In Preaching Articles: "Pastoral Life"

How John Piper Prepares A Sermon

By SermonCentral .com on Mar 12, 2020

John Piper explains his unique sermon-prep rhythm: a Friday-focused, text-driven, prayer-saturated process built around exegesis, manuscript writing, and deep internalization before preaching.

Tags: Pastoral Ministry

How To Craft Sermon Openers That Grab Attention

By Tyler Scarlett on Feb 27, 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

Are You A Preacher Or A Motivational Speaker?

By Sherman Haywood Cox on Jan 7, 2023

Many sermons sound inspiring yet leave out the cross and the coming kingdom. When preaching mimics self-help, it loses the gospel’s power and eternal focus.

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, Luke 9:23, Galatians 6:14, Matthew 6:19-21

Tags: Pastoral Ministry

9 Things That Won’t Make Us Better Pastors ... And 4 That Will

By SermonCentral .com on Feb 11, 2020

It’s easy to get lost chasing the newest, coolest, biggest thing. Or on the other hand hanging on to old, stale methods.

Scripture: 1 Timothy 3:1-13

Tags: Preaching, Pastors

Spiritual Disciplines And The Sinkhole Syndrome

By Donald Whitney on Jan 22, 2022

As the pressures of life increase and more deadlines loom, it becomes harder to maintain time for the devotional life. And herein is where the erosion begins.

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:12, John 17:17, Luke 4:16, Matthew 14:23

Tags: Follow Jesus, Spiritual Maturity, Spiritual Discipline, Spiritual Failures, sermon spiritual  (view more)  (view less)

A Risk Worth Taking

By Leigh Ann Carey Looyenga on Apr 10, 2024

Are you tired? Worn down by the pace of life and ministry? Do you feel like the abundant life may not be for ministry leaders?

Scripture: Genesis 2:1-2, Deuteronomy 5:6

Tags: Sunday, Sabbath, relationships, Rest, intimacy with Christ  (view more)  (view less)

Why Spiritual Transformation Stalls And How Pastors Can Restart It

By Thom Rainer on Mar 5, 2020

Spiritual transformation often stalls in believers and churches. Identifying its root causes helps pastors guide congregations from stagnation to renewed gospel growth.

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 3:1-3

Tags: Spirit, Church, Growth, Discipleship, Preaching, Transformation, In Christ, preaching, church  (view more)  (view less)

6 Ways Pastors Can Help People Deal With Doubts

By Ray Hollenbach on Jun 12, 2020

It seems like doubt is a popular subject these days, but doubt comes with a price. Here are six ideas that could help any pastor when asked to speak about the subject of doubt.

Scripture: John 20:24-31

Tags: Faith, doubt, Belief

7 Important Reasons Pastors Need A Summer Preaching Break

By Josh Reich on Mar 25, 2025

It's not just about taking a break; it's about becoming a better preacher.

Tags: Preaching, preaching

6 Important Reasons Every Pastor Should Preach On Singleness

By Josh Reich on Jan 21, 2020

Josh Reich thinks some pastors shy away from this topic for surprising reasons.

Tags: Preaching

10 Well-Known Pastors Respond To The Question: Is Homosexuality A Sin?

By SermonCentral .com on Aug 3, 2019

How will you answer the question: Is homosexuality a sin? When you're asked in the public space?

Scripture: Numbers 10:33-36

Tags:

Pastor, I'm Called To Preach--Gimme Your Pulpit!

By Brian Croft on Aug 9, 2019

Brian Croft gives three sound suggestions for encouraging others as they explore their calling.

Tags: Preaching, preaching

6 Reasons Why Pastors Must Be More Courageous Today

By SermonCentral .com on Aug 20, 2019

Thom Rainer believes we are in the midst of a cultural shift--and it's no time to shrink back from our calling.

Tags: Preaching

Epidemic: Another Pastor Burned Out And Quit Last Sunday

By SermonCentral .com on Jan 22, 2021

It never gets easier. No matter how many times you hear about it. And we're hearing about it a lot more lately. In epidemic numbers.

Tags: Pastoral Character, success in ministry, avoiding burnout, praying for pastors

When A Pastor Is A Growth Barrier - Part One: Dealing With Sin

By Ed Stetzer on Apr 15, 2024

I have worked for a long time to help pastors with growth barriers in their church. They can be anything from worship issues to strategy to theology and more. So many barriers can get in the way of a church growing, but a central one isn’t found in the processes of the church. There may be a number of reasons a ministry grows cold and a church slows down. But often, the heart of the problem is the heart of the pastor.

Tags: CLERGY SIN