In Preaching Articles: "Modern World"

Why Information Alone Cannot Make Disciples

By Outreach Inc. on Apr 9, 2025

The modern church excels at teaching information but often fails at formation. Real discipleship requires embodied obedience, risk, and lived imitation, not lectures alone.

Scripture: Luke 6:40, James 1:22, John 1:14, 1 Corinthians 11:1, Matthew 28:19-20  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Discipleship, Following Jesus

12 Things Tedx Speakers Do That Preachers Don't

By Nicholas Mcdonald on Aug 30, 2021

"How in the world do each of these talks end up consistently blowing me away?"

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 12:1

Tags: Preaching, Respect, structure, speaker

The Status Quo Every Sermon Should Break

By Peter Mead on Nov 21, 2024

The truth is that our entire world is upside down. Every cell in this universe is corrupted by the fall.

Scripture: Romans 1:28-32

Tags: Truth, Preaching, upside down, Status Quo, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

The High Cost Of Free Porn

By Owen Strachan on Sep 16, 2022

Beyond severe psychological and social consequences, pornography hinders Jesus’s mission in the world.

Scripture: John 6:38, Hebrews 7:25, Romans 8:37, Luke 15:1-7, Matthew 28:18-20, 1 Thessalonians 4:3, Romans 12:2, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Colossians 3:9-10, Romans 8:13, Revelation 12:10-12, Colossians 3:5  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Pornography, god's mission, Jesus' mission, Kingdom's Mission

Have Mercy On Me: Four Glimpses Into The Heart Of God

By SermonCentral .com on Aug 7, 2022

God has made the world to turn again and again on fresh revelations of his mercy.

Scripture: Exodus 34:6-7, Exodus 33:19, Luke 1:78, Ephesians 2:3, 2 Chronicles 30:9, Romans 9:22-23, 2 Samuel 24:13-14, Psalm 51:1, Lamentations 4:10, Isaiah 30:18  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: David, Mercy, Moses, God's Character

I Write Stories During Sermons

By Carolyn C. Givens on May 11, 2021

"My soul cries out for modern parables that leave me thinking about the Creator of the Universe – the Storyteller whose words sustain and move the pieces of time and space."

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

"I Felt My Soul Rejoice”: The Christ-Centered Happiness Of David Brainer

By Randy Alcorn on Nov 11, 2022

"If a young man without modern medicine and dying of an excruciating disease could make choices that brought him happiness in Christ, surely we can too."

Tags: Missionary, Hope, hope in Christ, eternal perspective, Joy in Suffering, Delight in the Lord, Joy in Christ, enduring suffering  (view more)  (view less)

The Pulpit Is Not A Magical Place, Even If Some People Think It Is

By Nathan Aaseng on Mar 10, 2024

"The Word is not magic, but it has power ... great power to bring God's love and grace into the world."

Tags: Grace, Power, Preaching, pulpit, Magic, grace, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Was Jesus Numerically Challenged?

By Ray Hollenbach on Jun 28, 2020

Is numerical growth proof of God’s grace? This reflection questions the assumption that size equals faithfulness and contrasts modern metrics with Jesus’ slow, seed-shaped vision of the church.

Scripture: Acts 2:41, Matthew 28:19-20, 1 Corinthians 3:6-9, 1 Peter 2:5, Matthew 13:31-33  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Growth, Faithfulness, number

What If We Made Disciples And Left Church Growth To God?

By Karl Vaters on Sep 5, 2022

If we prioritized health, not as a means to growth, but as an end in itself, would we be in a greater position to represent Jesus to the world?

Tags: Discipleship, Church Growth, Make Disciples, great commission, pastoral leadership, church ministry, Growth Strategy, Equip the Saints  (view more)  (view less)

Image Management

By Lance Witt on Jun 21, 2023

Image management. There’s nothing particularly wrong with those two words, but when you put them together and give them to a ministry leader, it is a deadly cocktail. Image management is what we begin to do when our inner world becomes separated from our outer world.

Tags:

5 Ways Christian Leaders Can Approach The Rapidly Changing Moral Culture

By Carey Nieuwhof on Mar 14, 2021

So as a church leader – as views on sexuality, family, parenting, drugs, finance and other values change – how do you respond? What do you do when the world for which you trained—maybe even the world where your approach was once effective—is disappearing before your eyes?

Tags: Morality, strategy, Unchurched, Cultural Change, e  (view more)  (view less)

3 Essentials For Pastoral Preaching

By Rich Villodas on Jul 28, 2022

I think I’m starting to learn to preach not as a preacher but to preach as a pastor. There’s a world of difference between the two.

Tags: Scripture, Teaching, Preaching, preaching the Word, sermon prep, shepherding, Power in the Word, Applying Truth, Sermon Prep, Shepherding, preaching, teaching  (view more)  (view less)

Daring Preaching Engages The Culture: Does Yours?

By Joe Mckeever on Aug 25, 2024

Christ sends us into the world but warns us not to be shaped by it. Faithful ministry means engaging culture with wisdom, tension, and gospel-centered discernment.

Scripture: John 17:14-18, Romans 14:4, Acts 17:22-23, 1 Corinthians 9:22, Ephesians 2:14  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Christian Discipleship

Why Pandemics Are Dangerous For Jews

By Dr. Susan Michael on Oct 26, 2020

Throughout the Muslim world, rumors abound that the Jews developed the coronavirus to gain power, kill a large number of people, and make a fortune selling the antidote.

Tags: Danger, Jews, Pandemic