In Preaching Articles: "People Pleasing"

How To Stop People From Playing On Their Phones In Church

By SermonCentral .com on Sep 19, 2025

Cell phones in church don't bother me because I've discovered an ancient secret that keeps people from getting bored in church.

Tags: Discipleship, Preaching, Entertainment, Boredom, better church, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Are We More Invested In Bringing People To Church Or Jesus?

By SermonCentral .com on Jan 3, 2021

Church attendance should be a tool to help people draw closer to Jesus. Not the other way around.

Scripture: Matthew 28:19-20

Tags: Preaching

Should A Pastor Know How Much People Give?

By Peter Walters on Jan 1, 2024

There are many reasons why Pastors shy away from knowing what each member gives but let me give you 2 of the big ones. Still, there are 6 things every pastor should know.

Tags: Preaching, preaching

How To Lead People-Friendly Change In Your Church

By SermonCentral .com on Jan 12, 2022

I’ve been studying the art of change management lately and wanted to share a process with you that could save you a lot of grief the next time you think about a change in your church’s programs or procedures.

Tags: Communication, leadership, Change, Resilience, Leadership, communication  (view more)  (view less)

God Seeks People To Worship Him In Spirit And Truth

By SermonCentral .com on Jul 19, 2022

"But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:23-24)

Scripture: John 3:6, John 3:20, 1 Thessalonians 2:13, John 4:4-6, Proverbs 13:14, John 7:37-39, John 4:14, John 14:26, Matthew 15:8, 1 Thessalonians 1:5  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Gospel of John, Dead in sin, Jesus Teachings, Spirit and Truth, Spiritually Dead, Woman at the well  (view more)  (view less)

Not A Fan: The Hard Words Sparked A Church-Wide Revival

By Kyle Idleman on Jan 12, 2025

A preacher’s honest reckoning with crowd-pleasing sermons led to a bold call for true discipleship, sparking repentance, revival, and hundreds of unexpected baptisms.

Scripture: Luke 9:23

Tags: Love, Baptism, Jesus, Church, Commitment, Discipleship, Preaching, Disciples, revival, Church Growth, follower, preaching, church, love, Gospel call, Revival, Gospel Call  (view more)  (view less)

Why Some People Aren’t Happy With Your Preaching

By Peter Mead on Feb 27, 2025

Many pastors are blindsided when members quietly express frustration with their preaching. The reasons vary widely, ranging from communication issues to personality friction to the discomfort of genuine conviction. Preachers can respond well, shepherd wisely, and preach faithfully for the glory of Christ.

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16, Hebrews 4:12, James 3:1, Galatians 1:10, 2 Timothy 4:2, 1 Corinthians 2:1-5  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Communication, Preaching, Criticism, church leadership, criticism, Sermon Preparation, communication, preaching, sermon preparation, Church Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

When People Leave: 4 Lessons In Rejection From Jesus

By Greg Surratt on Jul 7, 2021

Watching people leave hurts, even for pastors. Jesus’ response in John 6 shows how to process that pain with security in the Father’s love, trusted friends, and confidence in God’s sovereignty.

Scripture: John 6:25-71, John 11:35, Romans 8:28, Matthew 3:17, Hebrews 13:17  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Jesus, leadership, Preaching, Rejection, Leadership, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

6 Ways Pastors Can Help People Deal With Doubts

By Ray Hollenbach on Jun 11, 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, Jeremiah 29:13, Mark 9:24, Acts 9:1-9

Tags: Faith, doubt, Belief, spiritual formation, Spiritual Formation  (view more)  (view less)

What Do Your People Want To Hear From The Pulpit?

By Ron Allen on Sep 13, 2020

"The most surprising challenge to emerge from the data is a request to preachers to bring controversial issues into the pulpit."

Tags: Preaching, preaching

What Do People Really Hear When You Preach?

By Safiyah Fosua on Jan 19, 2024

Three keys on how to make your sermons more memorable from Professor Safiyah Fosua.

Tags: Preaching, preaching

What Kind Of Christians Will People Be If They Listen To Your Sermons For A Decade?

By Ray Hollenbach on Jul 22, 2025

Beyond the weekly phrase, "Good word, Preacher," the spiritual lives of the people in your church provide excellent feedback regarding the effectiveness of your preaching.

Tags: believer, Preaching, Congregation, Generation, spiritual health, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

5 Ways To Help People Experience Scripture As You Preach

By Nicholas Mcdonald on Sep 14, 2021

How do we invite people to use their imagination when we preach?

Scripture: Job 32:1-10

Tags: Scripture, Preaching, experience, imagine

Thom Rainer: 3 Reasons Your People Are Spiritually Stuck

By SermonCentral .com on Nov 28, 2024

"When we lead our people in the process of transformation, we need to orient them to the reality of the war within them."

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 3:1-3

Tags: Preaching, Transformation, Envy, striving, Spiritual exercise, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Jesus Was A Migrant (So Were Abraham, Joseph, And The Jewish People)

By Patrick Johnstone on Mar 31, 2024

“Historic.” “Unprecedented!” These are the words people use to describe today’s bigger-than-ever flood of global refugees and migrants. But people have been on the move since the very beginning of human history. The Bible tells me so. Jesus was a refugee. So was Abraham. So was Moses. Jews and Christians have been on the move for a long, long time.

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