In Preaching Articles: "Sermon Prep"

Tony Evans On The Power In Preaching

By Tony Evans on Feb 19, 2024

Dr. Tony Evans of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas gives his thoughts on preaching to men, sermon preparation and staying fresh for the long haul.

Tags: Man, Preaching, Masculinity, manliness, Tony Evans, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

How To Preach Like You’re Having A Conversation

By Lane Sebring on Jan 21, 2026

Want your sermons to connect on a deeper level? Learn how a conversational preaching style can make your message more personal, relatable, and engaging.

Tags: authentic ministry, Authentic Ministry

8 Ways To Hook Your Congregation Into Your Message

By SermonCentral .com on May 12, 2020

Your sermon text is central, but it doesn’t always need to come first. Strong hooks help listeners connect their lives to Scripture before exposition begins.

Scripture: Nehemiah 8:8, Luke 24:27, Ecclesiastes 12:10

Tags: Bird, Preaching, Anxiety, Field, flowers, preaching, anxiety  (view more)  (view less)

10 Preaching Mistakes Everyone Can Avoid

By Jared Moore on Jun 9, 2020

If you want people leaving your sermon focused on God, avoid these common preaching mistakes. These ten pitfalls distract hearers from the text and diminish exposition.

Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:15, Nehemiah 8:8, James 1:21-22, 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, Psalm 19:7-10  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Preaching, mistakes, preaching, Preaching Mistakes

10 Ways To Authenticate Your Preaching

By Jared Moore on Aug 11, 2020

Your hearers often hear you before they hear the Scriptures. If your people know you, they’ll have a better basis for understanding your sermons.

Scripture: 1 Timothy 3:1-7, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Tags: Service, Humility, Preaching, Biblical, Context, authentic, preaching, context, Authentic  (view more)  (view less)

Should You Preach Without Notes?

By Rev. Tejado Hanchell on Aug 19, 2020

"I believe every preacher should have at least one sermon in his heart that he could preach with or without notes if called upon at a moment's notice."

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:2, 2 Timothy 2:15, Psalm 119:11, Colossians 3:16

Tags: Preaching, memorization, Pastoral Ministry, preaching

Preaching That Is Felt, Not Just Heard

By Peter Mead on Sep 24, 2020

Information alone does not transform. Learn how to move from a dense 10-minute outline to a sermon that breathes, paints images, and engages both mind and heart.

Scripture: Exodus 2:1-5, 1 Thessalonians 2:8, 2 Corinthians 4:2, Luke 15:11-32

Tags: Preaching, biblical theology, preaching, Biblical Theology

How Pastors Should Approach Preaching At Wedding

By SermonCentral .com on May 19, 2025

Wedding sermons do not need to follow a single formula. Faithful pastors can draw from many biblical truths that prepare couples for the realities of married life.

Scripture: Ephesians 5:22-33, Colossians 3:12-14, 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, Proverbs 3:3-4, Ecclesiastes 4:9-12  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Wedding, Preaching, Offend, preaching, Biblical Counseling  (view more)  (view less)

Do You Preach Around The Text, Or Do You Preach The Text?

By Dr. Scott M. Gibson on Dec 16, 2024

After listening to sermons all these years, I have concluded preachers either talk before the text or talk around the text but rarely talk about the text.

Scripture: Hosea 4:1-6, Psalm 30:1

Tags: Preaching, preaching

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)

Are You A Preacher Or A Motivational Speaker?

By Sherman Haywood Cox on Jan 7, 2023

Many sermons sound inspiring yet leave out the cross and the coming kingdom. When preaching mimics self-help, it loses the gospel’s power and eternal focus.

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, Luke 9:23, Galatians 6:14, Matthew 6:19-21

Tags: Pastoral Ministry

Do Your Listeners Feel The Text?

By Sherman Haywood Cox on Nov 27, 2020

Faithful preaching requires sound exegesis, but powerful sermons also help listeners experience the biblical story. Learn how engaging the senses can deepen your preaching.

Scripture: Luke 8:48, Luke 8:43, Nehemiah 8:8, 2 Timothy 3:16, Hebrews 4:12  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Preaching, audience, Engage, feel, exegesis, preaching, Exegesis  (view more)  (view less)

Why Exhortation Alone Is Not Enough In Preaching

By Bob Hostetler on Jan 13, 2023

Many sermons tell listeners what they should do but fail to move them toward real change. Effective preaching combines exhortation with identification, inspiration, and practical application.

Scripture: Romans 12:8, James 1:22, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Hebrews 4:12, Colossians 1:28  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Preaching, identification, inspiration, application, Homiletics, preaching, Application  (view more)  (view less)

When Passion Fades: 5 Reasons Preaching Becomes Lifeless

By Peter Mead on Aug 10, 2024

Passionless preaching drains a congregation. These five causes, from frozen delivery to cold hearts, reveal why sermons fall flat and how pastors can revive authentic zeal.

Scripture: 2 Timothy 1:6, Romans 12:11, Psalm 34:8, Colossians 3:23, Revelation 2:4  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Preaching, Spiritual Renewal, preaching

Is There A Word From God? Preaching Messages That Come From Heaven

By Joe Mckeever on Jul 23, 2021

Anyone can assemble a sermon from Scripture, but faithful preaching seeks more than a well-structured outline. Pastors must seek the message God wants delivered to their people.

Scripture: Jeremiah 32:1-15, Jeremiah 37:17, Jeremiah 23:22, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, John 15:16  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Discernment, Preaching, difficult, hard, preaching  (view more)  (view less)