In Preaching Articles: "Personal Life"

Do Not Forsake True Solitude, Pastor

By Joe Hoagland on Aug 11, 2022

I am talking about purposely removing yourself from the busyness to focus on prayer for your congregation, reflection on your spiritual life and those around you, and meditation on the huge weight that is the pastoral ministry.

Scripture: Joshua 1:8

Tags: Prayer Life, Solitude, Silence, Leadership General, prayer life  (view more)  (view less)

Ten (Christmas) Sermon-Starters From The Life Of Mary

By Ray Hollenbach on Dec 25, 2025

Luke’s annunciation account is packed with phrases that carry more theological weight than we often notice. One line can carry an entire sermon.

Scripture: Isaiah 7:14, Galatians 4:4, Matthew 1:23

Tags: Christmas, Jesus, Power, Incarnation

Why Every Sermon Should Be A Life-Changing Sermon

By Paul David Tripp on Oct 20, 2025

This will probably get me into trouble: I’m persuaded that there’s too much mediocrity in the church when it comes to pastors preparing and delivering their sermons.

Tags: Preaching, preaching

4 Weapons Of Mass Distraction In A Leader’s Life

By Charles Stone on Nov 13, 2023

Ask yourself which of these four weapons of mass distraction divert you the most from leading at your best.

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:8

Tags: leadership, focus, distractions, pastoral leadership, Pastoral Ministry, church ministry, Effective Leadership, Leading Others Well, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

A Time To Speak

By SermonCentral .com on Jul 8, 2020

Silence in the face of injustice has consequences. The sanctity of life demands courage, clarity, and action from the church in a culture that often looks away.

Scripture: Psalm 139:13-14, Proverbs 24:11-12, Jeremiah 1:5, Genesis 1:27

Tags: Ethics, Preaching, Abortion, Sanctity of Life, preaching, Pro Life Christian  (view more)  (view less)

One Dozen Liberating Life Lessons That Give Pastors Rest For Their Souls

By Ray Hollenbach on Oct 28, 2019

We are loaded down with so many "shoulds," we find ourselves paralyzed by the inability to apply what we know.

Tags: life lessons, Rest, Soul, Preaching

Does Your Preaching Draw A Line From The Bible To Real Life?

By Sherman Haywood Cox on Feb 3, 2023

Every sermon should ask the people for some sort of response, a response in real life.

Tags: Bible, Preaching, Homiletics, real life, preaching, bible  (view more)  (view less)

The Secret To God’s Power In Your Life And Preaching - Part 1

By Lance Witt on Jun 12, 2023

Do you mistake fruitfulness for holiness? Sit with those words a moment. What does that look like practically? And how have you seen this in your life and in the lives of other leaders?

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The Secret To God’s Power In Your Life And Preaching - Part 2

By Lance Witt on Jun 13, 2023

If you read last week’s article you know that we talked about holiness not just being a legalistic set of rules. True holiness always starts with relationship. And the highest motive for keeping ourselves pure is our love for God, not the fear of consequences.

Scripture: Acts 20:35

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11 Kinds Of Preacher | Which One Are You?

By Peter Mead on May 24, 2021

Effective preaching requires understanding not only Scripture and culture but also the preacher’s own personality. The inner world of the preacher inevitably influences how the message is prepared and delivered.

Tags: Preaching, Preacher, Personality, type, preaching, preacher  (view more)  (view less)

Ministering To Millennials By Leveraging The Relational Power Of Healthy Churches

By SermonCentral .com on Feb 8, 2022

We need to lean away from the church-as-business model and into the church-as-relational-community model. Love God and love others.

Tags: Personal Testimony, Healthy Relationship, Intergenerational, millennials

The Cumulative Effect Of Our Little Choices

By SermonCentral .com on Jun 17, 2022

Every day we’re becoming someone—the question is, who?

Scripture: Galatians 5:22-23, 1 Timothy 4:7-8, Proverbs 4:14-15, 2 Corinthians 3:18, Ephesians 5:15-16, John 15:5  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Personal Growth, soul care, Habits, choices

The Power Of Testimony

By Peter Mead on Nov 19, 2022

"Hearing how God has worked in a life can be very powerful. Having someone “give their testimony” can also backfire. Here are a few of the problems that can create the tension."

Tags: leadership, Church leaders, Our Testimony, Sharing My Testimony, Personal Testimony, christian testimony, church leadership, Power Of Testimony, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

How To Stop Flirting With Sin

By Chad Ashby on Nov 14, 2022

Brothers and sisters, “As long as it is called ‘today,’ [be sure] that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin!” (Hebrews 3:13)

Scripture: Judges 16:1-31, Matthew 5:29, Judges 16:4-5, Matthew 7:13, 1 John 3:8, Hebrews 3:13  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: God's Grace, Personal Growth, Know the Truth, Discipline, Abide in Christ, personal holiness, fighting ungodliness, fighting sin  (view more)  (view less)

Preaching God’s Word Is Timeless (Find The Timeless Truth)

By Joe Hoagland on Jul 25, 2022

The Bible is wholly relevant to the modern person’s life sometimes it just takes some work for us to figure that out. The idea of making a “timeless truth” central to your sermon is important in communicating God’s Word in a postmodern age.

Tags: Scripture, Communication, Teaching, Preaching, Preaching Help, Teaching God's Word, Pastoral Ministry, effective preaching, communication, preaching, teaching  (view more)  (view less)