In Preaching Articles: "Pastoral Care"

Sorry, Pastors – The Growth Of The Church Is Not Up To Us

By Karl Vaters on Jun 4, 2024

"Preaching the Word, training disciples and ministering to the community may or may not increase the number of people who sit in front of me from Sunday to Sunday. But it will produce a healthy church."

Tags: Church Growth, Surrender, Healthy Church, God's Church, God in control, pastoral leadership, call to discipleship, church leadership  (view more)  (view less)

The Most Significant Thing A Pastor Will Ever Do

By Joe Mckeever on Jul 8, 2024

The most valuable ministry thing you have done just may be the time you stopped to encourage a homeless man and bought him lunch.

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:7, 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, 1 Corinthians 4:3-4

Tags: Faithfulness, priorities, Servanthood, Christian Love, Godly Leaders, pastoral leadership, servant leadership, church leadership  (view more)  (view less)

The Dumbest Thing I Ever Did As A Pastor

By Charles Stone on Oct 17, 2024

What's the dumbest mistake you've every made as a pastor?

Tags: mistakes, Pastoral Ministry

Communicating With Confidence When People Distrust Pastors

By Ed Stetzer on Apr 19, 2024

This article is the fifth of six in a series on preaching in light of cultural shifts and biblical illiteracy.

Tags: Teaching, Preaching, pastor, Holiness, sermon prep, Pastor, Sermon Prep, preaching, teaching, holiness, Sermon prep  (view more)  (view less)

On The Shoulders Of Giants: Sermon Preparation Resources For Pastors

By Matthew Redder on Sep 9, 2025

In this article, we’ll explore how pastors work with others—both living and long gone—to craft sermon content. We’ll reflect on the value of community, the discipline of study, and the humility that comes when we realize that our sermons are enriched by the wisdom of many.

Scripture: Hebrews 12:1

Tags: Preaching, pastor, Commentary, sermon, Pastor, Sermon, preaching, sermonprep, commentary, biblical dictionary, sermoncentral, sermonmaker  (view more)  (view less)

How Do We (Or Should We) Motivate Our People To Read The Bible?

By Peter Mead on Oct 3, 2019

"We should be concerned when there is a lack of motivation for God's Word--both in our own lives and in those we care about."

Tags: Accountability, motivate, read Bible, preaching, Preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Piper: 8 Guidelines For Tough Leadership Decisions

By John Piper on Mar 27, 2025

Major ministry decisions require prayer, Scripture, deep thinking, and careful writing if leaders are to act wisely and in unity for the sake of the mission.

Scripture: Psalm 1:1-3, Joshua 1:8, James 1:5, Proverbs 16:3, Acts 6:1-6  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Biblical Leadership

7 Preacher Landmines

By Peter Mead on Mar 4, 2021

In the path of the preacher there are many landmines – hidden explosives that can do untold damage to your ministry. Whether you’ve been preaching for a couple of years or for half a century, why not take some time to prayerfully work through this list?

Tags: Preaching, pastor, Pastor

Fully Known, Fully Loved

By Peter Mead on Feb 23, 2022

If we are not careful we can paint our own self-at-the-centre approach in the colors of Christianity and assume all is well.

Scripture: Romans 5:8, Luke 19:10

Tags: known by God, Fully Known, Fully loved, narcissism

Check The Mirror, Pastor – After Five Years, Your Church Looks Like You

By SermonCentral .com on Dec 26, 2021

Show me a spiritually healthy church and I’ll show you a spiritually healthy pastor. Show me a spiritually unhealthy church and I’ll show you a spiritually unhealthy pastor.

Scripture: Hebrews 13:7

Tags: Humility, pastor, spiritual leadership, Pastoral Character, Pastor  (view more)  (view less)

Grace Is A Divine Scandal, And That's How You Should Preach It

By Ray Hollenbach on Dec 9, 2024

Grace can be abused, grace can be played the fool, grace can be wasted--but grace doesn't care. Grace is the divine scandal.

Scripture: Galatians 2:21

Tags: Preaching, preaching

8 Easy Ways To Plan Now For New Vbs Families To Stick

By SermonCentral .com on Dec 7, 2021

In my experience, churches put on a stellar VBS and just hope that the fourth goal of retaining new families from the community will take care of itself.

Tags: Outreach, Unchurched, VBS, families, relational leaders  (view more)  (view less)

Seven Signs A Sermon Is (Almost) Over

By Jon Acuff on Oct 27, 2020

Jon Acuff has heard quite a few sermons in his day. Here's a handy guide for discerning when the end is near.

Tags: Preaching, pastor, End, Pastor

Church Members Don't Want A Hero, They Want A Pastor

By SermonCentral .com on Feb 11, 2021

Church members aren’t looking for super-pastors, they want basic pastoral competence, honesty and leadership. That’s what they ought to expect.

Tags: Preaching, pastor, Hero, Pastor

What Listeners Really Wish They Could Tell Their Pastor

By Dr. Larry Moyer on Jun 13, 2021

A speaker recalls blunt feedback from a child to show how honest listener frustrations can shape better preaching—especially length, self-focus, and dryness.

Scripture: John 2:1-11, 1 Corinthians 9:16

Tags: Communication, leadership, Preaching, Church Health, Feedback, Leadership, communication, preaching  (view more)  (view less)