In Preaching Articles: "Spiritual Vitality"

Why Small Churches Don’t Grow

By Joe Mckeever on Sep 20, 2024

Small church growth stalls for reasons deeper than numbers. These ten barriers reveal why congregations stay stuck and how leaders can pursue renewed health and mission.

Scripture: John 13:35, Psalm 85:6, Luke 11:1-2

Tags: Church, Outreach, pastor, Church Growth, Health, Fail, Church Health, Small Church, Church Practices, pastoral leadership, spiritual vitality, Pastor, church, Pastoral Leadership, Small Church Growth, Congregational Renewal, Spiritual Vitality  (view more)  (view less)

Spiritual Loitering

By Lance Witt on Mar 28, 2023

Even though Easter was just a few days ago, it is likely that you have quickly moved on to the next “thing”. But I want to challenge you to not move on too quickly. I’m sure there are some stories and God moments from this past weekend that are worth lingering over. As pastors we need to do a better job with the discipline of “spiritual loitering”.

Scripture: Psalm 111:4, Psalm 143:5

Tags: Remember, inner peace, good work

The Spiritual Discipline Of Anticipation

By Lance Witt on May 24, 2022

Let me ask you, what are you trusting God for? Where are you practicing the spiritual discipline of anticipation?

Scripture: Ephesians 3:20

Tags: Preaching, anticipation, active faith, Possible with God, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Spiritual Oil Crisis

By Lance Witt on Oct 21, 2022

What are you trusting God for? What are attempting for God’s glory that requires faith? Sadly, the more years people serve in ministry, the less risk-taking faith they demonstrate. We can begin to rely on our experience, our skills, and our planning to win the day. Yet, without faith it is impossible to please God.

Scripture: Ephesians 3:20, 2 Kings 4:1-7, Hebrews 11:6

Tags: Faith, Ministry, Trust, Elisha, relying on god, Risk taking, church leadership, Daring Faith, ministry  (view more)  (view less)

Spiritual Disciplines And The Sinkhole Syndrome

By Donald Whitney on Jan 21, 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)

11 Times When Preaching Hurts More Than It Helps

By Joseph Mattera on Feb 7, 2024

Preaching is vital to God's purposes--that's why we must get it right.

Scripture: Matthew 13:1-15

Tags: Hurt, Preaching, Purpose, help, Vital, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

7 Vital Ingredients In Any Preaching Calendar

By SermonCentral .com on Apr 17, 2020

Investing a few more hours three months in advance, or a few weeks in advance will increase the quality of your preaching moment.

Tags: Preaching, preaching

What Really Makes A Spiritual Leader?

By Bob Hamp on Apr 4, 2023

Spiritual leadership is not defined by position or productivity, but by transformation, presence, and the ability to lead others into real encounters with God.

Scripture: Mark 10:42-45, John 15:4-5, Galatians 5:22-23, 2 Corinthians 3:18, 1 Thessalonians 2:8  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Power, leadership, Counselor, Leadership, Christian Formation  (view more)  (view less)

Your Pulpit Is A Place Of Spiritual Warfare

By Peter Mead on Jun 29, 2021

There's no need to be paranoid, but there's no reason to be ignorant, either.

Tags: Spiritual Warfare, Preaching, pulpit, ignorant, paranoid, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Your Best Response To A Spiritual Attack

By SermonCentral .com on Mar 14, 2022

If you’re in the Kingdom, you’re in a battle.

Scripture: Ephesians 6:12

Tags: Spiritual Warfare, Prayer, pressure, prayer warrior

3 Spiritual Lessons From Jonathan Edwards

By Kyle Strobel on Jun 6, 2025

If they were important to Jonathan Edwards, they should be important to you!

Tags: Preaching, practice, carnal vs spiritual, jonathan edwards, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

4 Spiritual Disciplines Pastors Often Neglect

By Charles Stone on Nov 15, 2023

What spiritual disciplines might you be neglecting?

Tags: leadership, Submission, confession, Solitude, Christian Disciplines, pastoral leadership, Spiritual Discipline, Pastoral Ministry, church ministry, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

8 Vital Statistics You Should Track Every Week

By SermonCentral .com on Oct 16, 2025

Thom Rainer: "We can never know where the missing sheep are if we are not keeping track of them."

Tags: Preaching, preaching

3 Vital Reasons Why Preaching Is Something More Than Public Speaking

By SermonCentral .com on Nov 8, 2021

When I enter the pulpit to preach on Sundays, something is different.

Tags: Preaching, Urgent, vital reasons, public speaking, timeless message, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Preacher To Preacher: Three Vital Questions Before You Quit The Ministry

By Leslie Holmes on Sep 25, 2024

Astounding: 50 percent of pastors serving American congregations are so discouraged in ministry that they would quit if they could afford to do so.

Tags: Ministry, Preaching, quit, ministry, preaching  (view more)  (view less)