In Preaching Articles: "Watered Down"

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

A Risk Worth Taking

By Leigh Ann Carey Looyenga on Apr 9, 2024

Are you tired? Worn down by the pace of life and ministry? Do you feel like the abundant life may not be for ministry leaders?

Scripture: Genesis 2:1-2, Deuteronomy 5:6

Tags: Sunday, Sabbath, relationships, Rest, intimacy with Christ  (view more)  (view less)

A Word From A 2700 Year Old Pastor

By Lance Witt on Apr 15, 2021

Pastors listen to other pastors. We listen to other people in ministry who are down in the trenches doing the hard work of leading others.

Scripture: Jeremiah 6:16

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Joni Eareckson Tada’s Advice For When You Don’t Wake Up Feeling Happy

By Randy Alcorn on Aug 29, 2022

It’s true that we can’t make ourselves happy in God any more than a seed can make itself grow. But we’re not just seeds. We’re greenhouse farmers who can make sure the seed is planted, watered, and fertilized.

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 12:9, 1 Corinthians 3:6

Tags: Perseverance, happiness, Joy, Hope, Depression, Sorrow, Melancholy, Fighting for Joy, Up lift  (view more)  (view less)

7 Helps Every Wedding Sermon Should Contain

By Joe Mckeever on Sep 29, 2025

"What words of lasting value and incredible help can you utter during the ceremony that will make a difference down the road a year or two or ten?"

Scripture: Psalm 66:1-20

Tags: Preaching, preaching

10 Pointers For Preaching On A Touchy Issue

By Peter Mead on Apr 11, 2021

Sometimes we have to preach something that is potentially controversial or that may not go down too well. Here are ten pointers to help when that is necessary.

Scripture: Acts 17:22-32

Tags: leadership, Preaching, Prayer, Self knowledge, Leadership, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Looking At The "Insignificant” Parts Of The Text

By Sherman Haywood Cox on Sep 24, 2020

Familiar passages can still preach with power when you slow down, notice “insignificant” details, and unearth what the text actually emphasizes without forcing novelty.

Scripture: John 3:1-21, John 1:4-5, 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Tags: Preaching, storytelling, preaching, Storytelling

How To Avoid Settling For Good Enough Ministry

By SermonCentral .com on Apr 4, 2022

You can take a stand against “good enough ministry” in your church with a simple practice adopted from the business world: writing down how things should be done.

Tags: Excellence, details, church and business, church organization

How To Move Away From Watercolor Preaching

By Ray Hollenbach on Feb 27, 2026

Take ten minutes and write down the details from your preaching passage. Then ask yourself, “How can I help my listeners move from watercolor to the sharp clarity of oil?”

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The Migrant In The Mirror

By Patrick Johnstone on Mar 24, 2021

The headlines may have calmed down for a while, but the tragedy remains. Millions of people are on the move worldwide, many of them displaced people fleeing war, violence, religious persecution, economic poverty, or political chaos.

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The Reverse Altar Call

By Greg Stier on Aug 1, 2023

Sometimes the words “altar call” trigger images of sawdust trails and endless verses of “Just as I am” with preachers prodding, pushing and persuading sinners to come forward down the aisle in front of God and everyone.

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 6:2

Tags: Evangelism, strategy, Evangelism How To, Evangelism The Lost, evangelism  (view more)  (view less)

3 Ways To Defeat Leadership Discouragement

By Charles Stone on Dec 10, 2023

Discouragement comes with the territory for ministry leaders. Unmet goals, putting out fires, staff issues, displeasing people, and general tiredness all contribute to discouragement. When it weighs us down, how can we dig out? The life of the prophet Elijah gives us hope.

Tags: Perseverance, leadership, Discouragement, Depression, Elijah's faith, Pastoral Ministry, Elijah's Depression, Fighting for Joy, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

Breathing New Life Into Your Preaching

By Lance Witt on Mar 24, 2023

Fresh is always better. Taking a breath of clean, fresh air is way better than inhaling polluted air. Eating fresh bread is way better than choking down a piece of dry, stale bread. And likewise, sermons that are fresh are way better than warmed over messages.

Scripture: Luke 10:31

Tags: Preaching, New life, preaching

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

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