In Preaching Articles: "Preaching Mistakes"

Top 13 Preaching Mistakes

By Bob Hostetler on Jan 12, 2025

A practical guide outlining 13 common preaching mistakes, with tips to avoid them and deliver sermons that are clear, Christ-centered, and spiritually nourishing.

Tags: Preaching, Homiletics, preaching tips, Pastoral Ministry, Expository Preaching, Sermon Preparation, preaching, expository preaching, sermon preparation, Preaching Tips  (view more)  (view less)

10 Preaching Mistakes Everyone Can Avoid

By Jared Moore on Jun 8, 2020

If you want people leaving your sermon focused on God, avoid these common preaching mistakes. These ten pitfalls distract hearers from the text and diminish exposition.

Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:15, Nehemiah 8:8, James 1:21-22, 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, Psalm 19:7-10  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Preaching, mistakes, preaching, Preaching Mistakes

9 Preaching Mistakes You Must Avoid

By Julian Freeman on Jun 2, 2025

From preparation to delivery, keep an eye out for these preaching traps.

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:1-5

Tags: Preaching, mistakes, Enough, preaching

11 Common Preaching Mistakes That Distract From God

By Jared Moore on Jan 4, 2026

Avoid 11 common preaching mistakes that shift focus from God to yourself. Learn how to preach Christ-centered sermons that point hearers to God’s truth.

Tags: preaching tips, Expository Preaching, expository preaching, Preaching Tips, Preaching Mistakes, Biblical Communication, Christ Centered Sermons  (view more)  (view less)

Ten Deadly Preaching Mistakes You Can Avoid This Weekend

By Joe Mckeever on Mar 11, 2024

Joe McKeever not only speaks—he listens to the voices in the pews.

Tags: Preaching, mistakes, Manipulate, deadly, underestimate, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Top Three Mistakes In Preaching Genesis

By Peter Mead on May 12, 2021

The rest of the Bible is built on the foundation of Genesis, and so preaching it enough and preaching it well are very important. Here are three errors to avoid.

Tags: Preaching, mistakes, teach

The Preacher's First Mistake

By Bruce D. Johnson on Aug 25, 2023

If we fail to get this one right, it's hard to keep our listeners with us.

Tags: Preaching, mistakes, interest, hook, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Avoiding Sermon Series Mistakes

By SermonCentral .com on Jun 29, 2020

Well-planned sermon series can engage the unchurched, but common mistakes often drain momentum and miss evangelistic opportunities.

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:22, Colossians 4:5-6, Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 17:22-23, Romans 10:14  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Truth, Preaching, repentance, eternal life, New Way, Repentance, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

3 Mistakes Pastors Make With Commentaries

By Peter Mead on May 5, 2025

Commentaries help with study, not sermon writing. Avoid atomized thinking, over-quoting, and needless citations to keep preaching clear and transformative.

Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:15, Nehemiah 8:8, Acts 17:11, 1 Timothy 4:13-16

Tags: Preaching, BIBLE STUDY, Commentary, Bible Study, sermon prep, Sermon Prep, bible study, preaching, Sermon prep, commentary  (view more)  (view less)

11 Mistakes That Take Your Preaching Focus Off Jesus

By Jared Moore on May 7, 2023

If you want to help your hearers focus on God and think on God when they leave your service, then here are 11 things that you cannot do.

Tags: Jesus, Preaching, mistakes, focus, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Narrative Preaching: Do You Make These 10 Mistakes?

By Peter Mead on Jul 2, 2020

Biblical narratives lose their power when preachers flatten them into lessons or principles. Avoid common pitfalls and learn how to preach stories as God intended.

Scripture: Genesis 22:1-14, Judges 6:11-24, Luke 10:25-37, John 2:1-11

Tags: Preaching Ministry

My First Year Ministry Mistakes

By Josh Tandy on Jul 1, 2020

Seminary didn’t prepare me for ministry reality. These early mistakes taught me more than success ever could.

Scripture: Matthew 5:1-13, Proverbs 11:14, Hebrews 13:17, Galatians 6:1, 1 Timothy 4:16  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Leadership Mistakes

Aim For The Ear

By Hershael York on May 23, 2025

Do you preach as a would-be writer or do you preach as a preacher?

Tags: Heart, Preaching, mistakes, Head, connection, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

7 Dangerous Church Hiring Mistakes

By Brian Orme on Mar 27, 2024

We don’t want you to drop $300K (or more) of Kingdom funds on bad staffing when it should go toward Gospel-centered initiatives. So, here are seven hiring mistakes you want to avoid at all costs.

Tags: Church, Preaching, mistakes, church and business, hiring, preaching, church  (view more)  (view less)

5 Mistakes Most Preachers Make

By Carey Nieuwhof on Aug 1, 2022

"So maybe you’re a preacher, or you listen to preachers (or stopped listening to preachers). Almost everyone has a perspective on what makes or doesn’t make for a great sermon."

Tags: Teaching, Preaching, Simplicity, effective, pastoral leadership, Pastoral Ministry, preaching Christ, Effective Teaching, preaching, teaching  (view more)  (view less)