In Preaching Articles: "Time In The Word"

The Word Nobody Likes… Part 1

By Lance Witt on Jun 17, 2024

A couple of years ago I had the chance to sit down with a former staff member that had served on my team more than a decade ago. We really hadn’t kept in touch very much. At one point during our lunch the conversation turned more serious. And in a moment of candor he said to me “You know, you weren’t very easy to work for.” The truth is, he was right.

Scripture: Proverbs 27:5-6, Galatians 2:11-13

Tags: Humility, leadership, Accountability, Rebuke, Teachable, pastoral leadership, unteachable spirit, Pastoral Ministry, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

The Word Nobody Likes… Part 2

By Lance Witt on Dec 5, 2023

One of the reasons the word accountability gets a bad rap is because of the way some people have carried out accountability. Holding people accountable is not using your position as a club to embarrass, humiliate, mistreat, belittle or shame people. Our accountability of people should make those on our team better not bitter.

Scripture: Daniel 6:1

Tags: Humility, leadership, relationships, Accountability, Performance, Feedback, Pastoral Ministry, church ministry, Empowering Others, Effective Leadership, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

Preaching When Times Are Tight

By David R. Stokes on Mar 30, 2020

The fact is, when current reality begins to let us down, when times turn tough, even tight, this is a moment for us to shift the focus away from this to that, from now to then, from here to there.

Scripture: Hebrews 12:1

Tags: Preaching, Search

In Times Of Conflict—preach Joy!

By SermonCentral .com on Jul 16, 2025

Regardless of your church's climate, one thing remains true: The preacher's task is to preach with joy, whether the conditions are desirable or undesirable.

Tags: Holy Spirit, Communication, Joy, Preaching, conflict, communication, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Is Some Preaching A Waste Of Time?

By Joe Mckeever on Dec 10, 2019

If a farmer knew which field was going to produce and which would do poorly, he could save himself a lot of time and trouble.

Scripture: Ezekiel 24:1-20, Ezekiel 16:40-50

Tags: Preaching

How To Worship In Times Of Sorrow

By Paul Baloche on Feb 11, 2021

Some of the hardest yet most inspiring times of worship occur during funerals. The raw emotions of sadness and loss are mixed with a sense of hope and eternal perspective.

Scripture: Psalm 42:5-6

Tags: Worship, Joy, Funeral, Sorrow

It's A Wonderful Time To Be A Christian

By Garrett Kell on Apr 20, 2022

Christians are uniquely equipped to thrive in tumultuous times, not because we are great, but because our God is.

Scripture: Ephesians 2:14, 1 Peter 2:12, Matthew 7:12, 1 Peter 3:15, 2 Corinthians 5:16-20, Ephesians 4:1-3, John 17:20-21, John 15:20, Luke 12:40, Mark 14:38, Romans 13:11, Matthew 24:14, Psalm 73:2-25  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Reconciliation, authentic Christian, Purified, unreached peoples

It’s Time To Get Mean About The Vision God Has Given You

By SermonCentral .com on Mar 1, 2021

Your church is in desperate need of a vision that is informed by God’s Word, inspired by God’s Spirit, and applied passionately and broken-heartedly to your local context.

Tags: Amen

7 Ways To Do A Bad Word Study

By Nicholas Mcdonald on May 20, 2021

Sometimes it's hard to wade through the muck and know when you're being short-changed.

Tags: Study, Preaching, the word, Dictionary, fallacy  (view more)  (view less)

Has The Word You Preach Changed You?

By Brian Orme on Jul 7, 2025

Before the preacher can persuade any sinner to turn to Christ, he must first be persuaded himself.

Scripture: Luke 10:25-37

Tags: Christ, Preaching, Sinner, Persuade, preach, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

A Word From A 2700 Year Old Pastor

By Lance Witt on Apr 16, 2021

Pastors listen to other pastors. We listen to other people in ministry who are down in the trenches doing the hard work of leading others.

Scripture: Jeremiah 6:16

Tags:

Those Frustrating Times With Church Members

By Joe Mckeever on Dec 14, 2023

"Any pastor can tell you about it. Even when you do your best to serve God by ministering to His people, some church members are not going to forgive you. You didn’t do it their way, weren’t there when they called, didn’t jump at their bark." So how do you handle these kinds of situations?

Tags: conflict, pastoral leadership, church membership, Pastoral Ministry, church ministry, ministry struggles, Difficult People, Love like Christ  (view more)  (view less)

Make Your Sermons Sticky With Just Three Words

By SermonCentral .com on Oct 8, 2021

Could it possibly be just this simple? Karl Vaters offers a startling suggestion.

Scripture: Matthew 16:21-28, Exodus 3:1-15

Tags: Message, Preaching, How to pray, sticky, karl vaters, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Digging Deep: How Do You Define The Ministry Of The Word?

By Peter Mead on Jul 4, 2025

"The ministry of the word is stewarding and heralding God's word in such a way that people encounter God through his word."

Scripture: Psalm 37:4-5

Tags: Ministry, Preaching, God's Word, blackaby, ministry, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

3 Powerful Words We Rarely Hear From Preachers

By SermonCentral .com on Oct 27, 2021

As leaders we need to recognize the moment when there are no words to be said, no comfort to be offered, no solutions to be given.

Scripture: John 1:1-15

Tags: Preaching, Knowledge, expert, Expectation, leaders, preaching  (view more)  (view less)