In Preaching Articles: "Listening"

How To Say Good-Bye: Preaching Your Last Sermon

By Chris Surber on Nov 10, 2021

People usually listen closely to your first words--and your last. Make them meaningful.

Scripture: Matthew 16:18

Tags: Preaching, Purpose, preparation, Goodbye, last sermon, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

7 Ways To Bait The Hook For Tomorrow's Sermon

By Bruce D. Johnson on Oct 5, 2019

Practical steps you can take each week to help move your listeners from here to there.

Scripture: Psalm 27:1-14

Tags: Preaching, Obstacles, bait the hook, fears, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

How Can The Pew Help The Pulpit?

By H.b. Charles, Jr. on Mar 7, 2024

Good preaching is a partnership between pastor and congregation, pulpit and pew, the one who preaches and the one who listens.

Scripture: John 13:31-35

Tags: Preaching, pastor, Congregation, Encourage, Partnership, Pastor, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Close Your Sermon Powerfully: A Surprising Secret

By Sherman Haywood Cox on Feb 3, 2020

Sherman Cox points to one critical area frequently left untouched by preachers--resulting in untouched hearts of listeners.

Scripture: Romans 6:1-4

Tags: Preaching

Three Types Of Bad Preaching (And Their Remedies)

By Chris Pascarella on Jun 9, 2022

What if there was a way to identify bad preaching? Having grown up in church, I have probably listened to over 1,000 sermons in my lifetime. In all my time listening to (and now delivering) sermons, I have heard three types of bad preaching:

Scripture: Luke 12:22

Tags: preaching tips, Preaching Help, Pastoral Ministry, effective preaching

You Can't Please Everyone With Your Preaching

By Peter Mead on Feb 28, 2025

The challenge with criticism is to sort it through and preach for our audience of One, yet with a loving sensitivity to the many who sit and listen.

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16

Tags: Communication, Preaching, Criticism, criticism, communication, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Does Your Preaching Wield A Sword Or An Anvil?

By Peter Mead on Sep 16, 2024

God's word is a living and active sword. Peter Mead suggests that too often preachers try to drop an anvil on their listeners.

Scripture: Hebrews 4:12, Jeremiah 23:29

Tags: Preaching, living word, words, Sword, Impact, Heavy, anvil, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Avoid Crashing Your Sermon! Your Checklist For A Strong Sermon Closing

By Lane Sebring on Jan 27, 2020

If the closing of your message is disorganized and unclear, then your listeners will walk away feeling the same way about your message.

Scripture: Matthew 2:1-5, Genesis 1:26-27

Tags: Preaching, crash, Checklist, disorganized, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Using Illustrations For Maximum Impact: 4 Essential Notes

By Lane Sebring on Aug 24, 2019

A good illustration will reach out and grab your listeners and pull them into your content. It will make them care. But How?

Tags: Preaching

5 Marks Of A Mature Leader

By Brandon Cox on Jul 3, 2024

Your body’s physical maturity typically peaks in early adulthood, but your spiritual maturity will keep growing even into eternity.

Tags: Humble, godly character, Godly Leaders, Leadership Listening, Encourage Others, pastoral leadership, church leadership, Leadership Traits  (view more)  (view less)

Facing These Questions Can Improve Any Preacher

By Charles Stone on Jun 7, 2021

The time we invest in sermons and the time people invest in listening to them should make us pause to evaluate our efforts.

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 2:17-20

Tags: Preaching, invest, Improve, questions, biblical preaching, 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)

4 Steps From Good To Great Preaching

By Kenton C. Anderson on Feb 18, 2025

For those of us who try to preach “good sermons” every week, it's useful to understand what it takes to connect with our listeners.

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:1-3

Tags: Preaching, preaching

4 Problems With Passionate Preaching

By Peter Mead on Apr 28, 2020

Just because we feel strongly about our message doesn't mean we should strong-arm our listeners.

Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:16

Tags: Communication, Discernment, Preaching, passion, Passion of Christ, communication, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Preaching The Messy Way

By Chris Surber on Apr 24, 2025

The greater the distance between you and your listeners, the easier it is to preach at them. Sharing life with them leads you to preaching the messy way.

Scripture: John 6:66-71

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