In Preaching Articles: "Maximize Usefulness"

Preach The Way The Bible Preaches--Tell Stories!

By Ray Hollenbach on Nov 11, 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: storytelling, preaching, Parable, Preaching, narrative  (view more)  (view less)

God Plans For The Unexpected And Inconvenient

By SermonCentral .com on Jun 1, 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 6, 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, Concordance, bible study, Personal Growth, writing, spiritual growth, Bible Study, Spiritual Discipline, Journaling  (view more)  (view less)

Doing Ministry Without Losing Your Soul Part 2

By Lance Witt on May 16, 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: Pastoral Ministry, church ministry, Healthy Ministry, Tensions in Ministry, Leadership, leadership, Balance, pastoral leadership  (view more)  (view less)

Just What Is Pulpit Plagiarism?

By Ron Forseth on Dec 31, 2023

A thoughtful look at plagiarism, quotation, and citation in preaching, showing how conscience, diligence, and trust shape ethical and faithful sermon use.

Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:15, 1 Corinthians 10:29

Tags: Preaching, Character, Integrity, Honesty, Plagiarism, Homiletics, Pastoral Integrity, Sermon Preparation, preaching, sermon preparation, Sermon Plagiarism, Preaching Ethics  (view more)  (view less)

Slaves In Your Church's Backyard

By David Batstone on Dec 13, 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 12, 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 14, 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

Preaching God's Dangerous Truth

By Sherman Haywood Cox on Jun 16, 2020

We love to preach the Good News, but it doesn't reach its full potential until it challenges us to dream big.

Scripture: Luke 2:10

Tags: Preaching, preaching

3 Mistakes Pastors Make With Commentaries

By Peter Mead on May 5, 2025

Commentaries are resources for preachers, not sources for sermons. Watch out for these three pitfalls when using commentaries in your sermon prep and delivery.

Tags: Preaching, Prep, Commentary, preaching

Why Your Congregation Is Your Second Text

By Mike Glenn on Oct 26, 2020

Pastor Mike Glenn suggests every sermon requires us to exegete our audience as well as the Biblical text. Here's why.

Tags: Preaching, Congregation, role, second text

Don't Sell The Gospel!

By SermonCentral .com on Dec 17, 2020

Peddlers are driven by greed for money and fear of pain. But let us preach Christ as the all-satisfying treasure and God-satisfying obedience.

Tags: Paul, Gospel, Preaching, Pharisees, peddle, e  (view more)  (view less)

Facing These Questions Can Improve Any Preacher

By Charles Stone on Jun 6, 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: biblical preaching, preaching, Preaching, invest, Improve, questions  (view more)  (view less)

3 Tests Of Plagiarism: Do Your Sermons Pass Them?

By Ron Forseth on Feb 24, 2023

"Should we use someone else's sermon?" I would say that in many, many cases, the answer can legitimately be "Yes."

Tags: Preaching, Plagiarism, Quotes, citation, e, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Last-Minute Messages: How To Craft A Short Devotional With No Notice

By Rob O'lynn on Sep 6, 2021

"Hey, Pastor, could you say a few words..." Use this strategy to deliver short, meaningful talks with little or no prep time.

Scripture: Luke 19:1-19

Tags: picture, passage, point, Preaching