In Preaching Articles: "Self Knowledge"

You Are Not The Story!

By H.b. Charles, Jr. on May 3, 2022

People should not leave the sermon having learned more about the preacher than Christ. When we stand to preach the word, we should prayerfully whisper to ourselves, “You are not the story.”

Scripture: Colossians 1:28, John 12:20, 2 Corinthians 4:5, 2 Timothy 4:1-2

Tags: Pride, God's Story, self importance, Bible as a story

5 Ways To Make Your Preaching More Practical And Relevant

By Rick Ezell on Jan 31, 2025

Practical preaching requires more than exegesis of Scripture. These five steps help you exegete your people—making sermons clearer, warmer, and more genuinely relevant.

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

Preach The Past: Discover Powerful Illustrations And Lessons From Church History

By Chris Surber on Oct 1, 2025

A working knowledge of Church history teaches us to be humble. Our footprints aren’t the first tracks on this road.

Scripture: Acts 2:13-40, Acts 25:1-17

Tags:

Don't Abandon The Babies This Easter

By Lance Witt on May 2, 2024

The greatest gift we give a new believer is not information, it is RELATIONSHIP. The primary need of a new believer is nurture not knowledge.

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 2:7-8

Tags: Easter, Discipleship, relationships, New believer

10 Questions For Leaders To Ask Each Week

By Chuck Lawless on Jun 15, 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: leadership, Accountability, Helpful Questions, Leadership

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

How To Survive The Monday Preaching Hangover

By Brian Croft on Jan 6, 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 4, 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: Sacrifice, leadership, Dying To Self, pastoral leadership, servant leadership, Others First, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

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)

Are You A Well-Defined Leader?

By John Holm on Jul 19, 2021

"I've rarely coached someone who decided that more knowledge or more skill would help them become a successful leader. Instead, what they needed to learn was more about themselves."

Tags: Leader, Character, define, Leadership General

How To Deal With A Preacher-Eater

By Joe Mckeever on Feb 22, 2023

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

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

Your Thoughts Will Betray You

By Christina Fox on Jun 14, 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

Live To Make God Look Good

By SermonCentral .com on Sep 2, 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: Sin, glory of God, meaning of life, glorify Christ, what is the purpose of life, Eternal Purpose, Self glory  (view more)  (view less)

Fully Known, Fully Loved

By Peter Mead on Feb 24, 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