In Preaching Articles: "Unforgettable Sermon"

Great Preaching Lives In The Tension: Here's How

By Brandon Kelley on Jan 4, 2021

A sermon speaks from the grand narrative of Scripture to the grand narrative of your life. These two stories have identifiable tension points: use them!

Tags: Preaching, preaching

Why Illustrations Matter In Preaching: Learning From Jesus’ Use Of Parables

By Leslie Holmes on Jan 14, 2024

Parables and illustrations bring preaching to life. These seven tests help pastors use stories wisely to clarify truth, reduce resistance, and make sermons memorable.

Scripture: Matthew 13:34, Nehemiah 8:8, 2 Timothy 4:2, Psalm 78:2, Luke 8:10  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Expository Preaching, expository preaching

Why Powerful Preaching Requires Getting Personal

By SermonCentral .com on Apr 23, 2023

Solid sermon structure matters, but preaching becomes powerful when pastors risk personal vulnerability and let real life carry biblical truth home.

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 1:3-7, Psalm 40:1-3, James 5:10-11, Romans 8:18-25, 2 Corinthians 12:9  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Preaching, Story, storm, Pastoral Ministry, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

How To Preach To The Heart

By John Bjorge on Nov 15, 2021

Faithful preaching requires more than good exegesis. When sermons speak to the heart with trust, integrity, and lived faith, real gospel transformation follows.

Scripture: Colossians 1:3-6, 2 Corinthians 4:2, 1 Thessalonians 2:8, James 1:22

Tags: Preaching, spiritual formation, preaching, Spiritual Formation

Improve Your Preaching In 5 Easy Steps Right Now

By Erik Raymond on Aug 17, 2020

Every preacher wants to get better. Erik Raymond offers five things you can do right away to impact your next sermon.

Tags: Preaching

Tony Evans On The Power In Preaching

By Tony Evans on Feb 18, 2024

Dr. Tony Evans of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas gives his thoughts on preaching to men, sermon preparation and staying fresh for the long haul.

Tags: Man, Preaching, Masculinity, manliness, Tony Evans, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

How To Preach Like You’re Having A Conversation

By Lane Sebring on Jan 20, 2026

Want your sermons to connect on a deeper level? Learn how a conversational preaching style can make your message more personal, relatable, and engaging.

Tags: authentic ministry, Authentic Ministry

Jerry Rice And The Art Of Preaching Well

By Derwin Gray on Jun 25, 2024

Insights from Jerry Rice’s passion, self-awareness, and heroic mindset show preachers how to cultivate love, authenticity, and Gospel-centered confidence.

Scripture: Ephesians 3:16-19

Tags: Evangelism, Witness, Gospel, Sports, Preaching, Lost, football, Christian Witness, pastoral leadership, gospel ministry, evangelism, gospel, preaching, Pastoral Leadership, Gospel Ministry, Sermon Craft, Ministry Skills  (view more)  (view less)

8 Ways To Hook Your Congregation Into Your Message

By SermonCentral .com on May 11, 2020

Your sermon text is central, but it doesn’t always need to come first. Strong hooks help listeners connect their lives to Scripture before exposition begins.

Scripture: Nehemiah 8:8, Luke 24:27, Ecclesiastes 12:10

Tags: Bird, Preaching, Anxiety, Field, flowers, preaching, anxiety  (view more)  (view less)

10 Preaching Mistakes Everyone Can Avoid

By Jared Moore on Jun 8, 2020

If you want people leaving your sermon focused on God, avoid these common preaching mistakes. These ten pitfalls distract hearers from the text and diminish exposition.

Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:15, Nehemiah 8:8, James 1:21-22, 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, Psalm 19:7-10  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Preaching, mistakes, preaching, Preaching Mistakes

10 Ways To Authenticate Your Preaching

By Jared Moore on Aug 10, 2020

Your hearers often hear you before they hear the Scriptures. If your people know you, they’ll have a better basis for understanding your sermons.

Scripture: 1 Timothy 3:1-7, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Tags: Service, Humility, Preaching, Biblical, Context, authentic, preaching, context, Authentic  (view more)  (view less)

Do You Preach Around The Text, Or Do You Preach The Text?

By Dr. Scott M. Gibson on Dec 15, 2024

After listening to sermons all these years, I have concluded preachers either talk before the text or talk around the text but rarely talk about the text.

Scripture: Hosea 4:1-6, Psalm 30:1

Tags: Preaching, preaching

5 Ways To Make Your Preaching More Practical And Relevant

By Rick Ezell on Jan 30, 2025

Practical preaching requires more than exegesis of Scripture. These five steps help you exegete your people—making sermons clearer, warmer, and more genuinely relevant.

Scripture: Acts 17:16-34, Romans 10:4

Tags: Preaching, Culture, Self, Relevance, audience, application, preaching, culture  (view more)  (view less)

Are You A Preacher Or A Motivational Speaker?

By Sherman Haywood Cox on Jan 6, 2023

Many sermons sound inspiring yet leave out the cross and the coming kingdom. When preaching mimics self-help, it loses the gospel’s power and eternal focus.

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, Luke 9:23, Galatians 6:14, Matthew 6:19-21

Tags: Pastoral Ministry

Why Some Preachers Get Better And Others Don't

By Hershael York on May 24, 2021

"I've seen guys whose initial sermon was depressingly awful turn it around so radically I almost couldn't recognize them as the same preacher."

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:2

Tags: Preaching, Price, better, Improve