In Preaching Articles: "Maximize Usefulness"

How To Preach Transformative Sermons

By Sherman Haywood Cox on Oct 16, 2020

Sherman Cox reminds us, "We all have heard preachers with all the skills of great orators, but something is missing."

Scripture: John 10:10

Tags: transform, God, Preaching

Six Essential Skills For Transformational Pastors

By Tod Bolsinger on Jun 9, 2021

There's a gap between our aspired values and our actions. Effective pastors/preachers help us "mind the gap."

Tags: transform, Growth, leadership, Preaching, work, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

Os Guinness: Evil Is Real

By SermonCentral .com on Nov 11, 2023

Os Guinness is willing to face what most people would prefer to ignore, and he encourages us to do the same.

Tags: Evil, Preaching, os guinness, preaching

20 Questions Every Preacher Should Ask The Day Before Preaching

By Bob Hostetler on Jan 20, 2020

Bob Hostetler has a penetrating set of questions as part of his sermon prep. Perhaps they could help us all.

Tags: question, Preaching, routine, Checklist, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Randy Alcorn: What It Means To Be A Father

By SermonCentral .com on Jun 13, 2020

"When we consider our Father's sacrifice for us, any sacrifices we can make for our children are small."

Scripture: 1 Kings 2:1-10, 1 Timothy 2:2

Tags: Sacrifice, Dad, Father's Day, Fatherhood, randy alcorn  (view more)  (view less)

Preach The Way The Bible Preaches--Tell Stories!

By Ray Hollenbach on Nov 12, 2024

Those of us who feed God's flock must become God's storytellers. Here's the journey we must take.

Scripture: 2 Peter 1:5-9, Exodus 17:8-16

Tags: Parable, Preaching, narrative, storytelling, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

10 Ways Preachers Fatigue Their Regular Listeners

By Peter Mead on Jan 29, 2020

They're in front of us every week. Maybe we can craft our preaching with sensitivity to the listeners in mind.

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 1:1-11, John 15:1-8, Isaiah 55:1-5

Tags: Preaching

What Happens When We Quit Trusting The Lord?

By Joe Mckeever on Aug 17, 2019

Joe McKeever tells us about the day he sat in on a Sunday school class and made a startling discovery.

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 4:1-10

Tags: Preaching, preaching

Give Your Sermon Added Power

By Brian Croft on Sep 27, 2019

Brian Croft reminds us the very first ingredient in every powerful sermon. Does your sermon have it?

Tags: Preaching, preaching

God Plans For The Unexpected And Inconvenient

By SermonCentral .com on Jun 2, 2022

What’s odd is that a story about a socially humiliating situation and a reluctant, irritated benefactor is supposed to encourage us to pray.

Scripture: Luke 11:2-4, Luke 11:5-8, John 15:5, Luke 11:9-13

Tags: Sacrifice, Lord's Prayer, Unexpected, inadequate

How Do I Study A Specific Topic In The Bible?

By SermonCentral .com on Sep 7, 2022

Studying the Bible does not need to be complex. Simple tools can help us glean amazing insights from the word.

Scripture: Proverbs 2:3-6, Jeremiah 29:13, 2 Timothy 2:7

Tags: BIBLE STUDY, Personal Growth, writing, spiritual growth, Bible Study, Spiritual Discipline, Journaling, Concordance, bible study  (view more)  (view less)

Doing Ministry Without Losing Your Soul Part 2

By Lance Witt on May 17, 2024

"In ministry, there are certain tensions that we must live with. Sometimes they seem contradictory, but they are tensions that are actually healthy for us."

Scripture: Philippians 3:7-8, Psalm 27:4, 2 Corinthians 3:18

Tags: leadership, Balance, pastoral leadership, Pastoral Ministry, church ministry, Healthy Ministry, Tensions in Ministry, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

Slaves In Your Church's Backyard

By David Batstone on Dec 14, 2022

Activist David Batstone urges pastors to focus ministry against the terrible prevalence of human trafficking in the U.S. and around the world.

Tags: Culture, Slavery, Justice, traffic, injustice, culture  (view more)  (view less)

10 Reasons Not To Give An Altar Call

By Thabiti Anyabwile on Mar 13, 2020

Thabiti Anyabwile offers a compelling argument against the use of altar calls. We invite you to share your thoughts and opinions.

Scripture: Numbers 1:1

Tags: Evangelism, Preaching, altar, Evangelism How To

Parables Plus Preaching Equals Power

By Leslie Holmes on Jan 15, 2024

When we preach using modern-day parables, we're in good company. We're following the example of Jesus.

Scripture: Matthew 13:34

Tags: Preaching, preaching