In Preaching Articles: "Personal Growth"

5 Top Priorities For Increasing Your Church

By Charles Arn on Jan 10, 2025

Decades of research reveal five church-growth principles—disciple-making, relationships, felt-needs, transitions, and social networks—that help any church engage its community.

Scripture: Matthew 25:14-30

Tags: Growth, Discipleship, leadership, pastor, Church Growth, Ministry Leadership, Pastor, Leadership, Congregational Health  (view more)  (view less)

Preaching Real Gospel Change In A World Obsessed With Self-Improvement

By Ed Stetzer on Jan 6, 2025

True transformation is not moral effort but new life in Christ. Preachers must translate “change” into gospel terms, clarifying how God recreates, reshapes, and renews His people.

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:7

Tags: Church, Growth, Discipleship, Preaching, Change, Transformation, counsel, Christian growth, new life in Christ, Spiritual Transformation, preaching, church, Christian Growth, New Life In Christ  (view more)  (view less)

11 Types Of Healthy Churches That Often Stay Small

By SermonCentral .com on Nov 4, 2025

Many types of churches fulfill the Great Commission without seeing their own numerical growth.

Scripture: 2 Samuel 22:1-31

Tags: Preaching, preaching

5 Ways To Keep Your Church Small And How To Overcome Them

By Dr. Larry Moyer on Jul 17, 2020

Many churches remain small because of unbiblical assumptions and avoidable habits. Learn how vision, planning, stability, and evangelistic focus can reverse that trajectory.

Scripture: 1 Samuel 16:7, Luke 15:4, Acts 2:47, Colossians 4:5, 1 Corinthians 3:6  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Preaching, Church Growth, preaching, Ministry Strategy

10 Multisite Myths (And Realities)

By Jim Egli on Nov 1, 2020

Multisite ministry is often misunderstood. Data and experience show that many common objections are either exaggerated or simply false.

Scripture: Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 1:8, 1 Corinthians 3:6-7, Ephesians 4:11-12, Colossians 1:28  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Church, Growth, Missions, Multisite, In Christ, church  (view more)  (view less)

Three Foundational Passages For Growing Disciples Of Jesus

By Ray Hollenbach on Jul 16, 2025

"Try to imagine talking about your subject every single day for two years. If the idea still thrills you, you've found your topic."

Tags: Jesus, Gospel, Growth, Discipleship, Disciples, gospel  (view more)  (view less)

Why Didn't The Disciples Ask Jesus How To Measure Success?

By SermonCentral .com on Feb 26, 2024

Imagine this scenario. Jesus is meeting with the disciples. He’s been training them for three years. He’s died, risen again and walked with them in resurrection power for almost 40 days. As the day of his ascension draws near, he gathers them together to reiterate The Great Commission.

Scripture: Luke 14:23, Luke 15:7

Tags: Disciples, success, Church Growth, Measure success

The Five Kinds Of Churches That Must Change Or Die

By SermonCentral .com on Jun 14, 2023

Okay, I have some tough news for you who are members or leaders of about 100,000 churches in America. Change or die.

Tags: Change, Church Growth, Reality, Dying Church

5 Words Of Wisdom To A Growing Church

By SermonCentral .com on Feb 10, 2022

It is GOD’s Kingdom, not ours, that is expanding. We may work hard and dream big, but every single spiritual change we see in the lives of people is completely and entirely a work of God.

Scripture: Ephesians 4:15

Tags: Wisdom, Humility, Church Growth, relational leaders

The Growing Church Series: 10 Characteristics Of Churches That Grow

By Brandon Kelley on Feb 4, 2022

Instead of sitting and worrying about the state of the Church in America, let’s begin asking the question, what are growing churches doing differently?

Tags: Church Growth, intentional, proactive, Dying Church

How God Became A Man: What Jesus Did For Thirty Years

By SermonCentral .com on Feb 28, 2022

Don’t begrudge God the glory of your long, arduous maturation process. In it you are tasting the growing pains that Jesus knows very well. And he stands ready to help you persevere until God’s process is complete.

Scripture: 1 Samuel 2:26, Hebrews 5:7-9, Matthew 17:27, John 11:14, John 1:47, Luke 3:23, Matthew 2:1-23, Luke 2:8-51, Luke 2:52, John 4:18  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Jesus, Ordinary, Christian growth, incarnation of Jesus

How Your Calendar Is Killing You (And What To Do About It)

By Carey Nieuwhof on Jun 30, 2024

Here’s the sad truth: when your calendar is out of control, so are you. And so is your life.

Tags: Schedule, Busyness, Time Management, productivity, Personal Life, Balanced Life, Workplace Balance, pastoral leadership  (view more)  (view less)

16 Tips For Better Easter Impact

By SermonCentral .com on Mar 31, 2021

Easter is the most strategic opportunity for churches to reach new people. These practical outreach ideas can help churches prepare well and welcome guests.

Scripture: Luke 19:10, Matthew 28:19, John 3:16, Acts 2:41, Romans 10:14  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Easter, Outreach, Church Growth, Palm Sunday, Impact  (view more)  (view less)

Adaptive Leadership: How Leaders Help People Mind The Gap

By Tod Bolsinger on Jun 8, 2021

Adaptive leadership helps organizations face the gap between their stated values and lived reality. Wise leaders guide people through learning, growth, and change.

Scripture: Proverbs 27:17, James 1:5, Ephesians 4:15-16, 1 Peter 5:2-3

Tags: transform, Growth, leadership, Preaching, work, Leadership, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Plan To Pray

By SermonCentral .com on Jun 27, 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