice For Fathers

By Douglas Wilson on Dec 11, 2025

A father who wants to lead and disciple his family needs to remember that the one thing he must cultivate is heart loyalty. He must, of course, connect that loyalty to scriptural and worthy objects, but if he does not have heart loyalty, childrearing will simply be one grief replaced by another.

Scripture: Ephesians 6:4

Tags: Christmas, Advent, parenting, discipling, teach children, Discipline, Attitudes of thanks, child training  (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)

Don't Close Your Sermon Like That!

By Sherman Haywood Cox on Jul 30, 2021

The ending of a sermon is often the part people remember most. Preachers must avoid recycled conclusions and instead craft endings that intentionally reinforce the message.

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 12:9-10, Nehemiah 8:8, 2 Timothy 4:2, Colossians 4:6, James 1:22  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Pastoral Ministry

Randy Alcorn: The Hope Of Easter Is That We Will Be Like Him

By SermonCentral .com on Apr 2, 2021

"As Jesus was raised to come back to live on Earth, so we will be raised to come back to live on Earth."

Tags: Cross, Promise, preaching, Jesus, Easter, Preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Preaching Is Like Setting A Wildfire—except When It's Not

By Jacob Myers on Mar 7, 2024

How do you decide what to burn and what to protect?

Scripture: Joshua 6:6-25, Proverbs 8:34

Tags: Struggle, wildfire, preaching, culture, Preaching, Culture, Reality  (view more)  (view less)

How To Preach Like You’re Having A Conversation

By Lane Sebring on Jan 20, 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

Don't Like Small Churches? Me Neither

By SermonCentral .com on Jul 2, 2023

The problems most people have with small churches aren’t about size, they’re about sickness. And sickness can happen in churches of any size.

Tags: Community, Preaching, Small Church, community, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

You Are Up To The Task Whether You Feel Like It Or Not

By SermonCentral .com on Feb 17, 2022

Deep in the heart of every man I’ve ever met lurks a daunting question that casts a shadow over every major challenge we ever face: Am I up to this?

Scripture: Ephesians 1:3-14, Philippians 1:6

Tags: leadership, Courage, Overwhelmed, confidence in God, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

3 Big Problems With Running A Church Like A Business

By Karl Vaters on Oct 3, 2022

"We’re always decrying the rise of the consumer culture within the church. But how should we expect people to act when pastors act like CEOs marketing Jesus as a product?"

Tags: Jesus is Lord, pastoral leadership, church and business, Pastoral Ministry, avoiding burnout, church ministry, Lord Of The Church, shallow church  (view more)  (view less)

Sunday's Message Is For Babes In Christ And Old Saints: Can You Reach Them All?

By SermonCentral .com on Oct 12, 2021

Ask pastors what their toughest regular assignment is, and speaking a message that ministers to everyone is at or near the top of the list.

Scripture: Romans 8:28-30, 1 Peter 4:5-10

Tags: preaching, Preaching, Learning, language, Result  (view more)  (view less)

Preaching Is More Than Telling The Truth

By Peter Mead on Mar 18, 2024

Effective preaching is not about clever outlines but about proclaiming Christ, explaining Scripture faithfully, and leading hearers toward understanding and transformation.

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:2, Acts 17:11, 1 Corinthians 1:23, Nehemiah 8:8, James 1:22  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Truth, Preaching, memory, Outline, Homiletics, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Why "Preach Like The Room Is Full" Is Some Of The Worst Advice

By SermonCentral .com on Sep 15, 2025

"Even if only three people show up to church, preach like the room is full!" That's some of the worst advice I've ever received in ministry.

Tags: Preaching, opportunity, full room, terrible advice, preaching  (view more)  (view less)