In Preaching Articles: "Ministry Life"

Preaching On Life: An Interview With Max Lucado

By Max Lucado on Jul 26, 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

Breathing New Life Into Your Preaching

By Lance Witt on Mar 24, 2023

Fresh is always better. Taking a breath of clean, fresh air is way better than inhaling polluted air. Eating fresh bread is way better than choking down a piece of dry, stale bread. And likewise, sermons that are fresh are way better than warmed over messages.

Scripture: Luke 10:31

Tags: Preaching, New life, preaching

Great Leadership Often Starts With A Broken Heart

By Brandon Cox on Oct 1, 2023

Usually, knowing what breaks your heart is knowing what you should do with your life, and how you should be leading others.

Scripture: Nehemiah 1:4

Tags: broken, Brokenhearted, authentic ministry, Call to ministry

A Risk Worth Taking

By Leigh Ann Carey Looyenga on Apr 9, 2024

Are you tired? Worn down by the pace of life and ministry? Do you feel like the abundant life may not be for ministry leaders?

Scripture: Genesis 2:1-2, Deuteronomy 5:6

Tags: Sunday, Sabbath, relationships, Rest, intimacy with Christ  (view more)  (view less)

1,000 Sermons Will Change Your Life

By Trevin Wax on Mar 25, 2020

Pastors, don’t underestimate the cumulative effect of your preaching. You are not dumping information into brains. You are forming the habits of your people, teaching them how to read and understand and apply the Bible for themselves.

Tags: Preaching, New life, preaching

How To Increase The Shelf Life Of Your Sermons

By SermonCentral .com on Jun 17, 2020

Your sermons can reach others beyond your church and become useful resources for years to come by using a few of these practical tips.

Tags: Preaching, preaching

A Simple Exercise That Will Infuse Life Into Your Staff

By Charles Stone on Jul 24, 2023

Recently our church staff held our annual in-house evaluation retreat when we reviewed the prior year’s goals and plans. God had given us a good year and we wanted not only to discuss how we could improve, but rejoice in His blessings.

Scripture: Psalm 9:1, 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Tags: Thankfulness, gratitude, Leadership General, church leadership

Success Is Never About Defeating The Giants

By Brandon Cox on Nov 26, 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)

Seven Relational Skills Of Great Church Leaders

By SermonCentral .com on Mar 11, 2021

Most pastors and church leaders have never received formal training in relational skills. Perhaps these seven observations of outstanding leaders will prove helpful to many of you.

Tags: leadership, Prayer Life, Family Relationships, prayer life, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

5 Spouse Killers In The Ministry

By Charles Stone on Aug 20, 2025

Eight in ten pastors’ wives say they feel unappreciated or unaccepted by their husband’s congregations. Charles Stone and his wife give insight into how to protect your spouse and your marriage during the sometimes difficult calling of pastoral ministry.

Tags: Ministry, stress, Marriage, wife, family, Stress, Trials and Difficulties, ministry, relationships, priorities, home, Spouse, Church Body of Christ, Marriage General  (view more)  (view less)

The Secret Ingredient For Effective Ministry

By Ray Hollenbach on Jun 16, 2025

What if there were a way to open the floodgates of heaven for other people? What if YOU could have this secret?

Scripture: John 5:9-16

Tags: Ministry, Humble, Humility, effective, humble heart, ministry  (view more)  (view less)

The Hardest Part Of Ministry: Saying No

By David L. Hansen on Jun 29, 2025

Saying "no" can help focus your ministry, your leadership and your preaching.

Tags: preaching, Ministry, Preaching, hard, Angelic work, say no, ministry  (view more)  (view less)

Ten (Christmas) Sermon-Starters From The Life Of Mary

By Ray Hollenbach on Dec 9, 2020

When you cover the familiar territory of the Christmas Story year after year, sometimes you have to try another angle.

Tags: Christmas, Jesus, Power, Preaching, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Why Every Sermon Should Be A Life-Changing Sermon

By Paul David Tripp on Oct 19, 2025

This will probably get me into trouble: I’m persuaded that there’s too much mediocrity in the church when it comes to pastors preparing and delivering their sermons.

Tags: Preaching, preaching

When Pastors Misplace Their Identity: 10 Probing Questions

By Charles Stone on Sep 18, 2022

“No one is more influential in your life than you are, because no one talks to you more than you do.” ––Paul Tripp

Scripture: 1 Samuel 28:1

Tags: Ministry, identity, Identity in Christ, pastoral leadership, Pastoral Ministry, church leadership, Right Priorities, self assement, ministry  (view more)  (view less)