In Preaching Articles: "Listening Vs Hearing"

Listen To Your Sermon Just Before You Preach

By Mark Mohler on Dec 4, 2024

Sermons are not made for paper--they're made for the human ear. Have you tried listening to yours?

Scripture: Matthew 8:1-2

Tags: Preaching, Listen, Creativity, call to action, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

7 Ways To Keep Teenagers Listening To Your Sermons

By Brandon Hilgemann on Aug 14, 2019

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

Tags: Preaching, preaching

You're Preaching, But Do You Know Who's Listening?

By Mike Miller on Jan 18, 2023

Good preachers must develop the extra skill of "congregational exegesis."

Tags: Preaching, Listen, Congregation, audience, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

What Kind Of Christians Will People Be If They Listen To Your Sermons For A Decade?

By Ray Hollenbach on Jul 23, 2025

Beyond the weekly phrase, "Good word, Preacher," the spiritual lives of the people in your church provide excellent feedback regarding the effectiveness of your preaching.

Tags: believer, Preaching, Congregation, Generation, spiritual health, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

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

By Chris Surber on Aug 30, 2025

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

Scripture: Acts 5:15-25

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

Should We Try To Please Our Listeners? How Much?

By Peter Mead on Sep 18, 2025

If listeners aren't satisfied, it could be a good sign, or it could be a bad sign. In the same way, happy listeners may mean something is wrong.

Tags: Preaching, Criticism, please, listener, Feedback, criticism, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

The Most Difficult Aspect Of Praying

By Joe Mckeever on Jun 8, 2024

"If we cannot walk by faith and believe by faith–a redundancy, of course–we will stop praying."

Scripture: Psalm 23:3, Luke 18:1, 2 Corinthians 5:7

Tags: Faith, Prayer, God's Will, Confidence, Trust God, God in control, God hears prayer  (view more)  (view less)

4 Remarkable Discoveries From 263 Interviews About Sermons

By Ron Allen on Oct 4, 2021

It seems like a no-brainer, yet preachers rarely seek direct input from listeners about how we might improve our preaching.

Scripture: Philippians 1:5-10

Tags: Preaching, challenge, point of view, listener

People Don't Want To Sit And Listen Anymore: 4 Ways To Connect With A New Generation

By SermonCentral .com on Nov 25, 2019

Most people who leave the church aren't leaving God. Many of them are leaving the way we do church to try and find God.

Scripture: Romans 3:21-31, Acts 20:7-12

Tags: Preaching, Listen, Shift, disconnect, distrust  (view more)  (view less)

I Can’t Figure Out Millennials: 3 Reasons To Stay Connected

By Steven A. Hitz on Mar 16, 2022

There is a growing disconnect with Millennials because of the stereotypes many people hold about them.

Tags: Millenial, Listening, future generations, Generations

Three Things Every Pastor's Son Needs To Hear From His Father

By Johnny Levy on Apr 20, 2023

3 things your son needs to hear from you.

Tags: shepherding, Shepherding

Three Things Every Pastor's Son Needs To Hear From His Father

By Johnny Levy on Oct 16, 2020

Pastor-dad, you're son's heart is longing to hear three things from you that will ground him, empower him, and make him soar.

Scripture: Genesis 1:27, John 10:15

Tags: shepherding, Shepherding

A Risk Worth Taking Part Ii

By Leigh Ann Carey Looyenga on Dec 27, 2023

The first step in practically engaging Sabbath rest is getting rid of our narrow and legalistic views of the day.

Scripture: Mark 2:27-28, Psalm 112:1, John 10:10, Mark 3:1-4

Tags: Sunday, Sabbath, Saturday, legalism vs grace, New Year's Reflection, intimacy with Christ  (view more)  (view less)

People Listen In Different Ways—can You Reach All Of Them?

By Leslie Holmes on Feb 28, 2023

You're preaching to one congregation, filled with many listening styles. How can you connect with every individual?

Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:1-15

Tags: Preaching, reflection, Listen, reach, application, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

5 Ways--No, 6--To Lull Your Listeners To Sleep

By Lane Sebring on Nov 28, 2019

There's nothing like a good snoozer of a sermon. But what does it take to preach a sermon that makes your listeners fall sound asleep?

Tags: Preaching, boring, listeners, fall asleep, preaching  (view more)  (view less)