In Preaching Articles: "Reason"

No Joking In The Pulpit? Hershael York Says To Pull The Punch Line

By Hershael York on Oct 2, 2021

"Preachers should not tell jokes for one reason only: They don't do it well. In fact, they do it badly."

Scripture: Acts 4:1-10

Tags: humor, jokes, preaching, Preaching

John Piper: 8 Reasons Why I Believe Jesus Rose From The Dead

By SermonCentral .com on Nov 16, 2019

"A saving knowledge of Christ crucified and risen is not the mere result of right reasoning about historical facts. It is the result of spiritual illumination to see those facts for what they really are."

Scripture: Mark 14:1-5

Tags: john piper, e, Jesus, Easter, Resurrection, Preaching, Resurreccion  (view more)  (view less)

The Main Reason Our Sermons Don't Get Through To People

By Nathan Aaseng on Jun 20, 2019

Ask the average person in the street what Christianity is about and the answer will be nowhere near what most of us proclaim in our pulpits every week.

Scripture: John 8:1-11

Tags: Preaching

3 Reasons Why The Preacher Population Is Shrinking And What To Do About It

By Ben Mandrell on Feb 3, 2025

If the "preacher population" is shrinking, perhaps you have a role to play that could impact generations to come.

Scripture: 1 Timothy 1:1-20

Tags: Leader, Preaching, unity, Generation, Timothy, preaching, leader, Unity  (view more)  (view less)

4 Reasons Why People Leave And 3 Ways Pastors Respond

By Greg Surratt on Apr 29, 2020

In the early days of starting Seacoast, I used to wince when someone asked for an appointment. “Was this another ‘core team member’ hanging up their spurs?”, I’d think to myself.

Scripture: Hebrews 10:25-35, Hebrews 10:25

Tags: Church, Church Growth, Connect, Assimilation, Church Practices  (view more)  (view less)

5 Reasons Why Some Pastors Don't Preach Grace

By Ron Forseth on Apr 1, 2025

Some pastors fear that preaching grace can lead to pitfalls, a license for sin, or even a lack of sacrificial giving. Here are five frequently raised objections to preaching grace and why they don't work.

Tags: Grace, Preaching, grace, preaching

5 Excellent Reasons To Develop A Preaching Calendar And 3 Ways To Start

By H.b. Charles, Jr. on Nov 11, 2021

The fact that God knows our story--individually and corporately, from beginning to end--means we need not specialize in "Saturday night specials."

Scripture: Psalm 100:1-5

Tags: Prayer, corporate worship, preaching calendar, talk to team, preaching, Preaching  (view more)  (view less)

When People Leave: 4 Lessons In Rejection From Jesus

By Greg Surratt on Jul 8, 2021

Greg Surratt: When people leave for whatever reason, God’s got your back. What else do you really need?

Scripture: John 6:25-58

Tags: Jesus, Preaching, Rejection

3 Important Reasons Why You Should Preach On Thanksgiving A Month Early

By Ray Hollenbach on Oct 23, 2020

Everyone knows they're supposed to be thankful on Thanksgiving Day, but the heart-attitude won't kick in by magic; it has to be cultivated.

Scripture: Mark 6:45-52

Tags: Thanksgiving, Preaching, Thankfulness, gratitude, holiday stress  (view more)  (view less)

4 Reasons Why Some Preachers Get Better And Others Don't

By Hershael York on Aug 13, 2025

What makes the difference between someone who grows in preaching versus someone who doesn't?

Tags: calling, preaching, Preaching, passion, stagnant, Improve  (view more)  (view less)

10 Reasons Even Committed Church Attenders Are Attending Church Less Often

By Carey Nieuwhof on Jun 21, 2023

It comes up in a surprising number of conversations these days. And no one’s quite sure how to respond to it. The issue? Even committed church attenders are attending church less often.

Scripture: Hebrews 10:25, 2 Thessalonians 2:2-3, Matthew 24:9-13

Tags: Technology, Culture, church decline, Church attendence, culture  (view more)  (view less)

8 Reasons Why Most Churches Never Break The 200 Attendance Mark

By Carey Nieuwhof on Jul 14, 2023

While social media and even traditional media are still preoccupied with mega churches and multi-site churches, the reality is that most churches in North America are quite small.

Tags: Small Church, Leadership, leadership, Change, Church Growth  (view more)  (view less)

I Can’t Figure Out Millennials: 3 Reasons To Stay Connected

By Steven A. Hitz on Mar 16, 2022

There is a growing disconnect with Millennials because of the stereotypes many people hold about them.

Tags: Listening, future generations, Generations, Millenial

The Top 3 Reasons Church Growth Ideas Usually Fail In Smaller Churches

By Karl Vaters on Aug 31, 2022

We're often told that small churches are failing at church growth. But sometimes church growth ideas are failing in smaller churches.

Tags: Church Growth, Context, pastoral leadership, Church Attendance, church ministry, rural church, Growth Strategy, Urban Church, context, church attendance  (view more)  (view less)

The Top 8 Reasons Most Churches Never Break The 200 Attendance Mark

By Carey Nieuwhof on Dec 26, 2023

Why is it that most churches never break the 200 attendance mark?

Tags: Growth Strategy, Church Growth, Barriers, pastoral leadership, Pastoral Ministry, church ministry, Barriers to Growth  (view more)  (view less)