In Preaching Articles: "Unfailing Love"

Why I Pace Before I Preach

By Walter Wangerin Jr. on Apr 30, 2020

Preaching demands the whole person, and fear often accompanies love for God and His people. Pacing, trembling, and praying become part of delivering a faithful message.

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 2:3, Jeremiah 20:9, Exodus 4:10-12, 2 Corinthians 4:7, James 3:1  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Emotions, Preaching, pulpit, preparation, preaching, Pastoral Life, Pulpit  (view more)  (view less)

Cut Off Your Hand, Tear Out Your Eye

By Ray Ortlund on Aug 2, 2022

Hard words are not harmful words—when they come from Jesus. The real Jesus loves us enough to accept us freely and confront us honestly.

Scripture: Colossians 2:23, Philippians 3:14, Hebrews 13:21, Matthew 5:6, Titus 2:11-12, Hebrews 12:4, 1 Corinthians 9:27, Matthew 5:29-30  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Righteousness, Theology, soul care, Hard Teaching

When A Private Apology Is Not Enough

By Joe Mckeever on Jul 14, 2022

"Nothing is so lovely and so welcome and so healing in a church as for a member to go before the congregation and admit to his/her destructive behavior and ask for forgiveness."

Tags: Humility, Reconciliation, repentance, restitution, Confession of Sin, church ministry, Apology, Making things right, Admitting Guilt, Repentance  (view more)  (view less)

Has The Church Lost Its Passion?

By Jim Morgan on Mar 17, 2021

Passion is what we can’t keep inside. It spills over and can’t be contained. We love our kids – we can’t help but talk about them. We love our favorite sports teams – we talk about them first thing Monday morning at the water cooler. Christians love God more than anything else – He should constantly be on the tips of our tongues. Our passion for the Lord should be evident to all those around us. “Private Christian” should be an oxymoron – our faith should pour out through every fiber of our being.

Tags: Discipleship, passion, social justice, Sharing Your Faith

Slaves In Your Church’s Backyard

By David Batstone on Dec 13, 2022

Modern slavery hides in plain sight. These stories reveal how trafficking thrives worldwide and even locally, calling Christians to seek justice with persistent, sacrificial love.

Tags: Compassion, Culture, Slavery, Justice, traffic, injustice, Human Trafficking, abolition, culture, Modern Slavery, Abolition  (view more)  (view less)

Check Your Church's Outreach Heartbeat: Recovering A Passion For Outreach

By Kevin Harney on Mar 16, 2025

Every church shows a spiritual heartbeat. From flatline to rapid pulse, God desires a heart renewed by His love so that evangelism flows naturally and organically.

Scripture: Revelation 2:1

Tags: Evangelism, Outreach, Growth, Church Health, Spiritual Renewal, evangelism  (view more)  (view less)

Doing Ministry Without Losing Your Soul Part 1

By Lance Witt on May 12, 2024

"There is nothing worse than trying to inspire people to be passionate about God when you have little or no passion yourself. There is nothing more empty feeling than trying to connect people to God when you feel disconnected from God."

Tags: pastoral leadership, Pastoral Ministry, soul care, avoiding burnout, church ministry, Growing in Faith, Christ's Love for Us, Healthy Ministry  (view more)  (view less)

10 Things Every New Believer Should Know

By Brian Mavis on Mar 6, 2025

New believers thrive when they learn God’s love, grace, Scripture, prayer, community, and Christ centered living early. These ten lessons safeguard a healthy start.

Scripture: Matthew 6:33, James 4:10, Romans 5:8, 1 John 4:16, James 1:22  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Discipleship, spiritual formation, Spiritual Formation

Christmas: Not A Time For Inventing Twists On The Age-Old Story

By Joe Mckeever on Dec 13, 2024

Tell it with gusto and love. Tell the story of the birth of Jesus with all the excitement of someone hearing it for the first time. Tell the story without detouring into theories and guesses and myths and controversies.

Scripture: Luke 2:11

Tags: Christmas, Simplicity, storytelling, Christmas Advent

How To Do Justice And Not Undermine Evangelism

By Don Carson on Feb 16, 2025

D. A. Carson explains how Christians can pursue justice without eclipsing evangelism, keeping the gospel central while demonstrating genuine love through word and deed.

Tags: Evangelism, evangelism, Christian mission, Christian Mission

Is The Body Of Christ In Trouble?

By Barry O. Johnson on Sep 11, 2024

Barry Johnson offers some helpful insights into the state of the Church in America, and offers a loving call for pastors to take bold steps of faith wherever God has planted them.

Tags: Gospel, Truth, Preaching, Body of Christ, gospel, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Are You A "Do Something" Church?

By Miles Mcpherson on Jul 19, 2020

Many churches talk about impact but fail to act. Discover how counting real needs, walking toward the hurting, asking meaningful questions, and loving tangibly can transform a community.

Scripture: Mark 10:49-51, Luke 17:17-19, Luke 15:4, Luke 5:10-11, John 21:15-17  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Service, Servanthood

3 Reasons Good Preaching Is As Important As Ever

By Joe Hoagland on Jul 27, 2022

People love to tell you that preaching is irrelevant in this day and age. But contrary to this kind of thinking, good preaching does remain important. In fact, preaching remains as important as it has ever been.

Tags: Communication, Preaching, Teaching God's Word, Pastoral Ministry, faithful preaching, Value of Preaching, Modern Age, Busy Culture, Shepherd the Flock, communication, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

When People Leave: 4 Lessons In Rejection From Jesus

By Greg Surratt on Jul 7, 2021

Watching people leave hurts, even for pastors. Jesus’ response in John 6 shows how to process that pain with security in the Father’s love, trusted friends, and confidence in God’s sovereignty.

Scripture: John 6:25-71, John 11:35, Romans 8:28, Matthew 3:17, Hebrews 13:17  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Jesus, leadership, Preaching, Rejection, Leadership, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Legalism And Preaching

By Peter Mead on Feb 3, 2021

Defining legalism carefully is vitally important. It is important for each follower of Christ. It is a serious business to discount a restriction as legalism when it actually is displeasing to the One who loved us and gave Himself for us.

Tags: obedience, Preaching, Legalism