In Preaching Articles: "thought life" showing 106-120 of 145

Remembering Why You Said Yes To Pastoring

By Chuck Warnock on Dec 16, 2022

There are times in a pastor's life when the clarity of our call fades, discouragement clouds our memory, and we wonder, "Why did I ever want to be a pastor?"

Tags: Church, Call, pastor, Pastors, Small Church, Church General, Leadership General, Pastor, church  (view more)  (view less)

7 Pitfalls Of Being An Introverted Pastor

By Ron Edmondson on May 30, 2020

"I am an introvert. With all my public appearances on Sunday mornings, this surprises many people. But in my private life and with those closest to me, there is no questioning that fact."

Tags: Preaching

Video: The Exodus, Deliverance, And The Meaning Of Baptism

By Granger Community Church on Jan 13, 2024

This five-minute video from Granger Community Church unpacks the history and the meaning of baptism--connecting our new life in Christ to Israel's passing through the Red Sea.

Tags: Baptism, Preaching, preaching

New Poll: What's The Average Length Of Sermon Prep?

By SermonCentral on Jun 16, 2021

LifeWay's Thom Rainer took a Twitter poll to see how much time most preachers give to sermon preparation. Where do you fall on the scale?

Tags: preparation, average, Prep, Time

How To Preach Repentance Like It's Good News

By Ray Hollenbach on Jan 4, 2020

"Repent" is the first word of the good news. Belief comes as we help our listeners rethink a way of life based upon what God has already done.

Tags: repentance, Good News, grace, repent

Preaching To The Unchurched: 5 Essentials

By Rick Warren on May 4, 2024

In terms of seeing radical life changes in individuals, nothing can take the place of Spirit-anointed preaching. The message is still the most important element of a worship service for the unchurched.

Tags: Evangelism, Outreach, Preaching, pastoral leadership, evangelism, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Two Questions To Break Despair

By Marion Clark on Dec 2, 2022

There is a great need for Christian counselors with the expertise to unravel the problems of life. The more a pastor is equipped in this area, the better they will be able to serve the members of their church who are facing difficulties and trials.

Tags: Hope, encouragement, Counselor, Despair, pastoral care, WISE COUNSEL, fixing eyes on Jesus, counseling  (view more)  (view less)

The Power Of Saying: I Don't Know

By SermonCentral on Aug 6, 2020

As a pastor people often look to you for answers to life's questions, but you don't have to pretend you know it all--in fact, you really shouldn't.

Tags: counsel, Communication, Preaching

Don’t Try And Improve On God’s Methods

By Ray Ortlund on Apr 23, 2024

True awakening or revival is a glorious season in the life of the church when for His glory alone, God causes the ordinary means of His grace to make an extraordinary impact on many people.

Scripture: Acts 2:42, 1 Corinthians 11:27-30, Isaiah 1:15, Luke 19:9-10, John 3:8, Matthew 11:28-30, Acts 2:47  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Grace, Prayer, revival, Church revival, spiritual awakening, grace  (view more)  (view less)

Keep Learning To Lead: Five Practical Lessons

By Gavin Ortlund on Apr 29, 2022

Leadership is hard. I rank it up there with pain, parenting, and preaching as one of those things in life that we never fully master, but only hope to keep learning over a lifetime.

Scripture: John 13:15-16, John 16:12

Tags: Teamwork, Leadership General, servant leadership, Jesus' leadership

The Power Of Testimony

By Peter Mead on Nov 19, 2022

"Hearing how God has worked in a life can be very powerful. Having someone “give their testimony” can also backfire. Here are a few of the problems that can create the tension."

Tags: leadership, Church leaders, Our Testimony, Sharing My Testimony, Personal Testimony, christian testimony, church leadership, Power Of Testimony, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

25 Easter Follow-Up Sermon And Worship Ideas

By SermonCentral on Apr 10, 2023

One of the best ways to follow up with your Easter guests, as well as to encourage your church members, is by preaching about living out the new life we have in Christ.

Tags: Worship, Preaching, sermon series, after easter, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Don’t Pursue Feelings. Pursue Christ.

By Joe Thorn on Jul 12, 2022

One danger is emotionalism, in which we allow our feelings to interpret our circumstances and form our thoughts about God. This is putting feelings before faith. The other danger is a kind of stoicism, where faith is rooted in theology but void of affection. This tendency removes feelings from faith altogether. While it is true that our emotions should not lead our theology, it is vital to our faith that theology lead to a deep experience of our triune God.

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:7, Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, Psalm 34:18, Romans 8:15, Psalm 34:4  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Emotions, Theology, Stoicism, Feelings, Doctrine to Doxology  (view more)  (view less)

Is Jesus An Impossible Mentor?

By Ray Hollenbach on Sep 30, 2020

Do you preach Jesus as a role model? It's impossible to be like Jesus, isn't it? He was God-come-to-earth and his life sets the bar impossibly high for any of us.

Scripture: Matthew 16:24

Tags: Preaching, Submission, Accountability, honour, Mentor, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

3 Ways To Stay Motivated While Preaching

By Lance Witt on Sep 19, 2019

Every pastor knows what it is to preach a sermon when your heart isn't in it and your life isn't living it. Here are three ways to stay motivated and preaching from a healthy heart.

Scripture: Proverbs 4:23

Tags: Heart, sermon prep, preaching the gospel, Sermon Prep, Sermon prep, Eternity  (view more)  (view less)