In Preaching Articles: "Others First"

What Really Makes A Spiritual Leader?

By Bob Hamp on Apr 4, 2023

Spiritual leadership is not defined by position or productivity, but by transformation, presence, and the ability to lead others into real encounters with God.

Scripture: Mark 10:42-45, John 15:4-5, Galatians 5:22-23, 2 Corinthians 3:18, 1 Thessalonians 2:8  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Power, leadership, Counselor, Leadership, Christian Formation  (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)

Are You A Well-Defined Leader?

By John Holm on Sep 28, 2021

Our greatest need is "internal alignment." How can we lead others if we are unsure of ourselves?

Tags: Leader, Preaching, definition, Identify

My Sermon ... With A Little Bit Of Bible Thrown In

By Sherman Haywood Cox on Apr 14, 2023

"If you ain't struggled with the Scripture, we have something else other than a sermon."

Tags: Bible, Scripture, Preaching, Research, preaching, bible  (view more)  (view less)

8 Ways To Hook Your Congregation Into Your Message

By SermonCentral .com on May 11, 2020

Your sermon text is central, but it doesn’t always need to come first. Strong hooks help listeners connect their lives to Scripture before exposition begins.

Scripture: Nehemiah 8:8, Luke 24:27, Ecclesiastes 12:10

Tags: Bird, Preaching, Anxiety, Field, flowers, preaching, anxiety  (view more)  (view less)

5 Qualities To Seek In The Heart Of A Leader

By Ron Edmondson on Jan 28, 2022

Someone asked me recently what I primarily look for in the hiring of a staff position. I said, without reservation, first and foremost, I look for the heart.

Tags: leadership, Integrity, Innovation, pastoral leadership, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

How To Craft Sermon Openers That Grab Attention

By Tyler Scarlett on Feb 26, 2025

A wandering introduction loses listeners before the sermon even begins. Strong, simple, and compelling first sentences draw people in and prepare them to hear God’s Word.

Scripture: Titus 2:2, Titus 2:1-2, Philippians 4:10-15, Romans 13:11-14

Tags: Pastoral Ministry

Five Ways To Turn Off Younger Listeners

By Adam Ramsey on Nov 6, 2024

If you're still in your first 5 years as a preacher, don’t give up! God has this wonderful way of drawing straight lines with crooked sticks.

Tags: Preaching, God's Love, Laughter, Young people, good advice, young people, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Christmas: Not A Time For Inventing Twists On The Age-Old Story

By Joe Mckeever on Dec 13, 2024

Tell it with gusto and love. Tell the story of the birth of Jesus with all the excitement of someone hearing it for the first time. Tell the story without detouring into theories and guesses and myths and controversies.

Scripture: Luke 2:11

Tags: Christmas, Simplicity, storytelling, Christmas Advent

5 Reasons Why I Love Preaching Psalms

By Peter Mead on Sep 12, 2024

Peter Mead doesn't even mention the messianic hopes or the glimpses into the godhead--there are five other treasures.

Tags: Preaching, preaching

6 Ways To Recycle Your Sermon

By SermonCentral .com on May 4, 2025

You've put in all that time developing a powerful word, so why not find other avenues for the message?

Tags: Study, Preaching, resources, social media, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Preaching: More Than Exhortation

By Bob Hostetler on Jul 21, 2021

Even though exhortation is a gift of the Holy Spirit, our preaching needs at least four other vital ingredients.

Tags: Preaching, identification, inspiration, application, exhortation  (view more)  (view less)

Create Innovative *next Steps*

By SermonCentral .com on Dec 29, 2020

We all want to end our messages with application, but sometimes the next steps we offer are difficult for others to take.

Tags: Preaching, Story, success, step, next, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

8 Starts To Avoid In Your Preaching

By Rachel Blom on Jan 3, 2023

The first moments of a sermon shape whether people will stay engaged. These eight common but ineffective sermon starts reveal what preachers should avoid to maintain attention and build trust with listeners.

Tags: Homiletics

Does Your Preaching Strike A Grace/Truth Balance?

By SermonCentral .com on Oct 15, 2021

In 25 years our church has only been picketed twice--two weeks in a row!--first by radically liberal nonbelievers for speaking truth, and then by radically conservative believers for showing grace.

Scripture: 2 Kings 2:8-9, Isaiah 40:1-15, Luke 18:1-8

Tags: Grace, Gospel, Truth, Preaching, Balance, grace, gospel, preaching  (view more)  (view less)