In Preaching Articles: "Praying For Pastors"

4 Keys To Increasing Giving In Your Church

By Jim Morgan on Jul 16, 2023

Redefining members (not pastors and staff) as the “church” and the community (not members) as the “customer” would reverse the lens through which churches evaluate nearly every decision they make today.

Tags: Money, Giving, Generosity, Perspective, perspective  (view more)  (view less)

The 4 Most Overlooked Realities Of A Healthy Church Turnaround

By SermonCentral .com on Aug 12, 2022

Many pastors say “I want this church to turn around”, when what we really mean is “I want this church to get bigger.” Those are two different goals.

Tags: Church, church

How To Tell If A New Volunteer Is Truly A Leader (Or Simply A Doer)

By Carey Nieuwhof on May 9, 2024

"I recently surveyed 1400 small and mid-sized church pastors to find out what they struggle with most as their church grows. They overwhelmingly identified developing leaders as their top challenge."

Tags: leadership, Church Growth, Volunteer, church ministry, obstacles to growth, Barriers to Growth, Growing a Church, Leaders vs Doers, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

Is The Body Of Christ In Trouble?

By Barry O. Johnson on Sep 11, 2024

Barry Johnson offers some helpful insights into the state of the Church in America, and offers a loving call for pastors to take bold steps of faith wherever God has planted them.

Tags: Gospel, Truth, Preaching, Body of Christ, gospel, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Six Stages Of A Dying Church

By SermonCentral .com on Aug 21, 2022

It’s not a pleasant topic. But if we don’t talk about dying churches, we will act like there are no problems.

Tags: leadership, Church Attendance, Pastoral Ministry, Dying Church, church ministry, revitalization, Correcting Mistakes, Facing Problems, e, Leadership, church attendance  (view more)  (view less)

The Top 3 Reasons Church Growth Ideas Usually Fail In Smaller Churches

By Karl Vaters on Aug 30, 2022

We're often told that small churches are failing at church growth. But sometimes church growth ideas are failing in smaller churches.

Tags: Church Growth, Context, pastoral leadership, Church Attendance, church ministry, rural church, Growth Strategy, Urban Church, context, church attendance  (view more)  (view less)

Finishing (Your Sermon) Well

By Michael Voll on Dec 4, 2022

Come Sunday morning many times we preachers fill our sermons with funny stories, but forget to point to the ultimate story of Jesus Christ.

Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:15

Tags: Teaching, Preaching, illustration, application, pastoral leadership, sermon prep, preaching Christ, preaching the gospel, Sermon Prep, preaching, teaching, Sermon prep  (view more)  (view less)

A Weekly Rhythm For Sermon Prep When You’re Bi-Vocational

By Todd Hiestand on May 17, 2020

A bi-vocational pastor can’t spend thirty hours a week on a sermon. Here’s a realistic weekly rhythm that keeps you rooted in Scripture while living normal life.

Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:15, Colossians 3:16, Luke 24:32, James 1:22, Acts 6:4  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Bi Vocational Ministry

Tim Keller: Preaching Hell In A Tolerant Age

By Tim Keller on Jun 12, 2025

Many today reject the idea of final judgment and hell. Tim Keller advises pastors on how to deliver the very important biblical message to those who may not want to hear it.

Tags: Hell, Tolerance, Preaching, tim keller, preaching, Tim Keller  (view more)  (view less)

Staying Married Is Not About Staying In Love, Part 1

By SermonCentral .com on Feb 12, 2021

1 Timothy 3:2 records that "the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife . . .". This means that marriage is a crucial element for a pastor. But what happens when you drift apart?

Tags: Preaching, preaching

Why Preparing Sermons Takes Me So Long

By Joe Mckeever on Jul 30, 2020

A candid walk through sermon preparation, showing how prayer, Bible study, reflection, and disciplined refinement shape faithful and Spirit-led preaching.

Scripture: Exodus 14:8-14

Tags: Teaching, Study, Preaching, BIBLE STUDY, preparation, Homiletics, Bible Study, Pastoral Ministry, Sermon Preparation, bible study, preaching, teaching, sermon preparation  (view more)  (view less)

3 Reasons Good Preaching Is As Important As Ever

By Joe Hoagland on Jul 27, 2022

People love to tell you that preaching is irrelevant in this day and age. But contrary to this kind of thinking, good preaching does remain important. In fact, preaching remains as important as it has ever been.

Tags: Communication, Preaching, Teaching God's Word, Pastoral Ministry, faithful preaching, Value of Preaching, Modern Age, Busy Culture, Shepherd the Flock, communication, preaching  (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)

12 Preaching Tips I Learned From Haddon Robinson

By Dean Shriver on Jun 24, 2020

A decade of learning under Haddon Robinson reshaped my preaching, my pastoral instincts, and my walk with Christ. These core lessons capture what makes expository preaching powerful, purposeful, and transformative.

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, Ephesians 4:15, John 17:17, 2 Timothy 4:2, Matthew 21:21-22  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Preaching Principles

Are We Really Sheep?

By Bill Kinnon on May 2, 2023

Biblical metaphors carry rich meaning, but cultural distance can sometimes obscure their significance. The image of sheep and shepherds in Scripture invites deeper reflection on pastoral leadership and the identity of God’s people.

Scripture: Psalm 23:1-3, John 10:11-15, Acts 20:28, 1 Peter 5:2-4, Hebrews 13:20  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Shepherd, Preaching, teach, Sheep, metaphor, preaching  (view more)  (view less)