In Preaching Articles: "Time Tested"

What’s The Big Hurry?

By Lance Witt on Feb 9, 2021

I confess to you that I am a hurrier. I wish I had a dollar for every time my kids have heard me say in an agitated tone “Hurry up!” Sometimes I walk in a hurry and leave my wife behind. When I have to wait in line, or a flight gets delayed, or there is dead time in a worship service, or someone is telling a long story, I find myself internally saying, “Could you please hurry up?”

Tags: Busyness

Shooing Flies In The Pulpit

By H.b. Charles, Jr. on Apr 22, 2021

To be honest, I have had to shoo flies in the pulpit many times. If you are a preacher, so have you. No, not literal flies (I hope). But preachers regularly have to push through various distractions.

Tags: Preaching, focus, distractions, Challenges, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

3 Casualties From Unresponsiveness

By Ron Edmondson on Jan 30, 2021

People will feel they’ve not been listened to, no one cares, or even they are unloved. They’ll take it personal enough to leave the organization. It should never be because we simply chose not to respond in a timely way.

Scripture: 1 Samuel 20:1-16

Tags: Preaching, preaching

How To Be Thankful As A Leader

By Josh Reich on Jul 10, 2023

Most of the time on blogs like mine or other leadership and ministry blogs you read about how tough ministry is, how difficult people can be and how hard it is to be a leader. All those things are true.

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Psalm 103:1-5

Tags: Marriage, Thankfulness, gratitude, Pastors

The Gift Of Being Unproductive - Part 2

By Lance Witt on Mar 30, 2024

Over time I’ve learned that Sabbath is not a have-to, it’s a get-to. This incredible gift from God allows us to reflect, restore, and replenish. During Sabbath God whispers, “I’m in control.

Tags:

How To Lead People-Friendly Change In Your Church

By SermonCentral .com on Jan 13, 2022

I’ve been studying the art of change management lately and wanted to share a process with you that could save you a lot of grief the next time you think about a change in your church’s programs or procedures.

Tags: Communication, leadership, Change, Resilience, Leadership, communication  (view more)  (view less)

7 Preacher Landmines

By Peter Mead on Mar 5, 2021

In the path of the preacher there are many landmines – hidden explosives that can do untold damage to your ministry. Whether you’ve been preaching for a couple of years or for half a century, why not take some time to prayerfully work through this list?

Tags: Preaching, pastor, Pastor

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

7 Subtle Signs Your Church Is Dying

By Carey Nieuwhof on Feb 18, 2021

As with almost everything in life, there are subtle signs your peak may be near or you may be cresting past it. Other times, the signs of death are evident to everyone but the leaders. If you recognize the signs early enough, you can reverse the trend.

Tags: leadership, Preaching, Church Health, Leadership

6 Ways To Grow In The Gospels

By William Boekestein on Apr 27, 2021

A number of years ago I was about to preach for the first time in a certain church. As I arranged my papers and books I noticed a sign near the top of the pulpit. It was a quotation from John 12:21: “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”

Scripture: Mark 9:7, Mark 15:1-15, Matthew 27:3, Mark 6:34, Acts 26:22-23, John 12:21, Matthew 14:20, Hebrews 12:2, John 11:15, Luke 24:44-45, Hebrews 1:1, Jeremiah 8:1-3  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Jesus, Biblical, preaching Christ, Preaching Gospels, Rakahanga gospel day  (view more)  (view less)

A Simple Formula For Effective Preaching

By Jonathon Woodyard on Jan 1, 2022

So here it is in a single sentence: After you have gone to the Bible and it has yielded sweet and glorious truths, you must take time to think over how to tell others what God has shown you, and how it applies to their lives.

Scripture: 2 Peter 1:19-21

Tags: Bible, Spirit, Preaching, effective preaching, e, preaching, bible  (view more)  (view less)

10 Global Churches Larger Than America's Largest

By James O. Davis on Jun 5, 2020

In the last six years, the Global Church has witnessed more than 1.4 million new church plants with more than 250 million coming to Christ. The Church of the Lord Jesus Christ is growing faster than any other time in history.

Scripture: Acts 1:8, Matthew 28:19-20

Tags: Evangelism, Church, Leader, Missions, Global, Church Growth, Evangelism The Lost, evangelism  (view more)  (view less)

5 Ways To Talk About Money

By Kent Woodyard on Dec 9, 2021

After spending the past three years working for an online and mobile giving provider, I am obviously a believer in the power of technology to increase giving to the Church. Through that time, however, I have also been confronted with the limitations of technology. Important? Certainly. Enough? Definitely not!

Tags: Money, Teaching, Generosity, Giving General, teaching  (view more)  (view less)

Say Hard Things

By Marshall Segal on Apr 14, 2021

When was the last time someone told you you were wrong? If you can’t remember, you may have reason to be concerned. Sometimes the most loving thing someone can do for us is point out an error or inconsistency in the way we think or live.

Scripture: Matthew 6:16, Romans 12:3, Galatians 5:22-23, Galatians 1:6-10, 2 Corinthians 5:17, 1 Corinthians 13:7, Galatians 2:11-14, Acts 10:28, Acts 15:11, 2 Chronicles 7:14-19, Matthew 6:18, 1 Peter 1:10  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Love, Humility, Confrontation, Grace and Truth

Three Types Of Bad Preaching (And Their Remedies)

By Chris Pascarella on Jun 9, 2022

What if there was a way to identify bad preaching? Having grown up in church, I have probably listened to over 1,000 sermons in my lifetime. In all my time listening to (and now delivering) sermons, I have heard three types of bad preaching:

Scripture: Luke 12:22

Tags: preaching tips, Preaching Help, Pastoral Ministry, effective preaching