In Preaching Articles: "Test Of Faith"

The Patented Preacher

By Warren Wiersbe on Apr 21, 2020

Preaching thrives when pastors embrace who God made them to be. God prepares the messenger as much as the message, and faithful preaching grows from that truth.

Scripture: John 12:35-50, Genesis 22:1-14, Acts 4:20, Acts 22:15, 2 Corinthians 4:5  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Faith, family, Adversity, Live

Why Illustrations Matter In Preaching: Learning From Jesus’ Use Of Parables

By Leslie Holmes on Jan 15, 2024

Parables and illustrations bring preaching to life. These seven tests help pastors use stories wisely to clarify truth, reduce resistance, and make sermons memorable.

Scripture: Matthew 13:34, Nehemiah 8:8, 2 Timothy 4:2, Psalm 78:2, Luke 8:10  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Expository Preaching, expository 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)

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)

9 Ways To Preach A Lousy Sermon

By Ben Reed on Aug 26, 2020

If you want to preach a great sermon, here are nine things you must avoid at all costs.

Tags: Faith, Fear, endurance, Preaching, prosper  (view more)  (view less)

Three Probing Questions Every Pastor Should Ask Himself

By Charles Stone on Sep 14, 2023

Take a few moments and ask yourself these questions to see what God reveals about your heart and motives.

Tags: Faithfulness, identity, Identity in Christ, motives

Never Blame God

By SermonCentral .com on Jul 1, 2022

You are not the first Christian to have felt angry at God, and you will not be the last.

Scripture: Job 42:6, 1 John 1:5, Romans 9:22-23, Romans 11:36, James 4:4, James 1:1-17, Hebrews 12:11, Daniel 4:35, Revelation 17:17, Proverbs 21:1, Psalm 115:3, Lamentations 3:37-38, Job 2:10, Jonah 4:9, Matthew 10:29  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Faith, doubt, Hope, Blaming God

Spiritual Oil Crisis

By Lance Witt on Oct 22, 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)

Can I Evaluate My Own Preaching?

By Steven Smith on Sep 25, 2024

We do not invent messages; we proclaim truth. So we measure our effectiveness by how faithful we are to the text.

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 4:1-5

Tags: Preaching, treasure, Faithfulness, Obligation, proclaim, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

10 Ways To Plan An Amazing Sermon Series

By Herbert Cooper on Oct 9, 2020

Herbert Cooper, senior pastor of People's Church in Oklahoma City, shares strategic insights into making a sermon series work.

Scripture: Deuteronomy 28:14-20

Tags: Faith, Preaching, sight, walk, substance, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Seven Preaching Topics You Should Repeat Often

By Joe Mckeever on May 23, 2025

Don't be afraid of repeating yourself. Repetition is the mother of learning -- and sometimes a pastor's best friend.

Tags: Faith, Power, Preaching, work, repeat, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

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)

Five Preaching Applications From The Movie Gravity

By Jacob Myers on Jan 14, 2023

In "Gravity" we find a poignant portrayal of what Christian discipleship might look like.

Tags: Faith, Preaching, Prayer, illustration, Gravity, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Powerful Preaching Flows From Good Questions

By David J. Lose on Sep 4, 2021

It's often the really challenging passages that yield the most interesting sermons.

Scripture: Romans 8:2-4

Tags: Faith, Preaching, Powerful, good questions, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

The Lord’s Prayer, A Missional Reading: Give Us Daily Bread

By Dr. Nijay Gupta on Apr 8, 2021

The “missional theology” movement has injected energy and life into the church. Who isn’t inspired when reading Emil Brunner’s famous words, “The church exists by mission as a fire exists by burning”? Missional theology has motivated many Christians and churches to seek out their purpose in God of bearing and embodying the good news of Jesus Christ.

Scripture: Deuteronomy 8:1-20, Exodus 16:1-36, John 6:1-71, Matthew 4:1-25

Tags: Humility, Lord's Prayer, Missional, walk by faith