In Preaching Articles: "Real Life"

Powerful Preaching Means Transformation, Not Information

By James Scott on Jul 13, 2020

Being informed by Scripture can still leave lives unchanged. Biblical Christianity calls for Christ to be formed within us, producing real transformation, not mere knowledge.

Scripture: Galatians 4:19, Romans 12:1-2, 2 Corinthians 3:18, Colossians 1:27, James 1:22-25  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Preaching, Transformation, preaching, Pastoral Theology

A Category You Won’t Find In The Bible: The Churchless Christian

By Thabiti Anyabwile on Oct 27, 2022

"It is important for Christians to be members of a local church because the New Testament apostles can’t conceive of anything called a Christian that’s not connected to Christ’s body."

Tags: Church, Discipleship, Christian Life, Healthy Church, Called to serve, local church, be the church, Church Body of Christ, Christian community, 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: Christian, Apologetics, Evil, Satan, Hope, suffering, tragedy, Difficulties, problem of evil, Sin General, Trials  (view more)  (view less)

Finding God In The Ambiguity

By Jonathan Martin on May 17, 2021

God is bigger than our tiny little systems of certainty. He is revealed to us in Jesus of Nazareth, who is real enough to touch us in our own ambiguity.

Tags: Jesus, God, Jesus Christ, Certain, ambiguity  (view more)  (view less)

How To Preach Like A Combat Medic

By Chris Surber on Apr 22, 2025

Can you bring the goods when life and death are at stake?

Tags: Preaching, preaching

A Crucial Question: The Why Of Expository Preaching

By SermonCentral .com on Nov 1, 2024

It's not just academic; it's essential for life-giving sermons.

Scripture: Numbers 6:24-27, Joshua 6:6-27, Joshua 4:5-16

Tags: Preaching, Expository, Essential, Academic, preaching, expository  (view more)  (view less)

How To Review Your Year For A Better New Year

By SermonCentral .com on Dec 29, 2022

Watch your life closely. Examine it. Review it.

Scripture: 1 Timothy 4:16, Jeremiah 17:10

Tags: New Year, Time of Reflection, New Year's Reflection, setting goals

Don't Get Caught In The Practical Preaching Trap

By Chris Surber on Nov 4, 2024

Life isn't a series of problems to be solved. It is a journey to be lived out.

Scripture: 2 Peter 3:1-18

Tags: Preaching, Practical, trap, glorify god, corporate worship, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Are You A "Do Something" Church?

By Miles Mcpherson on Jul 20, 2020

Many churches talk about impact but fail to act. Discover how counting real needs, walking toward the hurting, asking meaningful questions, and loving tangibly can transform a community.

Scripture: Mark 10:49-51, Luke 17:17-19, Luke 15:4, Luke 5:10-11, John 21:15-17  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Service, Servanthood

Good & Bad Cases Of Church Discipline

By Ray Hollenbach on Mar 11, 2025

A real church incident exposes why believers distrust discipline. Yet Scripture shows discipline is meant to heal, not harm, calling us to restore one another with Christ’s presence.

Tags: pastoral care, Pastoral Care

Why I Hate The Word Balance

By Lance Witt on May 30, 2023

A life of balance has always seemed like a “pipe dream”, something that just wasn’t realistic or attainable. To be honest, I don’t think I’ve ever had a moment of balance in my entire life. I can’t think of a single moment when every area of my life and ministry were “spinning” smoothly.

Scripture: Mark 10:46

Tags: Pastors, rhythm, emotional health

Francis Chan: We Need To Think Biblically

By Francis Chan on Mar 10, 2025

Francis Chan says that his life is not radical compared to the lives in the Book of Acts.

Tags: Commitment, Preaching, action, radical, weird, Bible Influence, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Why I Value Practical Preaching

By Bob Hostetler on Jan 13, 2023

"Exhortation without identification, inspiration or application is unlikely to produce life change in the listener."

Tags: Preaching, identification, inspiration, application, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

How One Preacher Responds To The Faith Vs. Science Debate: Everyone Lives By Faith

By Joe Mckeever on Nov 2, 2024

The simple fact is everyone on the planet lives by faith. LIFE is a faith thing. For everyone.

Scripture: Habakkuk 2:4-6

Tags: Preaching, Debate, living by faith, faith vs science, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

All Pastors Plagiarize--Here's Why

By Erik Raymond on Aug 6, 2021

We read, listen, talk, think, integrate, pray and listen. This is what we do. "In one very real sense, pastors don’t know what is original and what is not."

Tags: Steal, Preaching, pastor, Plagiarism, Pastor  (view more)  (view less)