In Preaching Articles: "representing christ"

What If We Made Disciples And Left Church Growth To God?

By Karl Vaters on Sep 6, 2022

If we prioritized health, not as a means to growth, but as an end in itself, would we be in a greater position to represent Jesus to the world?

Tags: Discipleship, Church Growth, Make Disciples, great commission, pastoral leadership, church ministry, Growth Strategy, Equip the Saints  (view more)  (view less)

Will The Real Jesus Stand Up? Part 2

By Lance Witt on Dec 29, 2023

"In the last thirty years within the church world, there has been a subtle shifting of the spotlight. Inadvertently, in many places, it has become all about the bride (the church) rather than the groom (Jesus)."

Scripture: Genesis 19:9, Revelation 19:9

Tags: bride of Christ, Deity of Christ, Jesus as Bridegroom, Lamb marriage supper, Identity of Christ, The Real Jesus  (view more)  (view less)

What Are We Doing When We Preach? What Are We Aiming For?

By Peter Mead on Aug 1, 2023

What are we doing when we preach? What are we aiming for?

Tags: Preaching, Intimacy With God, preaching Christ, intimacy with Christ, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Who Is Lord Of The Church?

By John Macarthur on Jun 16, 2022

The church today is badly in need of reformation again. And Christ’s lordship over His church is still the central truth we must recover, which requires the unleashing of His Word among His people again. We cannot merely float along with the latest evangelical trends and expect things to get better.

Scripture: Acts 10:42

Tags: Church, Body of Christ, Christ the head, Lord Of The Church, church  (view more)  (view less)

Will The Real Jesus Stand Up? Part 1

By Lance Witt on Dec 28, 2023

"It may be that the great sin of the church in our generation is the trivializing of God. The Jesus Christ, in whom the fullness of deity dwells, is not to be boxed in, airbrushed, made over, tamed, explained or explained away. I am deeply convinced that the way you live will be a direct consequence of how you see God."

Scripture: Hebrews 12:28-29, Colossians 1:15-17, Jeremiah 23:23

Tags: Jesus is Lord, Deity of Christ, christian testimony, authority of Christ, Identity of Christ, False View of God, God of the Bible  (view more)  (view less)

6 Ways The Gospel Should Shape A Pastor’s Leadership

By Brandon Kelley on Nov 17, 2022

A Pastor’s leadership must first and foremost be a response to Christ’s gospel.

Scripture: Acts 4:19, 1 Peter 3:12

Tags: Character, bible truth, Church leaders, Godly Leaders, Bible Truth, pastoral leadership, Praying, Gospel centered, church leadership  (view more)  (view less)

Unchurched Or Unsaved? What Our Vocabulary Reveals About Our Beliefs

By Trevin Wax on Aug 17, 2024

Trevin Wax: I wonder if one of the main reasons for the dwindling number of baptisms is represented by a subtle shift in vocabulary--so subtle that we might overlook it.

Tags: Preaching, preaching

The Christian Virtue Of Love

By R. C. Sproul on Jul 22, 2022

From God’s perspective, love is the chief of all virtues. But what is love?

Scripture: Romans 5:5-8, 1 Corinthians 13:1-8, Matthew 5:48, 1 John 4:7-8

Tags: Love, Compassion, unity, Spiritual Gifts, Body of Christ, Selflessness, imitating Christ  (view more)  (view less)

Eugene Peterson On Pastors, Preaching, And Consumer Culture

By Eugene Peterson on Jul 14, 2021

"I grew up in a culture which was very entertainment-centered. Pastors were really good storytellers, and they were attractive people, glamorous."

Tags: Growth, Preaching, Growth in Christ

More Tough Skin And Tender Hearts: How To Prepare For Conversations On Ethnic Harmony

By Philip Holmes on Mar 14, 2022

Humility and love that produces tough skin and tender hearts are essential as we have these conversations.

Scripture: James 1:19, Matthew 11:29, Philippians 2:3

Tags: racism, Unity in Christ, Conversations

Five Ways To Keep Your Church Small And How To Overcome Them

By Dr. Larry Moyer on Jul 18, 2020

God wants a church to grow because it's winning the lost to Christ and discipling them to reach others.

Scripture: 1 Samuel 16:7

Tags: Preaching, Church Growth, Growth in Christ

Was Jesus Numerically Challenged?

By Ray Hollenbach on Jun 29, 2020

Do numbers alone tell the story of success? What kind of numbers caught Jesus' attention?

Tags: Growth, Preaching, number, Growth in Christ

Lord, Deliver Me From Indifference

By SermonCentral .com on Mar 9, 2022

What enthralls us determines how we prioritize our lives.

Scripture: John 2:17, Titus 2:14

Tags: passion, zeal, Indifference, passion for Christ

Three Probing Questions Every Pastor Should Ask Himself

By Charles Stone on Sep 14, 2023

Take a few moments and ask yourself these questions to see what God reveals about your heart and motives.

Tags: Faithfulness, identity, Identity in Christ, motives

Lay Aside The Weight Of Insecurity

By SermonCentral .com on Apr 7, 2022

Where does our sense of identity come from? This is the crucial question, the pinnacle of the problem.

Scripture: Psalm 27:5, Hebrews 4:13, Romans 7:18, Isaiah 29:13, Colossians 1:14, Ephesians 1:5, Romans 8:17, Romans 8:28, 1 Corinthians 1:27-31, Matthew 11:29-30, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, 1 Corinthians 12:18, Revelation 2:17, Hebrews 12:1, John 8:10, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Matthew 11:28, Psalm 103:17, Philippians 4:6-7, John 15:16, Genesis 3:8-21  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: identity, idolatry, Insecurity, Identity in Christ