In Preaching Articles: "Sermon Ideas"

In Recruiting, Don’t Say No For Someone

By Josh Reich on Feb 27, 2021

What happens then is the leader says no for the person without giving them a chance to say yes or no. Would that person say no? I have no idea and neither do you.

Tags: Preaching, Recruiting

8 Reasons Churches Should Partner With Secular Community Groups

By Karl Vaters on May 5, 2022

How can we reach our communities if they have no idea we love them? And how will they know we love them if we don’t work alongside them?

Tags: Service, Humility, Culture, community outreach, culture  (view more)  (view less)

Tim Keller: Preaching Hell In A Tolerant Age

By Tim Keller on Jun 13, 2025

Many today reject the idea of final judgment and hell. Tim Keller advises pastors on how to deliver the very important biblical message to those who may not want to hear it.

Tags: Hell, Tolerance, Preaching, tim keller, preaching, Tim Keller  (view more)  (view less)

Spiritual Disciplines And The Sinkhole Syndrome

By Donald Whitney on Jan 22, 2022

As the pressures of life increase and more deadlines loom, it becomes harder to maintain time for the devotional life. And herein is where the erosion begins.

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:12, John 17:17, Luke 4:16, Matthew 14:23

Tags: Follow Jesus, Spiritual Maturity, Spiritual Discipline, Spiritual Failures, sermon spiritual  (view more)  (view less)

3 Must-Do’s Of A Strong Sermon Opening

By Lane Sebring on Aug 30, 2019

The first 90 seconds of your sermon are some of the most powerful seconds you have. Don’t waste them.

Tags: Preaching

Preaching Without A Net: Delivering Sermons Without Notes

By Bruce Salmon on Mar 3, 2025

A pastor describes how a forgotten outline pushed him onto the “high wire” of preaching without notes and how that risk opened new freedom, focus, and trust in God.

Tags: Church, Preaching, worry, manuscript, Homiletics, Pastoral Ministry, Expository Preaching, Sermon Delivery, Worry, preaching, church, expository preaching  (view more)  (view less)

How To Preach A Sermon Again Without Preaching It The Same

By Joe Mckeever on Jul 17, 2024

Repeated sermons should grow richer with time. With prayerful revision, fresh insight, and renewed engagement, a pastor can preach familiar material with greater depth.

Tags: Preaching, Homiletics, Church Practices, Pastoral Ministry, Biblical Leadership, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

8 Must-Have Elements Of Your Easter Sermon

By Josh Reich on Dec 11, 2024

Easter preaching should not be an annual performance but the weekly pattern of faithful proclamation that points to Jesus, offers hope, and calls for clear response.

Scripture: Ezekiel 22:23-31, Luke 24:1-12, Romans 1:16, John 11:25, Colossians 1:18  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Easter, Preaching, Pastoral Ministry, preaching

Should Pastors Use Other People’s Sermons?

By Ron Forseth on Sep 3, 2024

Is using another preacher’s sermon always wrong? This article examines plagiarism, conscience, diligence, and trust to offer a biblical framework for sermon use.

Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:15, Romans 14:22-23, 1 Corinthians 10:29, James 3:1, Luke 12:48  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Preaching, preparation, Speech, theft, Plagiarism, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Make Your Sermons More Memorable From Neuroscience

By Charles Stone on Jul 29, 2020

Lasting spiritual change requires more than good content. Insights from neuroscience can help preachers embed truth into long-term memory for real life transformation.

Scripture: Romans 12:2, Luke 11:28, James 1:22-25, Deuteronomy 6:6-9, Colossians 3:16  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: leadership, Preaching, Christian Education, spiritual formation, Leadership, neuroscience, preaching, Spiritual Formation, Neuroscience  (view more)  (view less)

3 Reasons I Began Using A Sermon Manuscript

By Jeff Medders on Aug 20, 2020

"I used to always enter the pulpit with outline in hand; but no longer. I now preach from a full manuscript — 2,500 words or so."

Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:15, Mark 6:1-8

Tags: Preaching, manuscript, Outline

5 Reasons People Check Out Of Your Sermons

By Patrick Holden on Sep 3, 2020

Five common mistakes any speaker can make--or learn how to avoid.

Scripture: Joshua 1:1-8

Tags: Preaching, preaching

Ten (Christmas) Sermon-Starters From The Life Of Mary

By Ray Hollenbach on Dec 25, 2025

When you cover the familiar territory of the Christmas Story year after year, sometimes you have to try another angle.

Tags: Christmas, Jesus, Power, Preaching, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Derwin Gray: I Prepare My Sermons By Dancing

By Derwin Gray on Dec 16, 2020

Are your dance moves timeless or hopelessly out of date? Pastor Derwin Gray has five suggestions.

Scripture: Ephesians 4:17-24

Tags: Preaching, dance, teach, preaching

New Poll: What's The Average Length Of Sermon Prep?

By SermonCentral .com on Jun 16, 2021

LifeWay's Thom Rainer took a Twitter poll to see how much time most preachers give to sermon preparation. Where do you fall on the scale?

Tags: preparation, average, Prep, Time