In Preaching Articles: "Preaching Challenges"

Seven Signs A Sermon Is (Almost) Over

By Jon Acuff on Oct 28, 2020

Jon Acuff has heard quite a few sermons in his day. Here's a handy guide for discerning when the end is near.

Tags: Preaching, pastor, End, Pastor

How To Avoid Pulpit Plagiarism

By H.b. Charles, Jr. on Dec 8, 2020

Simply put: "Milk a lot of cows. But churn your own butter."

Tags: Preaching, work, Plagiarism, original

Why Some Preachers Get Better And Others Don't

By Hershael York on May 25, 2021

"I've seen guys whose initial sermon was depressingly awful turn it around so radically I almost couldn't recognize them as the same preacher."

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:2

Tags: Preaching, Price, better, Improve

Are You Serving Slop In The Pulpit?

By Sherman Haywood Cox on Aug 25, 2021

Sherman Cox warns, "There's an inclination today to resort to tactics and tricks to manufacture a connection to the congregation that is neither real nor helpful."

Scripture: Romans 14:1-23

Tags: Preaching, pulpit, Insult, frown

Smaller Churches Have At Least Five Advantages—do You Know Them?

By Brandon O'brien on Nov 14, 2019

Leverage these characteristics, and you'll see greater ministry success.

Tags: Preaching, Small Church, Save

12 Things Tedx Speakers Do That Preachers Don't

By Nicholas Mcdonald on Aug 31, 2021

"How in the world do each of these talks end up consistently blowing me away?"

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 12:1

Tags: Preaching, Respect, structure, speaker

Are You A Well-Defined Leader?

By John Holm on Sep 29, 2021

Our greatest need is "internal alignment." How can we lead others if we are unsure of ourselves?

Tags: Leader, Preaching, definition, Identify

Last-Minute Messages: How To Craft A Short Devotional With No Notice

By Rob O'lynn on Sep 7, 2021

"Hey, Pastor, could you say a few words..." Use this strategy to deliver short, meaningful talks with little or no prep time.

Scripture: Luke 19:1-19

Tags: picture, passage, point, Preaching

Your Stress Just Might Give Birth To A Great Sermon

By Ron Walters on Oct 30, 2019

Dealing with stress may produce the greatest sermon we ever live.

Scripture: Proverbs 31:20-28

Tags: Moses, Preaching, sermon, stress

4 Things We Wish People Knew About Us As Pastors

By Lane Sebring on Nov 6, 2019

Being a pastor is unlike just about any other profession. Because of the holistic nature of the work, we tend to take on "pastor" as an identity and not just a career.

Scripture: John 12:32, John 12:29-36

Tags: Preaching, pastor, identity, Profession

Church Members Don't Want A Hero, They Want A Pastor

By SermonCentral .com on Feb 12, 2021

Church members aren’t looking for super-pastors, they want basic pastoral competence, honesty and leadership. That’s what they ought to expect.

Tags: Preaching, pastor, Hero, Pastor

4 Ingredients Of A Home Run Sermon

By Rick Ezell on Feb 7, 2025

A home run sermon consistently delivers biblical substance, clarity, interest, and relevance. These four essential ingredients help preachers connect with real people.

Scripture: Mark 6:12

Tags: Teaching, Preaching, preparation, Religion, Relevance, pastoral leadership, practical ministry, preaching, teaching, Pastoral Leadership, Practical Ministry, Preaching Skills  (view more)  (view less)

9 Powerful Ways To Introduce Your Sermon

By H.b. Charles, Jr. on May 10, 2025

Every athlete wants to start strong; why should your work be any different?

Scripture: John 2:1-11, Matthew 5:1-12, Matthew 5:44-45, Luke 12:32-33, Psalm 23:4, Luke 2:13-14, Habakkuk 2:1-4, Mark 11:15-17, John 4:1-15, Luke 7:11-17, Acts 17:22-33  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: effective, Gate, post, Commit, preaching, love, Love, Emotions, Preaching, Introduction, Faithful  (view more)  (view less)

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)

Trust Your Stuff: Two Ways To Know When Your Sermon Is Ready

By Sherman Haywood Cox on Mar 13, 2023

You could study and prep for 100 hours and still find something wrong with the sermon. Eventually, it's time to stand and deliver.

Scripture: Proverbs 3:20-30, Judges 6:1-16

Tags: preaching, Sermon prep, Preaching, prepare, practice, Edit, sermon prep, Sermon Prep  (view more)  (view less)