In Preaching Articles: "Ugly Preaching"

Was Jesus Numerically Challenged?

By Ray Hollenbach on Jun 29, 2020

Do numbers alone tell the story of success? What kind of numbers caught Jesus' attention?

Tags: Growth, Preaching, number, Growth in Christ

Why Jesus Never Used A Classroom

By Bob Hamp on Jul 25, 2020

When Jesus wanted to teach his disciples something important, he took them on the road, not into the classroom.

Tags: Teaching, Preaching, Learning, Living, follower  (view more)  (view less)

Why Preachers Should Love Praise And Worship

By Adam Russell on Sep 19, 2020

Are you treating praise and worship as a warm-up act for the "main event" or something greater?

Tags: Music, Worship, Teaching, Preaching, Adoration  (view more)  (view less)

Why Your Congregation Is Your Second Text

By Mike Glenn on Oct 27, 2020

Pastor Mike Glenn suggests every sermon requires us to exegete our audience as well as the Biblical text. Here's why.

Tags: Preaching, Congregation, role, second text

The Dirty Truth About Honoraria

By John Stackhouse on Jul 16, 2021

Count up all of those hours -- is that what we really think our preachers are worth?

Tags: honoraria, Speak, Preaching, teach, speaker  (view more)  (view less)

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)

The Strange Glory Of Ordinary Things

By SermonCentral .com on Aug 14, 2021

John Piper's antidote to keep a preacher from going crazy.

Scripture: 1 Samuel 1:1-15

Tags: Glory, Preaching, Ordinary, john piper

All Pastors Plagiarize--Here's Why

By Erik Raymond on Aug 6, 2021

We read, listen, talk, think, integrate, pray and listen. This is what we do. "In one very real sense, pastors don’t know what is original and what is not."

Tags: Steal, Preaching, pastor, Plagiarism, Pastor  (view more)  (view less)

Bad Theological Analogies, Brought To You By St. Patrick

By SermonCentral .com on Mar 16, 2021

The problem with using analogies to explain the Holy Trinity is that you always end up confessing some ancient heresy.

Scripture: John 5:1-16

Tags: analogy, St Patrick, Preaching, Theology

The Top Secret Agendas Carried By Your Congregation

By Chris Surber on Sep 11, 2021

Every church member carries an agenda in the secret briefcase of their heart. What's their agenda?

Tags: Agenda, Affirm, Preaching, challenge, Congregation  (view more)  (view less)

The Whisper That Made Me Leave My Church

By Tod Bolsinger on Sep 10, 2021

I would hear that line echoed in my mind long after each conversation was over: "Why didn't seminary prepare me for this?"

Scripture: 1 Samuel 15:1-25

Tags: curriculum, Preaching, prepare, Theology, Seminary  (view more)  (view less)

10 Differences Between Borrowing And Stealing Someone Else's Sermon

By James Emery White on Sep 27, 2021

Good communicators borrow material all the time. But how should you communicate your sources of ideas and inspiration?

Tags: Steal, Preaching, Borrow, Plagiarism, Quotes  (view more)  (view less)

People Don't Want To Sit And Listen Anymore: 4 Ways To Connect With A New Generation

By SermonCentral .com on Nov 25, 2019

Most people who leave the church aren't leaving God. Many of them are leaving the way we do church to try and find God.

Scripture: Romans 3:21-31, Acts 20:7-12

Tags: Preaching, Listen, Shift, disconnect, distrust  (view more)  (view less)

Make Your Sermon Unforgettable—three Keys

By Tim Coressel on Oct 8, 2019

From the moment you "close in prayer," that message you labored over for hours will begin to fade in the minds of your audience.

Scripture: Isaiah 11:6-9

Tags: Preaching, passion, Real, unforgettable sermon

One Dozen Liberating Life Lessons That Give Pastors Rest For Their Souls

By Ray Hollenbach on Oct 28, 2019

We are loaded down with so many "shoulds," we find ourselves paralyzed by the inability to apply what we know.

Tags: Rest, Soul, Preaching, life lessons