In Preaching Articles: "Self Importance"

When The Message Ends, Where Are People Focused?

By Peter Mead on Jul 27, 2025

Where are people looking as they leave? If we're not careful, they will walk out with gaze firmly fixed on self.

Tags: Message, Preaching, Self, focus, listener, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

10 Pointers For Preaching On A Touchy Issue

By Peter Mead on Apr 11, 2021

Sometimes we have to preach something that is potentially controversial or that may not go down too well. Here are ten pointers to help when that is necessary.

Scripture: Acts 17:22-32

Tags: leadership, Preaching, Prayer, Self knowledge, Leadership, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

5 Ways To Make Your Preaching More Practical And Relevant

By Rick Ezell on Jan 30, 2025

Use these methods to practically reach people suffering from real hurts, problems, doubts, fears, and anxieties gnawing at their faith.

Scripture: Acts 17:16-34, Romans 10:4

Tags: Preaching, Culture, Self, Relevance, audience, application, preaching, culture  (view more)  (view less)

Do You Think You're The Exception? Diagnosing Selfish Pride

By SermonCentral .com on Apr 18, 2022

At the root of many of our sins is an assumption that we are exceptional.

Scripture: Romans 8:21, Matthew 22:39, Romans 12:10, Mark 10:43-45, Hebrews 12:1, Matthew 5:28, 1 Corinthians 12:27, Matthew 7:12, James 1:19, Proverbs 15:1, Matthew 5:5, Hebrews 10:25  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: self awareness, Battling Sin Nature, Overcoming Pride, Pride

10 Questions For Leaders To Ask Each Week

By Chuck Lawless on Jun 14, 2022

Most leaders would benefit from more regular evaluations – particularly self-evaluations. Even daily and weekly self-evaluations merit our consideration if we want to lead well, regardless of our position.

Tags: Accountability, Helpful Questions, Leadership, leadership

How To Deal With A Preacher-Eater

By Joe Mckeever on Feb 21, 2023

Practical advice for dealing with the self-appointed church rulers who try to dominate your preaching and your ministry.

Tags: sons of diotrephes, preaching, Preaching, Ruler, practical advice  (view more)  (view less)

Your Thoughts Will Betray You

By Christina Fox on Jun 13, 2022

A certain amount of self-evaluation can be good. We should have insight into ourselves, our motives, our choices, and our actions. But sometimes we can go too far. When self-evaluation ends with ourselves instead of pointing us beyond ourselves, there’s a problem.

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 13:5, 1 Corinthians 11:28, Philippians 2:3-8, John 17:17, Romans 8:32, Psalm 139:23, 1 John 2:1, Isaiah 43:1  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Rely on Grace, Remember the Gospel

3 Spiritual Lessons From Jonathan Edwards

By Kyle Strobel on Jun 6, 2025

If they were important to Jonathan Edwards, they should be important to you!

Tags: carnal vs spiritual, jonathan edwards, preaching, Preaching, practice  (view more)  (view less)

How To Survive The Monday Preaching Hangover

By Brian Croft on Jan 5, 2026

Mondays are tough for pastors after preaching. Learn four practical ways to recover from the “preaching hangover” and start your week with clarity and grace.

Tags: Pastoral Self Care, Preaching Recovery, Ministry Burnout, Weekly Rhythms, Encouragement for Pastors  (view more)  (view less)

True Leadership Is Sacrifice, Not Privilege

By SermonCentral .com on Aug 3, 2022

Christian leadership — in the home, the church, and elsewhere — is not for those clawing for honor and recognition, but for those most ready to fall to their knees and be inconvenienced by the needs of others.

Scripture: Mark 10:45, 2 Corinthians 1:24, 1 Peter 5:2-3, Matthew 20:25-28, John 13:14-15  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Dying To Self, pastoral leadership, servant leadership, Others First, Leadership, Sacrifice, leadership  (view more)  (view less)

Fully Known, Fully Loved

By Peter Mead on Feb 23, 2022

If we are not careful we can paint our own self-at-the-centre approach in the colors of Christianity and assume all is well.

Scripture: Romans 5:8, Luke 19:10

Tags: known by God, Fully Known, Fully loved, narcissism

Dealing With The Preacher-Eaters

By Joe Mckeever on Mar 20, 2020

Joe McKeever shares practical advice for dealing with the self-appointed church rulers who try to dominate your preaching and your ministry.

Scripture: 3 John 1:9-10

Tags: Ministry, leadership, Prayer, affliction, Confrontation, Church Practices  (view more)  (view less)

Is Your Preaching God-Centered?

By Bernie Van Eyk on May 25, 2021

"Therapy has replaced theology in much contemporary preaching. The self has acquired center stage, and God, if He is there at all, has been marginalized."

Tags: God, Preaching, focus, Center

The Double-Edged Sword Of Ambition

By Lance Witt on Jul 9, 2024

Ambition is a blessing and a curse. When it is God-directed and Spirit-managed, it can bear tremendous fruit. But when it is hijacked by self and ego, it can leave a wake of destruction in its path.

Tags: entering God's rest, ministry vision, Faithfulness, motivation, Ambition, Rest in Christ, pastoral leadership, personal holiness  (view more)  (view less)

Live To Make God Look Good

By SermonCentral .com on Sep 1, 2022

The great tragedy of the universe is that while human beings were made to glorify God because of who they are and what they see, we have all fallen short of this purpose.

Scripture: Isaiah 61:1-3, Romans 3:23, Romans 1:23, Isaiah 40:4, Isaiah 42:8, Isaiah 44:23, Isaiah 48:9-11, Isaiah 60:2, Isaiah 49:3  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: glory of God, meaning of life, glorify Christ, what is the purpose of life, Eternal Purpose, Self glory, Sin  (view more)  (view less)