In Preaching Articles: "Spiritual Maturity"

Journey In The Dark

By Peter Mead on Jan 14, 2022

God delights to transform lives. There are many ways to depict this journey of transformation, but let’s focus on one example from the Old Testament.

Scripture: Psalm 131:1-3, Psalm 130:1-8

Tags: Psalms, Transformation, transformed life, Christian Maturity

Soul Cartography: Assessing Your Journey Toward Spiritual Intelligence

By Alan E. Nelson on Mar 3, 2020

Alan Nelson explains the concept of spiritual intelligence and offers pastors and church leaders a chance to assess theirs.

Tags: spiritual, Soul, relationships, Health, counsel, Gifts General  (view more)  (view less)

Thom Rainer: 3 Reasons Your People Are Spiritually Stuck

By SermonCentral .com on Nov 29, 2024

"When we lead our people in the process of transformation, we need to orient them to the reality of the war within them."

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 3:1-3

Tags: Envy, striving, Spiritual exercise, preaching, Preaching, Transformation  (view more)  (view less)

6 Tips On How Pastors Can Help Others Discover Their Spiritual Gifts

By Charles Stone on Apr 1, 2023

The more pastors help people discover, develop, and deploy their spiritual gifts, the healthier our churches become. How have you helped others discover their gifts?

Tags: Preaching, Spiritual Gifts, preaching

Learn How To Be Brought Low

By Scott Hubbard on Oct 15, 2022

"You don’t need to be anyone special to know what it means to be brought low."

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 6:10, Isaiah 53:3, Philippians 1:3-5, Philippians 4:12

Tags: Faith, Humility, Hope, Grief, Sorrow, mature faith, Enduring Hardship, School of Christ  (view more)  (view less)

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

By SermonCentral .com on Dec 27, 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)

The Dirty Truth About Honoraria

By John Stackhouse on Nov 1, 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)

Six Terrible Ways To Recruit Ministry Volunteers In Your Church

By SermonCentral .com on Dec 28, 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 12, 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

How Do I Study A Specific Topic In The Bible?

By SermonCentral .com on Sep 7, 2022

Studying the Bible does not need to be complex. Simple tools can help us glean amazing insights from the word.

Scripture: Proverbs 2:3-6, Jeremiah 29:13, 2 Timothy 2:7

Tags: BIBLE STUDY, Concordance, bible study, Personal Growth, writing, spiritual growth, Bible Study, Spiritual Discipline, Journaling  (view more)  (view less)

What Kind Of Christians Will People Be If They Listen To Your Sermons For A Decade?

By Ray Hollenbach on Jul 23, 2025

Beyond the weekly phrase, "Good word, Preacher," the spiritual lives of the people in your church provide excellent feedback regarding the effectiveness of your preaching.

Tags: spiritual health, preaching, believer, Preaching, Congregation, Generation  (view more)  (view less)

Plan To Pray

By SermonCentral .com on Jun 28, 2023

I have been a pastor and spend a lot of time talking to pastors, and as I do I learn that one of the struggles many pastors have is prayer.

Tags: Prayer, Spiritual Discipline, Paul on prayer, Intentional Growth

Without Accountability, Confession And Friendship, ‘we’re Going To End Up Out Of Ministry’

By Michael Duduit on Jan 28, 2022

My friend Clayton King, who has never served as a senior pastor (and had not expected to), suddenly found himself leading one of the nation’s largest congregations as interim pastor of NewSpring Church in Anderson, South Carolina.

Scripture: James 5:16

Tags: Spiritual Warfare, Isolation, Leadership General, pastoral leadership

Christmas Is Too Big For One Day: Why We Celebrate Advent

By Dr. Andreas Kostenberger on Dec 6, 2024

Jesus’s birth did not come in a vacuum. His coming was the culmination of centuries, even millennia, of mounting expectation of the coming Messiah and Savior of humankind.

Scripture: Genesis 3:15, 1 Samuel 13:14, Luke 2:10-11

Tags: Advent, Christmas Advent, Waiting on God, Spiritual Preparation

3 Reasons Why I Give My Listeners Homework (And Why You Should, Too)

By Ray Hollenbach on Oct 21, 2025

When we ask something more of our congregation we will quickly discover whether we are preaching for spiritual entertainment or spiritual formation.

Tags: Discipleship