In Preaching Articles: "pastoral care"

Death To Dancing Bears

By Lance Witt on May 31, 2022

“Sometimes as a worship pastor,” he said, “I feel like a dancing bear. It’s my job to get up and perform for the crowd, and as long as the performance is good, everyone is happy. Except me. Something is missing and I don’t know what to do.”

Tags: Ministry, burnout, pastoral leadership, Lost Focus, People Over Programs, ministry  (view more)  (view less)

Do We Need A broader Definition Of Church Growth?

By Karl Vaters on Oct 13, 2023

Any definition of church growth that doesn’t allow for, even celebrate, churches that contribute in non-numerical ways is incomplete.

Tags: Church Growth, priorities, pastoral leadership, First Things First, Right Values  (view more)  (view less)

A Step-By-Step Approach To Efficient Sermon Preparation

By Brandon Kelley on Jun 27, 2022

A Step-by-Step Approach to Efficient Sermon Preparation

Tags: Preaching, Preaching Help, Pastoral Ministry, sermon prep, Sermon Prep, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

8 Ways To Bust Leadership Discouragement

By Charles Stone on Sep 28, 2022

"Discouragement is a universal experience for ministry leaders and the word actually self-defines itself…dis-courage meaning no courage. Some of the Bible’s greatest characters faced it: Moses, David, Paul, Mary the mother of Jesus, and the apostles. Nehemiah, the great Old Testament leader faced it when he led the Jews to rebuild the wall. Yet, his response offers us hope when we face it."

Scripture: Psalm 77:11, Nehemiah 4:10-21

Tags: Nehemiah, leadership, Discouragement, thought life, pastoral leadership, Blessings, Burdens, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

Energizing Your Sermons With Multisensory Preaching

By Rick Blackwood on Jun 2, 2020

Rick Blackwood helps preachers communicate God's Word in a form that is engaging, crystal clear, unforgettable, and more fun for the speaker.

Scripture: Matthew 4:1-11

Tags: Church, Communication, Preaching, pastor, wake up, Cohabitation, illustration, Clarity, time is at hand, Homiletics, Awake, Dress Properly, adult children, Communication General, God's dwelling place, Pastor  (view more)  (view less)

Top 10 Tips For Handling Church Critics

By Charles Stone on Aug 9, 2024

Charles Stone encourages pastors to use discernment when receiving criticism with these ten tips.

Tags: Preaching, preaching

Dear Preacher: Remind Us Of The Mercy

By John Blase on Oct 25, 2021

John Blase writes an open letter to pastors everywhere asking for one consistent theme.

Tags: Preaching, preaching

Why Don't More Seminaries Teach A Method For Building A Sermon?

By SermonCentral .com on Aug 17, 2021

Listen to this professor of homiletics discuss what's been left undone in most pastors' education.

Scripture: John 4:34-38

Tags: Preaching, Seminary, build, dennis prutow, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Top 10 Preaching Mistakes + 3 More Of My Own

By Bob Hostetler on Jul 24, 2019

Bob Hoestetler, the "Desperate Pastor" reviews our all-too common faux pas.

Tags: Preaching, preaching

11 Reasons To Protect Your Spirit From The Demands Of Ministry

By SermonCentral .com on Jan 8, 2021

Pastoral ministry can be hazardous to our spiritual health. But it doesn’t need to be.

Tags: Preaching

True Leadership Is Sacrifice, Not Privilege

By SermonCentral .com on Aug 4, 2022

Christian leadership — in the home, the church, and elsewhere — is not for those clawing for honor and recognition, but for those most ready to fall to their knees and be inconvenienced by the needs of others.

Scripture: Mark 10:45, 2 Corinthians 1:24, 1 Peter 5:2-3, Matthew 20:25-28, John 13:14-15  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Sacrifice, leadership, Dying To Self, pastoral leadership, servant leadership, Others First, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

Kevin Deyoung On What We Can Learn From Church History About False Teachers

By Kevin Deyoung on Jul 13, 2022

What have been some of the normal characteristics and patterns of behavior exhibited by false teachers throughout Church history? Kevin DeYoung shares his insights.

Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:16-17, 2 Timothy 3:8, John 10:12, John 17:17, 1 Timothy 6:3-4, Acts 20:28-30  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Heresy, False Teachers, Wolves, false teaching, Church History, orthodoxy, pastoral leadership  (view more)  (view less)

Every Church Staff Team Needs A Little Bit Of Friction

By Brandon Cox on Nov 20, 2023

"Eliminate friction!!" That’s the goal most of us have when it comes to leading a team, or a church, or a company. But what if friction is actually the key to getting things moving in the right direction?

Scripture: Genesis 1:1

Tags: leadership, strategy, conflict, Teamwork, Tension, pastoral leadership, Friction, Team Dynamics, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

The Radical Experiment: One Year To A Church Turned Upside Down

By David Platt on Jan 14, 2025

David Platt dares pastors and their congregations to take a leap of faith and test the claims contained in the gospel.

Scripture: Matthew 9:35-38

Tags: Faith, Outreach, Gospel, Missions, Prayer, radical, Evangelism Urgency, gospel  (view more)  (view less)

How To Get Out Of A Ministry Funk

By Tim Stevens on Apr 9, 2020

Tim Stevens offers encouragement and practical advice to pastors going through a tough ministry funk.

Scripture: Galatians 6:9

Tags: Ministry, Church, Church Practices, ministry, church  (view more)  (view less)