In Preaching Articles: "Maximize Usefulness"

Preaching On Life: An Interview With Max Lucado

By Max Lucado on Jul 27, 2024

"I really believe the purpose of Scripture is to give us this authoritative handbook. We have a place where we can take people when they come to us with questions so we're not just speaking out of our own opinion."

Tags: Preaching, preaching

How I Learned To Preach--And What I'm Learning Still

By Doug Paul on Jul 15, 2020

There's a simple process at work, one that people have been using in the Church for thousands and thousands of years.

Tags: Preaching, preaching

A Modest Proposal: Less Sermon Prep In Favor Of More Time Making Disciples?

By Bill Couchenour on Sep 6, 2021

Is it possible to reach the U.S. for Jesus in less than a decade by cutting sermon prep time in half?

Scripture: Matthew 7:24-28

Tags: Jesus, Outreach, Preaching, Disciples, sermon prep, Sermon Prep  (view more)  (view less)

Ask Yourself: 20 Great Questions Before You Preach

By Bob Hostetler on May 29, 2023

Bob Hostetler has applied this list to himself for years. What can you use from it?

Tags: Preaching, introspection, Speaking, questions, preaching, speaking  (view more)  (view less)

The Bible Works!

By SermonCentral .com on Aug 8, 2025

Phil Strout: "Everyone has an opinion. And guess what? So does God, and he's communicated it to us."

Tags: Bible, Word of God, Opinion, communicate, phil strout, bible  (view more)  (view less)

The Criticism I Hated—but Made Me A Better Preacher

By Joe Hoagland on Dec 27, 2019

None of us appreciate unsolicited, mean-spirited criticism, but we do need to hear people out.

Scripture: Mark 12:28-34

Tags: Preaching, preaching

How To Preserve Your Creative Energy

By Peter Mead on Jul 21, 2020

Most of us have a limited tank of energy when it comes to creative flair. Don’t waste it.

Scripture: Ephesians 4:6-8

Tags: Preaching

Bad Theological Analogies, Brought To You By St. Patrick

By SermonCentral .com on Mar 16, 2021

The problem with using analogies to explain the Holy Trinity is that you always end up confessing some ancient heresy.

Scripture: John 5:1-16

Tags: Preaching, Theology, analogy, St Patrick

10 Ways To Preach About Lust—and Get To The Real Issues

By Jared Moore on Nov 23, 2024

There's only one way to solve this: Get to the root of the problem. Jared Moore shows us how.

Tags: Marriage, Lust, Intimacy, sexual immorality, sexual desire  (view more)  (view less)

A Good Sermon Feels Like A Good Story: 7 Minutes With Fred Craddock

By Fred Craddock on Nov 13, 2019

Fred Craddock literally wrote the book on preaching. He reminds us, "Movement is more important than structure."

Tags: Preaching, structure, Movement, Fred Craddock

Boring Preaching Ought To Be A Crime

By SermonCentral .com on May 12, 2025

Brandon Cox reminds us that no matter what the topic, preaching always leads back to One Big Thing.

Scripture: Isaiah 7:10-25

Tags: Preaching, preaching

5 Problems With Top-Down Vision Casting And A New Testament Alternative

By SermonCentral .com on Mar 7, 2022

Acts 2 does not give us a picture of Peter hearing from God in private, then coming to the disciples with the vision.

Scripture: Habakkuk 2:2, Proverbs 29:18, Acts 2:14

Tags: vision, empower, pastoral leadership, dreams and visions

4 Relationship Fences That Will Help You Preach Better

By SermonCentral .com on Apr 14, 2022

Each week, the most important time for all of us who preach or teach for a living is our preparation time.

Scripture: Ephesians 4:26, Romans 12:10-11, Romans 12:16

Tags: Preaching, relationships, preaching the Word, Family Relationships, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Church Growth And The Work Of God

By Josh Reich on Oct 6, 2023

We know that God is the one who makes a church grow, that it isn’t on us. This is both a comfort and a problem.

Tags: Communication, vision, Discipleship, Church Growth, communication  (view more)  (view less)

Two Keys To Flourishing In The Digital Age

By Tony Reinke on May 24, 2022

We all seem to sense that — for good or bad — our smartphones are changing us, our habits, and our relationships.

Scripture: Matthew 22:40, John 6:35, Luke 14:33, Luke 10:27, Matthew 13:44, Luke 10:1-25, Psalm 34:8, Psalm 73:25-26, Philippians 3:8, Matthew 10:37  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Jesus, Technology, Love Others, Love God