In Preaching Articles: "Pastoral Character"

Plan To Pray

By SermonCentral .com on Jun 28, 2023

I have been a pastor and spend a lot of time talking to pastors, and as I do I learn that one of the struggles many pastors have is prayer.

Tags: Prayer, Spiritual Discipline, Paul on prayer, Intentional Growth

Why Small Churches Don’t Grow

By Joe Mckeever on Sep 21, 2024

Small church growth stalls for reasons deeper than numbers. These ten barriers reveal why congregations stay stuck and how leaders can pursue renewed health and mission.

Scripture: John 13:35, Psalm 85:6, Luke 11:1-2

Tags: Church, Outreach, pastor, Church Growth, Health, Fail, church, Pastoral Leadership, Small Church Growth, Congregational Renewal, Spiritual Vitality, Church Health, Small Church, Church Practices, pastoral leadership, spiritual vitality, Pastor  (view more)  (view less)

The 5 Most Dangerous Assumptions In Preaching

By Dr. Larry Moyer on Feb 16, 2024

False assumptions in preaching hinder communication and weaken impact. Clear thinking, clarity, and humility protect the preacher and strengthen the message.

Scripture: John 15:5

Tags: Church, Communication, Humility, Preaching, pastor, care, assumptions, Communication General, Pastor, communication, preaching, church  (view more)  (view less)

Top 10 Healthy Ways To Handle The Church Critic

By Charles Stone on Aug 17, 2022

“Two things you can’t avoid in ministry are…people late to the service and … church critics.” In this short post, I suggest 10 ways to handle the church critic.

Tags: church ministry, loving enemies, Disarming, criticism, Criticism, patience, offense, pastoral leadership, Pastoral Ministry  (view more)  (view less)

Success Is Never About Defeating The Giants

By Brandon Cox on Nov 27, 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)

The Top 8 Reasons Most Churches Never Break The 200 Attendance Mark

By Carey Nieuwhof on Dec 26, 2023

Why is it that most churches never break the 200 attendance mark?

Tags: Growth Strategy, Church Growth, Barriers, pastoral leadership, Pastoral Ministry, church ministry, Barriers to Growth  (view more)  (view less)

7 Indicators Your Team Is Dysfunctional

By Ron Edmondson on Oct 11, 2022

In my experience, there are commonalities of dysfunction. If you have been on a dysfunctional team you’ve probably seen one or more of the common traits. See if any of these seem familiar.

Tags: pastoral leadership, Pastoral Ministry, Team Dynamics, Healthy Teams, Leadership, leadership, conflict, Teamwork, Dysfunction  (view more)  (view less)

Doing Ministry Without Losing Your Soul Part 2

By Lance Witt on May 17, 2024

"In ministry, there are certain tensions that we must live with. Sometimes they seem contradictory, but they are tensions that are actually healthy for us."

Scripture: Philippians 3:7-8, Psalm 27:4, 2 Corinthians 3:18

Tags: Pastoral Ministry, church ministry, Healthy Ministry, Tensions in Ministry, Leadership, leadership, Balance, pastoral leadership  (view more)  (view less)

Screenwriting As Sermon Preparation

By Jeff Chaves on Apr 25, 2024

Expand your sermon prep and presentation skills through the art of screenwriting.

Tags: Pastor, Sermon Prep, teaching, presentation, Sermon prep, screenwriting, Teaching, pastor, Presentation, sermon prep  (view more)  (view less)

Pastors, We Don’t Expect A Ted Talk—we Need A God-And-You Talk

By SermonCentral .com on Sep 28, 2021

When we come to your church, we don't expect a $7,500 sermon. Given current offering stats, most people aren't even expecting a $75 one.

Scripture: John 3:1-25, Matthew 6:25-34

Tags: Expectation, TED talk, preaching, Preaching, Heartfelt  (view more)  (view less)

When Is A Sermon Good Enough?

By Stephen Gregory on Jul 16, 2024

A pastor wrestles with preparation, expectations, and perfectionism, discovering how God uses imperfect sermons when the preacher is faithful, honest, and attentive to the flock.

Scripture: Proverbs 16:3

Tags: Church, Preaching, pastor, spiritual growth, Communication General, Pastoral Ministry, Preaching Challenges, Spiritual Growth, Ministry Leadership, Pastor, Sermon Preparation, preaching, church, sermon preparation  (view more)  (view less)

A Renewed Mind: The Practice Of Humble Thought

By Robert A. Fryling on Jan 4, 2025

A call to reject mind–spirit false dichotomies, embrace biblical thinking, and pursue a humble, renewed mind that deepens spiritual formation and love for God.

Scripture: Luke 10:27, Romans 12:2, 1 Corinthians 14:15, 1 Peter 1:13, 2 Corinthians 10:5, 1 Peter 3:8  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Thought, Humility, Preaching, pastor, devotion, original sin, Mind, Christian Disciplines, Christian Leadership, Pastor, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

3 Ways To Boost Your Preaching Creativity

By Brandon Kelley on Jul 4, 2022

Do you want more people to walk away from the church gathering and actually remember the big idea from your sermon? Of course you do. Who wouldn’t?

Scripture: John 3:36, Matthew 15:21

Tags: Sermon Help, Teaching Prep, preaching, Preaching, pastoral leadership, Pastoral Ministry, poor preaching, Effective Teaching  (view more)  (view less)

Has Your Emotional Brain Hijacked Your Leadership?

By Charles Stone on Dec 1, 2023

Great ministry leaders keep their emotions in check. Unfortunately, when we don’t keep them in check, our emotional brain can hijack clear thinking and good leadership.

Scripture: Romans 10:10

Tags: pastoral leadership, Pastoral Ministry, church ministry, Leadership, brain, Emotions, leadership, Brain, memory, Decision making  (view more)  (view less)

7 Things Preachers Never Say

By Peter Mead on May 7, 2024

Preachers speak, but we don’t talk about everything. If you are a preacher you may read this series and find some encouragement that you are not alone. If you know a preacher you may read this and find some understanding that you did not have before.

Tags: church leadership, Ministry Pressure, Stress, Overwhelmed, pastoral leadership, Pastoral Ministry, church ministry, expectations, stress  (view more)  (view less)