In Preaching Articles: "Preacher Games"

When To Throw Away Your Sermon Notes

By Ted Smith on Nov 12, 2020

Some preachers think it's more spiritual to preach without notes. Others think it's more spiritual to use notes. What if it's both?

Tags: Discernment, Preaching, neglect, habit, note, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Getting Out Of The Sermon Prep Rut

By Matt Brough on Nov 15, 2024

One of the challenges for preachers who have been preaching for some time is that it is much easier to coast, to do less preparation and to simply rely on your experience.

Tags: Sermon Prep, preaching, Sermon prep, Preaching, problem, sermon prep, Preaching Rut  (view more)  (view less)

4 Remarkable Discoveries From 263 Interviews About Sermons

By Ron Allen on Oct 3, 2021

It seems like a no-brainer, yet preachers rarely seek direct input from listeners about how we might improve our preaching.

Scripture: Philippians 1:5-10

Tags: Preaching, challenge, point of view, listener

The 10 Commandments Of Preaching

By Tyler Scarlett on Feb 7, 2025

Everyone makes mistakes, but for all the mistakes preachers can (and do) make, here are 10 that we should do our best to avoid at all costs.

Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:21, 2 Timothy 4:1-5, 1 Timothy 3:15

Tags: Commandments, Preaching, preaching

Preaching A Notable Sermon Without Using Notes

By Rev. Tejado Hanchell on Aug 18, 2020

"I believe every preacher should have at least one sermon in his heart that he could preach with or without notes if called upon at a moment's notice."

Tags: preaching, Preaching, memories, memorization

Do You Preach Around The Text, Or Do You Preach The Text?

By Dr. Scott M. Gibson on Dec 15, 2024

After listening to sermons all these years, I have concluded preachers either talk before the text or talk around the text but rarely talk about the text.

Scripture: Hosea 4:1-6, Psalm 30:1

Tags: Preaching, preaching

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, preaching, church  (view more)  (view less)

New Poll: What's The Average Length Of Sermon Prep?

By SermonCentral .com on Jun 15, 2021

LifeWay's Thom Rainer took a Twitter poll to see how much time most preachers give to sermon preparation. Where do you fall on the scale?

Tags: preparation, average, Prep, Time

Five Ways To Turn Off Younger Listeners

By Adam Ramsey on Nov 6, 2024

If you're still in your first 5 years as a preacher, don’t give up! God has this wonderful way of drawing straight lines with crooked sticks.

Tags: God's Love, Laughter, Young people, good advice, young people, preaching, Preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Effective Pastors Never Do These Deadly 5 Things

By Joe Mckeever on Jan 10, 2021

Great advice from Joe McKeever: "Don’t ever resign your church in a fit of passion. In a rush of anger. That’s a huge no-no for preachers."

Tags: Preaching, preaching

Keep The Momentum In Your Preaching

By Peter Mead on Feb 23, 2025

Does your sermon keep building momentum as you progress or does it stall out in the middle or end? Peter Mead offers encouragement for preachers to avoid the common pitfalls to message momentum.

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 2:13

Tags: Communication, Preaching, momentum, Communication Speech, communication, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

You Are Not The Story!

By H.b. Charles, Jr. on May 2, 2022

People should not leave the sermon having learned more about the preacher than Christ. When we stand to preach the word, we should prayerfully whisper to ourselves, “You are not the story.”

Scripture: Colossians 1:28, John 12:20, 2 Corinthians 4:5, 2 Timothy 4:1-2

Tags: Pride, God's Story, self importance, Bible as a story

Piper: What's The Best Tone For Your Preaching?

By SermonCentral .com on Mar 17, 2020

"The question I have for preachers is: What tone should you aim at in preaching? This is an urgent question because, if you don’t answer it, your listeners will answer it for you."

Scripture: Romans 15:4

Tags: Communication, Preaching, voice, tone

If You Can't Apply What I Preach, I've Failed You

By Glenn Packiam on Aug 21, 2020

I have a hunch that if more of us preachers had to think about our sermons leading into a humble approach to the Lord's Table, we would end not with an empty challenge for people to "do better."

Tags: Preaching

15 Keys To Preaching Clarity

By Peter Mead on Jul 22, 2020

As a preacher, you're representing a God who made His book understandable, so it's important that you preach with clarity. In this article, Peter Mead offers 15 ways to do just that.

Tags: Preaching, Clarity, Communication General, preaching