In Preaching Articles: "Sermon Preparation"

Handling A Hurricane… Part 1

By Lance Witt on Nov 10, 2023

It is going to happen. Take it to the bank. You can count on it. Someone on your team or in your organization will have a disastrous moral failure. So how do your prepare?

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 5:12

Tags: leadership, conflict management, Leadership, Pastoral Ministry, disasters, church ministry, Leadership Failure, Moral failure, Church Crisis  (view more)  (view less)

Don't Kill Your Message!

By Carey Nieuwhof on Aug 12, 2025

What’s the difference between a sermon that flops and a sermon that people still buzz about years later?

Tags: Preaching, Lame, communicate, crash, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

4 Reasons Pastors Should Attend Conferences

By SermonCentral .com on Apr 10, 2021

As I prepared to share this with friends, I had to ask myself, “Why should a pastor attend a conference like this?” I came up with four reasons why pastors should attend conferences, seminars, and/or workshops.

Tags: Perspective, passion, Conference, counseling, perspective  (view more)  (view less)

Get It Right Before You Start: Safeguard Your Sermon Series

By SermonCentral .com on Jun 30, 2020

Avoid these ten critical mistakes that could prevent an effective evangelistic sermon series at your church.

Tags: preaching, Truth, Preaching, repentance, eternal life, New Way, Repentance  (view more)  (view less)

Make Your Sermons More Memorable: 6 Tips From Neuroscience

By Charles Stone on Jul 29, 2020

Dr. Charles Stone draws from the study of the human brain and suggests how we can impact the human heart.

Tags: Preaching

Why (And How) Transitions Can Make Or Break Your Sermon

By Peter Mead on Dec 2, 2020

Your sermon outline looks so good on paper, but how you transition from one point to another is just as important.

Scripture: Proverbs 11:24

Tags: Preaching, transition, effective, conclusion, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

A Preacher's Gut-Check: Seven Hard Questions About Your Sermon

By J.s. Park on Jun 20, 2025

After you have your three points, consulted all the commentaries and fit in your illustrations, then it's time to get real.

Scripture: John 14:1-6

Tags: Preaching, Good, questions, preaching

Your Unchurched Neighbors Don’t Want A Watered-Down Sermon

By Carey Nieuwhof on May 9, 2023

Can you craft a message series for unchurched people and still be faithful to scripture?

Tags: Preaching, Faithful, Unchurched, preaching, Watered Down  (view more)  (view less)

Why Don't More Seminaries Teach A Method For Building A Sermon?

By SermonCentral .com on Aug 17, 2021

Listen to this professor of homiletics discuss what's been left undone in most pastors' education.

Scripture: John 4:34-38

Tags: preaching, Preaching, Seminary, build, dennis prutow  (view more)  (view less)

5 Things You Can Do Today To Sharpen Tomorrow's Sermon

By Erik Raymond on May 30, 2025

If you want to make tomorrow's sermon shine even more, START HERE.

Scripture: Genesis 42:20-38

Tags: Preaching, Tension, Transparency, preaching

Are Your Sermon Illustrations Really Indecent Exposure? 10 Critical Checkpoints

By H.b. Charles, Jr. on Nov 13, 2024

Sermon illustrations should be like letting sunlight into a window, not like putting a spotlight on a stage.

Scripture: Amos 5:4-15

Tags:

Build Your Sermon Series On The Wonder, Worry And Wishes Of Your Congregation

By Charles Arn on Mar 9, 2024

The most important thing has to do with your sermon topics. They should address people's life issues and questions about the faith.

Scripture: Matthew 6:25-34, Job 21:7-34

Tags: worry, Wonder, Relevance, Wish, Worry, preaching, Preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Spit-Shine Tomorrow's Sermon Before You Go To Bed Tonight

By Rick Malm on Mar 2, 2023

One acronym, four great suggestions to buff up your message.

Scripture: Daniel 3:1-15

Tags: storytelling, topic, preaching, Spit Shine, Hope, Preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Great, You've Got A Theme, But Do You Have A Sermon?

By Sherman Haywood Cox on Jun 6, 2023

Do you ALWAYS have to start with a text? Sherman Cox says "no."

Scripture: 1 John 5:3

Tags: Preaching, Text, preaching, Idea

Where Sermons Hide: 5 Places You Can Find A Topic

By John Mcclure on Oct 22, 2021

"What will I preach on?" Whenever you ask this question, you're looking for inspiration.

Scripture: Matthew 14:1-12

Tags: topic, catalyst, behind the text, preaching, Preaching, claim  (view more)  (view less)