In Preaching Articles: "Love"

A Renewed Mind: The Practice Of Humble Thought

By Robert A. Fryling on Jan 3, 2025

A call to reject mind–spirit false dichotomies, embrace biblical thinking, and pursue a humble, renewed mind that deepens spiritual formation and love for God.

Scripture: Luke 10:27, Romans 12:2, 1 Corinthians 14:15, 1 Peter 1:13, 2 Corinthians 10:5, 1 Peter 3:8  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Thought, Humility, Preaching, pastor, devotion, original sin, Mind, Christian Disciplines, Christian Leadership, Pastor, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

2 Rules For Transparency In The Pulpit

By Brady Boyd on Feb 20, 2025

Pastors should be honest, but honesty must be wise. True vulnerability builds hope, not confusion, and protects both the flock and loved ones from harm.

Scripture: John 1:1-14

Tags: Preaching, Honesty, Authenticity, Struggles, Transparency, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

How John Piper Learned To Preach

By Outreach Inc. on Apr 8, 2025

John Piper reflects on how God shapes preachers not through polish or performance, but through Scripture, suffering, and deep love for God’s Word.

Scripture: Galatians 1:15-16, Romans 10:14-17, 2 Corinthians 4:5-7, Jeremiah 20:9

Tags: obedience, Preaching, obey, Expository Preaching, preaching, expository preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Jerry Rice And The Art Of Preaching Well

By Derwin Gray on Jun 25, 2024

Insights from Jerry Rice’s passion, self-awareness, and heroic mindset show preachers how to cultivate love, authenticity, and Gospel-centered confidence.

Scripture: Ephesians 3:16-19

Tags: Evangelism, Witness, Gospel, Sports, Preaching, Lost, football, Christian Witness, pastoral leadership, gospel ministry, evangelism, gospel, preaching, Pastoral Leadership, Gospel Ministry, Sermon Craft, Ministry Skills  (view more)  (view less)

6 Surprising Leadership Principles From The Bible

By Tom Harper on Jan 20, 2025

A journey through every book of Scripture uncovered six counterintuitive leadership principles that reshape how we handle critics, conflict, love, power, and plans.

Scripture: Judges 8:3, Proverbs 29:22, Hosea 3:1-5

Tags: John, Wisdom, leadership, pastor, anger, Pastors, lead, Leadership General, Pastoral Ministry, Pastor, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

Why I Pace Before I Preach

By Walter Wangerin Jr. on Apr 30, 2020

Preaching demands the whole person, and fear often accompanies love for God and His people. Pacing, trembling, and praying become part of delivering a faithful message.

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 2:3, Jeremiah 20:9, Exodus 4:10-12, 2 Corinthians 4:7, James 3:1  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Emotions, Preaching, pulpit, preparation, preaching, Pastoral Life, Pulpit  (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

When A Private Apology Is Not Enough

By Joe Mckeever on Jul 14, 2022

"Nothing is so lovely and so welcome and so healing in a church as for a member to go before the congregation and admit to his/her destructive behavior and ask for forgiveness."

Tags: Humility, Reconciliation, repentance, restitution, Confession of Sin, church ministry, Apology, Making things right, Admitting Guilt, Repentance  (view more)  (view less)

Busting Out Of Sermon Block

By Haddon Robinson on May 27, 2020

Weekly preaching can feel creatively exhausting. Learn a two-phase approach, practical rhythms, and daily habits that keep your sermons biblical, fresh, and deeply fed all from Haddon Robinson.

Scripture: Luke 6:39-45, John 16:8-11

Tags: Love, Church, Preaching, Prayer, dedication, preparation, prepare, Homiletics, Result, Time, length, Leadership General, Pastoral Ministry, Expository Preaching, Sermon Preparation, preaching, church, expository preaching, love, sermon preparation  (view more)  (view less)

Has The Church Lost Its Passion?

By Jim Morgan on Mar 17, 2021

Passion is what we can’t keep inside. It spills over and can’t be contained. We love our kids – we can’t help but talk about them. We love our favorite sports teams – we talk about them first thing Monday morning at the water cooler. Christians love God more than anything else – He should constantly be on the tips of our tongues. Our passion for the Lord should be evident to all those around us. “Private Christian” should be an oxymoron – our faith should pour out through every fiber of our being.

Tags: Discipleship, passion, social justice, Sharing Your Faith

Slaves In Your Church’s Backyard

By David Batstone on Dec 13, 2022

Modern slavery hides in plain sight. These stories reveal how trafficking thrives worldwide and even locally, calling Christians to seek justice with persistent, sacrificial love.

Tags: Compassion, Culture, Slavery, Justice, traffic, injustice, Human Trafficking, abolition, culture, Modern Slavery, Abolition  (view more)  (view less)

Check Your Church's Outreach Heartbeat: Recovering A Passion For Outreach

By Kevin Harney on Mar 16, 2025

Every church shows a spiritual heartbeat. From flatline to rapid pulse, God desires a heart renewed by His love so that evangelism flows naturally and organically.

Scripture: Revelation 2:1

Tags: Evangelism, Outreach, Growth, Church Health, Spiritual Renewal, evangelism  (view more)  (view less)

10 Things Every New Believer Should Know

By Brian Mavis on Mar 6, 2025

New believers thrive when they learn God’s love, grace, Scripture, prayer, community, and Christ centered living early. These ten lessons safeguard a healthy start.

Scripture: Matthew 6:33, James 4:10, Romans 5:8, 1 John 4:16, James 1:22  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Discipleship, spiritual formation, Spiritual Formation

Christmas: Not A Time For Inventing Twists On The Age-Old Story

By Joe Mckeever on Dec 13, 2024

Tell it with gusto and love. Tell the story of the birth of Jesus with all the excitement of someone hearing it for the first time. Tell the story without detouring into theories and guesses and myths and controversies.

Scripture: Luke 2:11

Tags: Christmas, Simplicity, storytelling, Christmas Advent

Top 10 Healthy Ways To Handle The Church Critic

By Charles Stone on Aug 16, 2022

“Two things you can’t avoid in ministry are…people late to the service and … church critics.” In this short post, I suggest 10 ways to handle the church critic.

Tags: Criticism, patience, offense, pastoral leadership, Pastoral Ministry, church ministry, loving enemies, Disarming, criticism  (view more)  (view less)