In Preaching Articles: "Valuing One Another"

The Overwhelming Majority Of Pastors Don’t Have One

By Lance Witt on Jul 25, 2023

The truth is those of us in ministry often don’t do the friendship thing very well. One survey among pastors found that 70 percent do not have a close friend, confidant, or mentor. Henri Nouwen wrote, “Most Christian leadership is exercised by people who do not know how to develop healthy, intimate relationships.” What an indictment.

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The One Time Jesus Prayed For You (Part 1)

By Lance Witt on Apr 2, 2024

Unity is not passive, it is active. And if we are going to experience it, we have to work for it.

Scripture: Ephesians 4:3, John 17:21-23

Tags: Prejudice, selfish ambition

The One Time Jesus Prayed For You (Part 2)

By Lance Witt on Apr 3, 2024

“What does true “unity” look like practically? If Jesus’ prayer was answered, what would be the evidence?”

Scripture: Romans 12:10, Acts 4:32-35

Tags: Generosity, christian unity, Church Unity, local church purpose

One Question You Must Never Ask In Ministry

By Joe Mckeever on Sep 6, 2023

Disciples of Jesus Christ must never try to calculate the cost/benefit of some act of ministry.

Scripture: Colossians 3:23-24, Luke 18:8, Ecclesiastes 11:6

Tags: Faithfulness, Leadership General, questions, measuring success

Shut Down The Bus Tours: What Older Members Should Really Be Doing

By Carey Nieuwhof on Aug 8, 2023

What if this one generation actually just sacrificed for the sake of another? What if they gave up their preferences in music, style and taste so that others could come to know Christ?

Tags: God's family, Life Mission, mission, Intergenerational

How Leaders Encourage Cooperation On A Team

By Ron Edmondson on Aug 19, 2022

Do you want people to get along, support one another, and join forces to achieve the vision? Of course you do. All leaders want their teams to cooperate.

Scripture: Psalm 133:1

Tags: unity, Teamwork, Cooperation, Divisions, collaboration, church leadership, Team Dynamics, Team Tension  (view more)  (view less)

Running The Race With God Beside Me: Eric Liddell’s Journey Of Faith - Part 2

By Duncan Hamilton on Mar 26, 2024

Liddell wasn’t for sale at any price. He told one congregation that ‘the greatest danger was victory,’ which he further defined as ‘bringing a man up to a level above the strength of his character’. He appealed to another to ‘keep sport free from anything that tends to lower its purity and value’ and to ‘engage in it’ for ‘the sport’s sake alone’. He revealed to a third that no cheering from an athletics crowd had given as much pleasure as his religion.

Scripture: Genesis 19:30-38

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The Radical Experiment: One Year To A Church Turned Upside Down

By David Platt on Jan 13, 2025

David Platt dares pastors and their congregations to take a leap of faith and test the claims contained in the gospel.

Scripture: Matthew 9:35-38

Tags: Faith, Outreach, Gospel, Missions, Prayer, radical, Evangelism Urgency, Gospel obedience, gospel, Gospel Obedience  (view more)  (view less)

Which Bible Translation Is Best? How To Choose The Right One

By Clay Smith on Jul 16, 2021

Christians often debate Bible translations, but the real goal is understanding and living God’s Word. Learn how different translations work and how to choose wisely.

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16, Acts 2:6, Hebrews 4:12, Psalm 119:105, James 1:22  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Bible, Holy Spirit, Guide, translation, Bible Influence, bible  (view more)  (view less)

The One Thing Nearly Everyone Forgets When It Comes To Hermeneutics

By Peter Mead on Nov 4, 2024

One key dimension tends to be overlooked when we talk about hermeneutics: the interpreter's heart.

Scripture: Psalm 10:1-17

Tags: preaching, Revelation, Preaching, advice, hermeneutics  (view more)  (view less)

When A Pastor Is A Growth Barrier - Part One: Dealing With Sin

By Ed Stetzer on Apr 14, 2024

I have worked for a long time to help pastors with growth barriers in their church. They can be anything from worship issues to strategy to theology and more. So many barriers can get in the way of a church growing, but a central one isn’t found in the processes of the church. There may be a number of reasons a ministry grows cold and a church slows down. But often, the heart of the problem is the heart of the pastor.

Tags: CLERGY SIN

Good & Bad Cases Of Church Discipline

By Ray Hollenbach on Mar 10, 2025

A real church incident exposes why believers distrust discipline. Yet Scripture shows discipline is meant to heal, not harm, calling us to restore one another with Christ’s presence.

Tags: pastoral care, Pastoral Care

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

By Ray Hollenbach on Oct 27, 2019

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

Tags: life lessons, Rest, Soul, Preaching

There's More Than One Way To Prepare A Sermon: 5 Approaches

By Brandon Kelley on Oct 15, 2025

Listen in as pastors share real-life examples of sermmon prep.

Tags: Preaching, sermon prep, Sermon Prep, preaching, Sermon prep  (view more)  (view less)

Christmas Is Too Big For One Day: Why We Celebrate Advent

By Dr. Andreas Kostenberger on Dec 5, 2024

Jesus’s birth did not come in a vacuum. His coming was the culmination of centuries, even millennia, of mounting expectation of the coming Messiah and Savior of humankind.

Scripture: Genesis 3:15, 1 Samuel 13:14, Luke 2:10-11

Tags: Advent, Christmas Advent, Waiting on God, Spiritual Preparation