In Preaching Articles: "Spiritual Failures"

When Passion Fades: 5 Reasons Preaching Becomes Lifeless

By Peter Mead on Aug 9, 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

57 Leadership Tips For Pastors

By Joe Mckeever on Mar 21, 2025

Joe McKeever distills decades of pastoral wisdom into fifty-seven clear, practical leadership lessons that help pastors lead with integrity, courage, humility, and spiritual focus.

Scripture: Exodus 18:1-12

Tags: Ministry, leadership, Preaching, Delegate, spiritual formation, Leadership, ministry, preaching, Spiritual Formation  (view more)  (view less)

Check The Mirror, Pastor – After Five Years, Your Church Looks Like You

By SermonCentral .com on Dec 26, 2021

Show me a spiritually healthy church and I’ll show you a spiritually healthy pastor. Show me a spiritually unhealthy church and I’ll show you a spiritually unhealthy pastor.

Scripture: Hebrews 13:7

Tags: Humility, pastor, spiritual leadership, Pastoral Character, Pastor  (view more)  (view less)

Ten Tips For Preaching From An Ipad

By Brandon Hilgemann on Jan 11, 2023

Gadgets are making their way to the pulpit. Here are some very practical suggestions to avoid gadget failures.

Tags: Technology, Preaching, ipad, backup, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Do We Have To Be Perfect To Preach?

By Dean Shriver on Feb 9, 2025

True preaching power comes not from technique but from integrity. When our lives align with the truth we proclaim, God uses both our words and our example to change lives.

Scripture: John 1:14

Tags: Preaching, spiritual formation, Pastoral Integrity, Christian Leadership, preaching, Spiritual Formation, Expository Ministry  (view more)  (view less)

Make Your Sermons More Memorable From Neuroscience

By Charles Stone on Jul 28, 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)

Handling A Hurricane Part 3

By Lance Witt on May 5, 2024

In a storm, it is helpful to have a plan, but it is even more important to have clear, decisive leadership in the midst of everything being blown apart.

Tags: Perseverance, leadership, resolving conflict, pastoral leadership, overcoming sin, church ministry, Leadership Failure, Relational Dynamics, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

13 Benefits Of Putting An Expiration Date On New Ministries In Your Church

By SermonCentral .com on Jan 11, 2024

Here's a great way open your church up to innovative new ideas by minimizing the risk – or at least the sting – of failure.

Tags: Preaching, preaching

The Ultimate Character Test Any Great Leader Passes

By Carey Nieuwhof on Nov 13, 2023

Moral failure takes out more leaders than it should. But real success is deeper than just avoiding the ditch.

Tags: leadership, Character, Faithfulness, Home Life, Integrity, Popularity, pastoral leadership, church leadership, First Things First, Leadership Failure, True Success, e, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

We All Need Adversity And Affliction

By SermonCentral .com on Aug 22, 2022

I would not exchange any of my discipline-afflictions for anything. In fact, I have made it a habit to keep asking God to discipline me. This isn’t because I love affliction, but because the hope in God I’ve tasted in the promises of God I’ve trusted in the darkest days are the sweetest things my soul has ever known.

Scripture: Psalm 119:71-72, Hebrews 12:11

Tags: Adversity, sanctification, Hardship of Life, Spiritual Maturity, Christian Maturity, joy in trials, spiritual immaturity, fruit of sorrow  (view more)  (view less)

The Power Of Biblical Thanksgiving In A Thankless Age

By J. John on Nov 18, 2025

True thanksgiving reshapes the Christian life. It redirects our hearts toward God’s grace, transforms our attitudes, and strengthens hope through daily gratitude.

Scripture: Psalm 136:1, 1 Thessalonians 5:18, Philippians 4:6, Colossians 3:15, Matthew 26:26-27  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Prayer, Thanks, Thanksgiving Holiday, Spiritual Disciplines

The Dirty Truth About Honoraria

By John Stackhouse on Oct 31, 2025

Count up all of those hours: Is that what we really think our preachers are worth?

Scripture: Mark 16:1-20, Colossians 2:1-10

Tags: Preaching, honoraria, Worth, spiritual health, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Let’s Keep Reaching Consumers. Aka, Lost Sheep.

By SermonCentral .com on Mar 28, 2021

“The American church is so consumeristic!” It’s a common line uttered by the religiously fed-up, and of course, there’s a lot of truth in it. Some churches in America do tend to cater to the consumeristic mentality of our culture. But I think, on the whole, most churches don’t, and that’s actually part of the problem.

Tags: Missions, lost sheep, Unchurched, Spiritual Maturity

Six Terrible Ways To Recruit Ministry Volunteers In Your Church

By SermonCentral .com on Dec 27, 2021

Sometimes I think church leaders take the most negative approaches in an attempt to encourage more people to get involved in ministry in the church.

Tags: Prayer, Spiritual Gifts, Lay Leadership, Recruiting

Advent: How To Resist The Culture And Clutter Of Christmas

By Steve Smith on Dec 11, 2023

When I practice Advent, I get the opportunity to yet again, start my life over. I am invited to step out and away from my old ways and to begin new ways of living better–living in a different rhythm; living in a deeper–more sacred way.

Tags: Advent, Silence, Christmas Advent, spiritual clutter