In Preaching Articles: "Ministry Challenges"

Death By Ministry

By Eugene Cho on Jan 23, 2025

Pastoral ministry is rewarding yet deeply taxing. These insights and statistics reveal its strain, spiritual battles, and the urgent need to care for our pastors well.

Tags: Ministry, leadership, pastor, Servanthood, Church Body of Christ, Pastor, Leadership, ministry challenges, ministry, pastor encouragement, Pastoral Health, Ministry Challenges, Pastor Encouragement, Clergy Wellness  (view more)  (view less)

Was Jesus Numerically Challenged?

By Ray Hollenbach on Jun 29, 2020

Do numbers alone tell the story of success? What kind of numbers caught Jesus' attention?

Tags: Growth, Preaching, number, Growth in Christ

10 Reasons Ministry Isn't For Wimps

By Jared Moore on Dec 5, 2019

Check out this list. Do you still want to be a pastor? If so, then God has probably called you to the ministry.

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 13:11-13

Tags: Preaching, challenge, negative, wimp, ministry, preaching, Ministry  (view more)  (view less)

5 Tough Challenges For Any Pastor

By SermonCentral .com on Aug 10, 2020

Thom Rainer shares his biggest challenges and asks, "What specific part of being a pastor is the most difficult for you?"

Tags: Preaching, gentle, preaching

Challenge Your Church--And Yourself!

By Peter Mead on Sep 24, 2019

Preaching should our listeners--and us. But how do you do it constructively?

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 14:34-40

Tags: Preaching

Leading Like Jesus Means Making Big Challenges

By James Scott on Jun 23, 2021

Jesus never shied away from calling people to make big changes--do you?

Tags: Jesus, obedience, challenge, Follow

7 Strong Helps On Staying Married While Staying In Ministry

By Bob Hostetler on Jan 8, 2020

Pastor Bob Hostetler hasn't just survived the challenges that come with being married while in ministry; he lists his marriage as a major ministry success. How does that happen?

Tags: Ministry, Marriage

Will More Invitations Result In More Salvations?

By SermonCentral .com on Dec 29, 2021

For a long time I’ve wondered if there is a relationship between the number of salvations a church experiences, and the number of times it offers salvation invitations. We’ll never know for sure, but I’m conducting an experiment this year.

Tags: Outreach, challenge, preaching the gospel, gospel invitation, Gospel Challenge  (view more)  (view less)

Success Is Never About Defeating The Giants

By Brandon Cox on Nov 27, 2023

Success isn’t about beating giants. It’s about building a life that grows through trials and challenges.

Scripture: 1 Samuel 17:34-37

Tags: Facing Giants, church ministry, success, goals, achievement, pastoral leadership, Pastoral Ministry, success in ministry  (view more)  (view less)

Bold Preaching: The Surprising Connection Between Amos And Us

By Nathan Aaseng on Jul 25, 2019

This article challenges preachers to reflect on whether they resemble Amos or the court prophets, and urges courage in proclaiming hard truths from God’s Word.

Tags: Preaching, Prophetic Preaching, preaching, Church and Culture, Courage in Ministry, Preaching Challenges  (view more)  (view less)

Could Your Labor Day Sermon Be The Most Important Of The Year?

By David J. Lose on Aug 25, 2020

Perhaps our largest challenge is to overcome the disconnect most Christians experience between what we do on Sunday and what we do the rest of the week.

Scripture: Colossians 3:23-24

Tags: Preaching, challenge, disconnect, preaching

The Top Secret Agendas Carried By Your Congregation

By Chris Surber on Sep 11, 2021

Every church member carries an agenda in the secret briefcase of their heart. What's their agenda?

Tags: Agenda, Affirm, Preaching, challenge, Congregation  (view more)  (view less)

4 Remarkable Discoveries From 263 Interviews About Sermons

By Ron Allen on Oct 4, 2021

It seems like a no-brainer, yet preachers rarely seek direct input from listeners about how we might improve our preaching.

Scripture: Philippians 1:5-10

Tags: Preaching, challenge, point of view, listener

Shooing Flies In The Pulpit

By H.b. Charles, Jr. on Apr 22, 2021

To be honest, I have had to shoo flies in the pulpit many times. If you are a preacher, so have you. No, not literal flies (I hope). But preachers regularly have to push through various distractions.

Tags: Preaching, focus, distractions, Challenges, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Becoming An Approachable Leader In Ministry

By Ken Sande on Mar 6, 2025

Approachability is essential for effective pastoral leadership. This guide shows how leaders earn trust, cultivate humility, and gain a “relational passport” with their people.

Scripture: Philippians 2:1-11, Philippians 2:3-4, Matthew 18:12-14, 1 Corinthians 1:4-9, Mark 10:42-45  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Church, Peace, leadership, pastor, conflict, relationships, Relational Wisdom, counsel, Communication General, Leadership General, Pastor, Leadership, church  (view more)  (view less)