In Preaching Articles: "Preachers Role"

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

By Dr. Scott M. Gibson on Dec 16, 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 7, 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, Christian Growth, New Life In Christ, counsel, Christian growth, new life in Christ, Spiritual Transformation, preaching, church  (view more)  (view less)

9 Points For Preaching On The Problem Of Evil

By Norman Geisler on Jan 22, 2025

Evil raises hard questions about God, suffering, and justice. This article equips preachers to answer honestly, show why evil presupposes God, and preach real hope.

Scripture: 1 Peter 3:15, 1 Timothy 3:6, Colossians 4:6

Tags: Difficulties, problem of evil, Sin General, Trials, Apologetics, Evil, Satan, Hope, suffering, tragedy, Christian  (view more)  (view less)

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

By SermonCentral .com on Jun 16, 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 7, 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: Laughter, Young people, good advice, young people, preaching, Preaching, God's Love  (view more)  (view less)

Effective Pastors Never Do These Deadly 5 Things

By Joe Mckeever on Jan 11, 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 24, 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 3, 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 18, 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 22, 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

Finish Strong: 8 Great Ways To Conclude Your Sermon

By Joe Mckeever on Sep 20, 2019

The preacher told the church, “My job is to preach and your job is to listen. If you get through before I do, please be patient and I’ll try to do the best I can.”

Tags: Preaching, conclusion

15 Keys To Preaching Clarity

By Peter Mead on Jul 23, 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

You Exegete Your Text, But Do You Exegete Your People?

By Leslie Holmes on Sep 3, 2025

"Bob Easley may not have gone beyond sixth grade, but he taught this quasi-educated preacher that there's a lot more to be learned about preaching than I ever got inside a book."

Scripture: Job 1:1-10

Tags: people, Preaching, Text, exegete, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

The Reverse Altar Call

By Greg Stier on Aug 2, 2023

Sometimes the words “altar call” trigger images of sawdust trails and endless verses of “Just as I am” with preachers prodding, pushing and persuading sinners to come forward down the aisle in front of God and everyone.

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 6:2

Tags: Evangelism, strategy, Evangelism How To, Evangelism The Lost, evangelism  (view more)  (view less)

5 Must-Know Facts About First-Time Visitors

By Rick Ezell on Nov 3, 2021

You may be the most skilled preacher and your church may have excellent small groups or the best children’s ministry in the city, but your first-time guests will never know unless they make a second or third visit.

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:4-6, Luke 15:20-24

Tags: Grace, guest, Celebrate, Preaching, Hospitality, Visitors, grace, preaching  (view more)  (view less)