In Preaching Articles: "Watered Down"

Your Unchurched Neighbors Don’t Want A Watered-Down Sermon

By Carey Nieuwhof on May 9, 2023

Can you craft a message series for unchurched people and still be faithful to scripture?

Tags: Preaching, Faithful, Unchurched, preaching, Watered Down  (view more)  (view less)

Preaching For Life-Change

By Rick Long on Mar 31, 2025

Does preaching for life-change always produce a watered down message?

Tags: Preaching, preaching

Ok, Your Sermon Is Complete, But Here's One Way To Improve Tomorrow's Delivery

By Nicholas Mcdonald on Sep 13, 2021

The content is solid and the application is spot on, but there's one more way to improve.

Scripture: John 17:1-11

Tags: Preaching, Confidence, slow down, Slow down

Slow Down, Big Fella—what A Motorcyclist Taught Me About Preaching

By Joe Mckeever on Mar 3, 2023

Nowhere in Scripture do we see Jesus shifting into oratorical overdrive and putting on a show for the people.

Scripture: Philemon 1:1-20

Tags: Preaching, slow down, suggestions, Slow down, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Four Reasons To Slow Down

By SermonCentral .com on Apr 6, 2022

We cannot love what we do not linger over.

Scripture: Romans 8:29, Colossians 1:10, 2 Peter 3:9, Galatians 5:22

Tags: Transformation, Rest, soul care, Change is a Process, Looking back to go f  (view more)  (view less)

Slow Down! And Connect Your Preaching To Lectio Divina

By C. Christopher Smith on Nov 1, 2019

If we re-cast preaching as a kind of "slow reading," we might lead our congregations into deeper engagement with the biblical text--and with one another.

Scripture: Luke 23:45-46, Psalm 1:1-6

Tags: Preaching, exegesis, lectio divina, slow reading

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

By David Platt on Jan 14, 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  (view more)  (view less)

The Status Quo Every Sermon Should Break

By Peter Mead on Nov 22, 2024

The truth is that our entire world is upside down. Every cell in this universe is corrupted by the fall.

Scripture: Romans 1:28-32

Tags: Truth, Preaching, upside down, Status Quo, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Are You A Pastor Stuck On Hurry?

By Charles Stone on Nov 26, 2019

Hurry is an enemy of learning. Leaders are always looking ahead for the next hill to climb. But sometimes we must pause and make ourselves fully present in the moment so we don't miss God's subtle, but important lessons.

Tags: Learning, life lessons, God's timing, hurry, slow down, Hurry, Slow down, Hectic Pace, Life Lessons, God's Timing  (view more)  (view less)

You May Be Called To Preach, But You Still Need A Role Model

By Joe Mckeever on Jan 16, 2020

"He gave no introduction to the sermon. This man simply stepped off the high diving board into the deep water. Except there was no deep water."

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 12:9

Tags: Preaching, preaching

Two Urgent Questions: Nail Them Down Before You Preach

By Lane Sebring on Nov 8, 2021

Sometimes the best sermon prep is the questions you ask yourself.

Tags: Preaching, Objective, urgent questions, desired response, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

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

5 Problems With Top-Down Vision Casting And A New Testament Alternative

By SermonCentral .com on Mar 7, 2022

Acts 2 does not give us a picture of Peter hearing from God in private, then coming to the disciples with the vision.

Scripture: Habakkuk 2:2, Proverbs 29:18, Acts 2:14

Tags: vision, empower, pastoral leadership, dreams and visions

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

By Carey Nieuwhof on Aug 9, 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

Why Successful Churches Aren’t Turning The World Upside-Down – But The Outcasts Might

By SermonCentral .com on Jul 31, 2023

Jesus was the most culture-challenging, paradigm-shifting, tradition-breaking, change agent who ever lived.

Tags: leadership, Small Church, church in society, prophetic voice, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)