In Preaching Articles: "TED talk"

Stop The Revolution. Join The Plodders.

By Kevin Deyoung on Jan 24, 2022

It’s sexy among young people—my generation—to talk about ditching institutional religion and starting a revolution of real Christ-followers living in real community without the confines of church.

Scripture: Ephesians 6:21, Romans 16:8

Tags: Church, Commitment, endurance, Faithfulness, church  (view more)  (view less)

Do Not Forsake True Solitude, Pastor

By Joe Hoagland on Aug 11, 2022

I am talking about purposely removing yourself from the busyness to focus on prayer for your congregation, reflection on your spiritual life and those around you, and meditation on the huge weight that is the pastoral ministry.

Scripture: Joshua 1:8

Tags: Prayer Life, Solitude, Silence, Leadership General, prayer life  (view more)  (view less)

Baggage: The Stakes Have Never Been Higher

By Lance Witt on Jan 3, 2022

Every single week people walk into your church and for the most part they seem to have it together. They make small talk, they dress appropriately, they participate congenially, they listen politely, and at the end of the service they file out quietly.

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Preaching Without Cabin Pressure

By Ron Forseth on Mar 13, 2025

Preach about sin? Emphasize God’s wrath? Talk about Christ’s blood? Can that possibly have a positive effect? Most certainly. Ultimately, it’s the only way to have a lasting effect.

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:20

Tags: Evangelism, Preaching, Urgency, Evangelism Urgency, evangelism, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

9 Things I Learned From Preaching About Homosexuality

By Josh Reich on Mar 4, 2021

Your language and tone tells your church how to communicate it. Not only are you training your church what to believe about homosexuality, but you are also training them how to talk about it, what they will sound like.

Tags: Preaching, Homosexuality

Crafting A Culture Of Honor

By Lance Witt on Oct 22, 2020

In the middle of this election year, the amount of vicious attack and trash talking has reached a new high (or low). I think it is time that we as pastors take the lead in helping our congregations and communities know how to treat one another.

Scripture: Ephesians 4:32, 1 John 4:7-8, John 13:35, Romans 12:10

Tags: honor

Courageous Conversations - Part 2

By Lance Witt on Sep 5, 2023

Here is my track record. Hundreds of times I have talked myself out of having a courageous conversation. EVERY time I have finally had the courageous conversation, I walked away wishing I had done it sooner.

Scripture: James 1:5

Tags: conflict, Courageous, church conflict, speaking truth

The Secret To God’s Power In Your Life And Preaching - Part 2

By Lance Witt on Jun 13, 2023

If you read last week’s article you know that we talked about holiness not just being a legalistic set of rules. True holiness always starts with relationship. And the highest motive for keeping ourselves pure is our love for God, not the fear of consequences.

Scripture: Acts 20:35

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Listening In A Noisy World

By Steve Smith on Feb 21, 2022

So much talking. So many words. So many meetings. So much information. How can we ever take in what we really need to receive to make sense of our lives, our days and most importantly, one another.

Scripture: Luke 10:38-42

Tags: Leadership Listening, Listening, MINISTRY OF PRESENCE, listening vs hearing

7 Things Preachers Never Say

By Peter Mead on May 7, 2024

Preachers speak, but we don’t talk about everything. If you are a preacher you may read this series and find some encouragement that you are not alone. If you know a preacher you may read this and find some understanding that you did not have before.

Tags: stress, Stress, Overwhelmed, pastoral leadership, Pastoral Ministry, church ministry, expectations, church leadership, Ministry Pressure  (view more)  (view less)

Pastors Never Know Who’s In The Audience

By Joe Mckeever on Jul 18, 2022

When a pastor stands to preach, he never knows who is listening to him. And if his sermon is recorded or broadcast, he has no clue who will be hearing his words. He will do well to make sure he knows what he’s talking about.

Tags: Communication, Teaching, Preaching, preaching tips, pastoral leadership, Teaching God's Word, Pastoral Ministry, Preaching Blunders, communication, preaching, teaching  (view more)  (view less)

Has The Church Lost Its Passion?

By Jim Morgan on Mar 18, 2021

Passion is what we can’t keep inside. It spills over and can’t be contained. We love our kids – we can’t help but talk about them. We love our favorite sports teams – we talk about them first thing Monday morning at the water cooler. Christians love God more than anything else – He should constantly be on the tips of our tongues. Our passion for the Lord should be evident to all those around us. “Private Christian” should be an oxymoron – our faith should pour out through every fiber of our being.

Tags: Discipleship, passion, social justice, Sharing Your Faith

5 Mistakes Churches Make With Money

By Kent Woodyard on Mar 20, 2021

My article last week focused on a particularly negative reaction I received to a blog post about online giving. That response – and them is understanding it belied – galvanized me to talk about generosity,stewardship, and all things giving even more than I had before.

Tags: Money, Giving, mistakes, gratitude

6 Sermon Myths We Need To Bust

By Carey Nieuwhof on Jan 13, 2021

Preaching is one of the most demanding tasks required of communicators. You’re not just giving a ‘talk,’ you’re communicating the Word of God—faithfully (you trust). And you do this in front of groups of people who have more communication options and sources than at any point in human history. Not an easy task.

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Sticks And Stones Part 2

By Lance Witt on Oct 17, 2023

Pound for pound, nothing is as powerful as your tongue. As pastors, we count on God to use our tongues as His instrument. In last week’s article, we talked about using our words to bless and speak life into others. This week I want to add 2 additional strategies for the wise use of words.

Scripture: Proverbs 15:1, Proverbs 12:18, Proverbs 10:19, Proverbs 17:28, Psalm 19:14  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Communication, leadership, godly speech, POWER OF WORDS, Leadership, communication  (view more)  (view less)