In Preaching Articles: "Prayer Life"

10 Things Healthy Churches Do Well

By Joe Mckeever on Jan 23, 2025

Healthy churches face problems with wisdom, unity, and Christlike leadership. These ten traits show how congregations grow stronger even through crises.

Scripture: Acts 6:1-7

Tags: Church Growth, Healthy Church, Pastors, CHURCH LIFE, Church General, Accept, Christian community, church leadership, Biblical wisdom, Church Leadership, Biblical Wisdom, Congregational Health, Christian Community  (view more)  (view less)

Why Jesus Never Used A Classroom

By Bob Hamp on Jul 24, 2020

Jesus did not come primarily to educate or motivate but to liberate. His life and ministry reveal a discipleship model rooted in freedom, action, and restoration.

Scripture: Luke 4:18-19, John 8:32-36, Mark 1:38-39, Matthew 4:19, Romans 8:1-2  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Teaching, Preaching, Learning, Living, follower, preaching, teaching  (view more)  (view less)

Pit Stops Required- Part 1

By Lance Witt on Sep 11, 2023

Many pastors and ministry leaders soar through life at breakneck speed. They give every outward appearance of being on course, cruising on autopilot.

Scripture: Proverbs 14:18

Tags: Prudence, Time of Reflection, New Year's Reflection, avoiding burnout

Pastoring From A Place Of Gratitude

By Lance Witt on May 28, 2024

Does gratitude flavor your life? Are the words that flow from your lips and the thoughts that race through your mind marked by gratitude?

Scripture: Psalm 118:24, Colossians 2:7

Tags: leadership, Thankfulness, gratitude, Grumbling, Ingratitude, pastoral leadership, Pastoral Ministry, Evaluate attitude, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

What Do Your People Want To Hear From The Pulpit?

By Ron Allen on Sep 13, 2020

Research with 263 churchgoers reveals what listeners truly want from sermons: biblical depth, real-life connection, and courage on hard issues.

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:1-2, Nehemiah 8:8, James 1:22, Acts 20:27, Hebrews 4:12  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Preaching, church leadership, preaching, Church Leadership

Why We Must Preach A Bigger, Better Heaven

By SermonCentral .com on Sep 26, 2024

Many Christians imagine heaven as disembodied and dull, but Scripture presents a renewed earth filled with resurrection life. Pastors should recover this vision in their preaching.

Scripture: Romans 8:19-23, 1 Corinthians 15:20-23, Revelation 21:1-5, Revelation 22:1-5, Philippians 3:20-21  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Fall, Resurrection, Heaven, Promise

Are You Training Lay Preachers? You Should!

By Chris Surber on Jan 23, 2024

When we neglect to develop and maintain active lay ministry in the life of the local church, our churches miss out in at least five ways.

Scripture: Proverbs 17:17

Tags:

Do You Remember Why You Became A Pastor?

By Chuck Warnock on Jun 10, 2025

There are times in our life when the clarity fades, discouragement clouds our memory and we wonder, "Why did I ever want to be a pastor?"

Scripture: Genesis 1:26-27

Tags:

Great Preaching Lives In The Tension: Here's How

By Brandon Kelley on Jan 4, 2021

A sermon speaks from the grand narrative of Scripture to the grand narrative of your life. These two stories have identifiable tension points: use them!

Tags: Preaching, preaching

Great Leadership Often Starts With A Broken Heart

By Brandon Cox on Oct 1, 2023

Usually, knowing what breaks your heart is knowing what you should do with your life, and how you should be leading others.

Scripture: Nehemiah 1:4

Tags: broken, Brokenhearted, authentic ministry, Call to ministry

Why Illustrations Matter In Preaching: Learning From Jesus’ Use Of Parables

By Leslie Holmes on Jan 14, 2024

Parables and illustrations bring preaching to life. These seven tests help pastors use stories wisely to clarify truth, reduce resistance, and make sermons memorable.

Scripture: Matthew 13:34, Nehemiah 8:8, 2 Timothy 4:2, Psalm 78:2, Luke 8:10  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Expository Preaching, expository preaching

Why Powerful Preaching Requires Getting Personal

By SermonCentral .com on Apr 23, 2023

Solid sermon structure matters, but preaching becomes powerful when pastors risk personal vulnerability and let real life carry biblical truth home.

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 1:3-7, Psalm 40:1-3, James 5:10-11, Romans 8:18-25, 2 Corinthians 12:9  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Preaching, Story, storm, Pastoral Ministry, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

When Pastors Misplace Their Identity: 10 Probing Questions

By Charles Stone on Sep 18, 2022

“No one is more influential in your life than you are, because no one talks to you more than you do.” ––Paul Tripp

Scripture: 1 Samuel 28:1

Tags: Ministry, identity, Identity in Christ, pastoral leadership, Pastoral Ministry, church leadership, Right Priorities, self assement, ministry  (view more)  (view less)

Most Pastors Reject Pulpit Political Endorsements

By Carol Pipes on Mar 17, 2024

A LifeWay Research survey shows nearly 90 percent of Protestant pastors believe candidates should not be endorsed from the pulpit, even during election season.

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:2, Acts 20:27, 1 Corinthians 2:2, Romans 13:1, Colossians 4:6  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Politics, election, candidate, Church And State, Church and State  (view more)  (view less)

How Pastors Should Approach Preaching At Wedding

By SermonCentral .com on May 18, 2025

Wedding sermons do not need to follow a single formula. Faithful pastors can draw from many biblical truths that prepare couples for the realities of married life.

Scripture: Ephesians 5:22-33, Colossians 3:12-14, 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, Proverbs 3:3-4, Ecclesiastes 4:9-12  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Wedding, Preaching, Offend, preaching, Biblical Counseling  (view more)  (view less)