In Preaching Articles: "Preaching Recovery"

Are You An Itinerant Pastor?

By Nathan Rouse on Sep 25, 2020

This addiction to "new" is breaking churches and ruining the credibility of those that minister in the pulpit. We need pastors that won't leave; we need pastors that will cleave.

Tags: Itinerant, Attrition, Preaching, pulpit

Seven Signs A Sermon Is (Almost) Over

By Jon Acuff on Oct 27, 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 7, 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 24, 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 24, 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

12 Things Tedx Speakers Do That Preachers Don't

By Nicholas Mcdonald on Aug 30, 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 28, 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 6, 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

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

By SermonCentral .com on Feb 11, 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

11 Ways To Be The Church For People Who Don't Go To Church

By SermonCentral .com on Jan 7, 2026

People need to know us before they can trust us. And they need to trust us before they’ll go to church with us.

Tags: Evangelism, Outreach, Apologetics, Discipleship, Preaching, christian living, evangelism, preaching, Christian Living  (view more)  (view less)

9 Powerful Ways To Introduce Your Sermon

By H.b. Charles, Jr. on May 9, 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: post, Commit, preaching, love, Emotions, Preaching, Introduction, Faithful, effective, Gate, Love  (view more)  (view less)

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)

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

By Sherman Haywood Cox on Mar 12, 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: sermon prep, Sermon Prep, preaching, Sermon prep, Preaching, prepare, practice, Edit  (view more)  (view less)

How Can I Possibly Do Sermon Prep When I'm Just Not Feeling It?

By Chris Surber on Aug 24, 2025

God feels far away. Everybody at home is mad at you. Even the dog won’t talk to you. What do you do when you need to do sermon prep but you just aren’t feeling it?

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 16:11-15

Tags: Sermon Prep, preaching, Sermon prep, Preaching, sermon prep, venue, immerse yourself  (view more)  (view less)

The Final Piece Of Sermon Prep: What To Cut, What To Add

By Peter Mead on Aug 21, 2025

Rookie preachers wonder how they will fill the time. Experienced preachers know the real challenge is in what to leave out.

Scripture: Exodus 6:1-9

Tags: preaching, Sermon prep, Preaching, Balance, information, sermon prep, selective, Sermon Prep  (view more)  (view less)