In Preaching Articles: "Prayer With Thanks"

Anxiety Abounds! There Is A Remedy!

By Steve Smith on Apr 11, 2022

These are turbulent times indeed. And our sponge like souls have soaked in a great deal of toxins. The remedy is not as complicated as we might have thought.

Tags: Prayer, unrest, soul care, Listening to God

The Weight And Joy Of Being A Pastor: Loneliness

By Josh Reich on Oct 9, 2021

If you talk to any pastor or his wife and ask them about friends, more than likely you will get a sad, longing look.

Tags: Counselor, Loneliness, Prayer General, Suffering Loneliness

The Silence Of God (Psalm 13)

By Josh Reich on May 6, 2022

While we often think God’s silence means He has abandoned us or left us, that is not true. God’s silence does not equal God’s absence.

Scripture: Psalm 13:1, Psalm 13:1-6

Tags: Community, Sin, God's silence, prayers, community  (view more)  (view less)

Urgent Church: Nine Changes We Must Make Or Die

By SermonCentral .com on May 14, 2022

Many of our congregations must change. They must change or they will die.

Tags: Gospel, Prayer, Change, Dying Church, gospel  (view more)  (view less)

Ten Effects Of Seeing God’s Sovereignty In Romans 9

By SermonCentral .com on Jun 28, 2022

Ten effects of seeing God’s sovereignty in Romans 9 and their effects on the life and ministry of John Piper.

Scripture: Romans 9:1-33

Tags: Romans, Prayer, God's Word, God's sovereignty

New Year, New Adjective: "Christ-Exalting”

By John Piper on Dec 27, 2022

My aim here is to encourage you to make “Christ-exalting” the featured adjective in your prayers. Let me explain what I mean. Then I’ll give you three reasons why I think this would be a great New Year’s resolution.

Scripture: Philippians 1:20, 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12

Tags: Prayer, Resolution, Personal Growth, exalting christ, daily prayer, new years, Christ Centered, New Years Resolution  (view more)  (view less)

Pastoring From A Place Of Gratitude

By Lance Witt on May 29, 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)

10 Pointers For Preaching On A Touchy Issue

By Peter Mead on Apr 12, 2021

Sometimes we have to preach something that is potentially controversial or that may not go down too well. Here are ten pointers to help when that is necessary.

Scripture: Acts 17:22-32

Tags: leadership, Preaching, Prayer, Self knowledge, Leadership, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

9 Bad Habits That Limit A Church's Ministry Capacity

By SermonCentral .com on Mar 14, 2024

It’s not about church growth. Or working harder. It’s about doing smarter ministry with our church’s current resources.

Tags: Lay Leadership, hindrances to prayer, ministry vision, Capacity, capacity  (view more)  (view less)

Don’t Try And Improve On God’s Methods

By Ray Ortlund on Apr 23, 2024

True awakening or revival is a glorious season in the life of the church when for His glory alone, God causes the ordinary means of His grace to make an extraordinary impact on many people.

Scripture: Acts 2:42, 1 Corinthians 11:27-30, Isaiah 1:15, Luke 19:9-10, John 3:8, Matthew 11:28-30, Acts 2:47  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Grace, Prayer, revival, Church revival, spiritual awakening, grace  (view more)  (view less)

Eight Reflections On 40 Years Of Marriage

By Thom Rainer on Nov 25, 2022

I want to share with you readers eight of the most powerful lessons I have learned in 40 years of marriage.

Tags: Marriage, Thankfulness, Personal Life, Marriage Commitment, Marriage Faithfulness, Lessons in life, marriage and family, blessing children  (view more)  (view less)

John Piper: Guidelines For Making Tough Leadership Decisions

By SermonCentral .com on Sep 25, 2025

The truth is not enough. We need wisdom, prayer and excellence.

Tags: john piper, propose, e, Leadership, Decision, leadership, meditate  (view more)  (view less)

5 Excellent Reasons To Develop A Preaching Calendar And 3 Ways To Start

By H.b. Charles, Jr. on Nov 11, 2021

The fact that God knows our story--individually and corporately, from beginning to end--means we need not specialize in "Saturday night specials."

Scripture: Psalm 100:1-5

Tags: Prayer, corporate worship, preaching calendar, talk to team, preaching, Preaching  (view more)  (view less)

10 Ways Preaching Changes The Preacher

By Ben Reed on Sep 20, 2024

Preaching shapes the preacher by deepening prayer, study, humility, worship, and dependence on God.

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:2, James 3:1, 1 Timothy 4:16, Psalm 119:18, Acts 6:4  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Preaching, Sermon Preparation, preaching, sermon preparation

The Dangers Of Self-Righteousness: Lessons From Luke 18:9-14

By Josh Read on Oct 30, 2025

In today’s world, especially in the age of social media, it’s easy to curate a version of ourselves that looks impressive—sharing successes, opinions, and spiritual highlights while hiding our struggles. But Jesus’ parable in Luke 18:9–14 cuts straight through that façade. It reminds us that self-righteousness doesn’t bring us closer to God, it drives us further from Him.

Scripture: Luke 18:9-14, Romans 3:23-24, James 4:10

Tags: Mercy, Parable, Prayer, confession, repentance, justification, sanctification, Repentance, Justification, Confession, Sanctification  (view more)  (view less)