In Preaching Articles: "Ugly Preaching"

The Hardest Part Of A Sermon

By Joe Mckeever on Jul 23, 2021

The Lord gives His message to those who seek Him, who wait upon Him, who are willing to do His will.

Scripture: Jeremiah 32:1-15

Tags: Preaching, difficult, hard, preaching

Is He Crazy To Share His Pulpit?

By Larry Osborne on Oct 12, 2024

"The notion of sharing my pulpit was unthinkable, tantamount to a denial of my calling."

Scripture: Zechariah 5:1-4

Tags: Preaching, pulpit, Share, preaching

Build Your Sermon Like A House

By Greg Stier on Oct 16, 2024

Greg Stier learned to exegete a text at the same time he learned to swing a hammer. It paid off.

Scripture: Luke 14:22-33

Tags: Preaching, House, build, preaching

A Preacher's Gut-Check: Seven Hard Questions About Your Sermon

By J.s. Park on Jun 20, 2025

After you have your three points, consulted all the commentaries and fit in your illustrations, then it's time to get real.

Scripture: John 14:1-6

Tags: Preaching, Good, questions, preaching

Do We Owe Every Wedding Ceremony A Fresh Sermon?

By Nathan Aaseng on Jun 5, 2023

The challenge is to make the wedding couple feel that the homily is not just a canned one, pulled out of the file and dusted off for the 35th time.

Tags: Preaching, preaching, Wedding, Fresh

5 Integrity Traps Waiting For Every Preacher

By Peter Mead on Aug 30, 2021

People long for the preacher to have a deep sense of consistency.

Tags: Integrity, Plagiarism, preaching, Preaching

Four Sharp Questions To Whittle Your Sermon Into Shape

By Tyler Scarlett on Jul 21, 2025

The sermon's not done until you sharpen the point. Here are four excellent ways to do it.

Scripture: 1 Samuel 15:22-24

Tags: Preaching, points, Sharpen, preaching

5 Things You Can Do Today To Sharpen Tomorrow's Sermon

By Erik Raymond on May 30, 2025

If you want to make tomorrow's sermon shine even more, START HERE.

Scripture: Genesis 42:20-38

Tags: Preaching, Tension, Transparency, preaching

No Joking In The Pulpit? Hershael York Says To Pull The Punch Line

By Hershael York on Oct 2, 2021

"Preachers should not tell jokes for one reason only: They don't do it well. In fact, they do it badly."

Scripture: Acts 4:1-10

Tags: humor, jokes, preaching, Preaching

Could Your Labor Day Sermon Be The Most Important Of The Year?

By David J. Lose on Aug 25, 2020

Perhaps our largest challenge is to overcome the disconnect most Christians experience between what we do on Sunday and what we do the rest of the week.

Scripture: Colossians 3:23-24

Tags: Preaching, challenge, disconnect, preaching

Great, You've Got A Theme, But Do You Have A Sermon?

By Sherman Haywood Cox on Jun 6, 2023

Do you ALWAYS have to start with a text? Sherman Cox says "no."

Scripture: 1 John 5:3

Tags: Preaching, Text, preaching, Idea

Seminary-Trained Preachers Face Unique Flaws: Are Yours On The List?

By Peter Mead on Dec 3, 2024

"You should wear your learning like your underwear: it's important that you have it on, but don't let it show."

Scripture: Psalm 119:10-12

Tags: education, Seminary, preaching, Preaching

What To Do About Grace: 4 Down-To-Earth Suggestions

By Dr. Scott M. Gibson on Jan 2, 2020

"She said to me, 'You expected a lot from us, and I never felt I could meet those expectations.' These comments have haunted me."

Scripture: Psalm 100:1-5

Tags: Grace, Preaching, grace, preaching

20 Quotes From The Book 'father Hunger'

By Tony Reinke on Jan 3, 2020

Desiring God's Tony Reinke was deeply impacted by this book as a man and a father. He shares some of its greatest insights; use them in your Father's Day message.

Tags: Preaching, fathers day, preaching

Why Church Growth Is A Shockingly Inexact Science

By SermonCentral .com on Dec 7, 2021

"There is no surefire method for numerical church growth. Period."

Tags: Preaching, Church Growth, preaching