In Preaching Articles: "Why Jesus Bled"

Why Pastors Shouldn't Read Anonymous Notes

By David Whiting on Dec 23, 2021

Pastors and church leaders often receive anonymous comments, mysteriously appearing in the church office,the offering plate, or the “comments” section of the Sunday communication card.A few years ago, I stopped reading them. They don’t even get passed onto me. Asa church leader, I recommend that you do the same thing.

Tags: leadership, Boundaries, ignore, influences in life, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

Why Pastors Should Preach The Gospel In Every Sermon

By Greg Stier on Jul 17, 2023

Believe it or not doing something as simple as giving the Gospel in every sermon can literally transform your church.

Scripture: Matthew 26:26-28, Acts 2:42-47, Acts 4:31-34, Acts 26:17-18, 1 Corinthians 1:18, 1 Corinthians 2:2, 1 Corinthians 11:17-34, 1 Corinthians 14:24-25, 2 Corinthians 5:11, Colossians 4:4  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Communion, challenge, preaching the gospel, gospel invitation

Why Was I So Hard On That Church I Visited?

By Karl Vaters on Jul 1, 2022

How might a newcomer view your church? What barriers may they face? What obstacles could be unintentionally in the way of them connecting and finding a place to belong?

Tags: leadership, Visitors, church ministry, Welcoming Others, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

A Modest Proposal: Less Sermon Prep In Favor Of More Time Making Disciples?

By Bill Couchenour on Sep 5, 2021

Is it possible to reach the U.S. for Jesus in less than a decade by cutting sermon prep time in half?

Scripture: Matthew 7:24-28

Tags: Jesus, Outreach, Preaching, Disciples, sermon prep, Sermon Prep  (view more)  (view less)

Five Marks Of A Servant Leader

By SermonCentral .com on May 15, 2022

What traits do we look for in a leader that suggest his fundamental orientation is Christlike servanthood?

Scripture: Philippians 1:25, Matthew 20:26-28, Psalm 15:4, Ephesians 6:6, John 7:18, 1 Timothy 3:1-13, 1 Corinthians 11:16, 1 Corinthians 5:2, 1 Corinthians 9:7, Luke 22:25-56, John 13:1-17, Matthew 16:23, Philippians 2:9-11, Matthew 18:15-20  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: servant leader, glory of God, servant leadership, servanthood of Jesus

Heads Up, Eyes Open, Everyone Looking Around Weekend Invitations

By Dean Hawk on Aug 2, 2023

I’m curious. When and where did ministers first begin asking people to bow their heads, close their eyes, and secretly raise their hand in a church service if they wanted to accept Jesus? Why do we feel like we need to sneak people into heaven?

Tags: Salvation, gospel invitation, Empowered churches

5 Preaching Gems For Maundy Thursday

By Ray Hollenbach on Oct 1, 2025

The Last Supper: More than history, more than a painting, it's the living example of how to go through stressful times.

Tags: Jesus, Easter, Preaching, Easter Maundy Thursday, the last supper, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

5 Thoughts About Spending Your Leadership Equity Wisely

By SermonCentral .com on Feb 5, 2021

When you walk into a leadership opportunity, you go with a little bit of equity by virtue of your position. Every decision you make, and every risk you lead your organization to take will require an investment of some of your leadership equity (the trust people place in you).

Tags: Trust, leadership, Preaching, parables, opportunity, jesus parables, Leadership, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

6 Ways To Grow In The Gospels

By William Boekestein on Apr 26, 2021

A number of years ago I was about to preach for the first time in a certain church. As I arranged my papers and books I noticed a sign near the top of the pulpit. It was a quotation from John 12:21: “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”

Scripture: Mark 9:7, Mark 15:1-15, Matthew 27:3, Mark 6:34, Acts 26:22-23, John 12:21, Matthew 14:20, Hebrews 12:2, John 11:15, Luke 24:44-45, Hebrews 1:1, Jeremiah 8:1-3  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Jesus, Biblical, preaching Christ, Preaching Gospels, Rakahanga gospel day  (view more)  (view less)

It's All About The Groom

By Lance Witt on Apr 11, 2024

In a healthy church Jesus is the most famous person. He gets the most airtime, he is the most talked about, and he is clearly center stage.

Scripture: Revelation 19:7, John 3:29, Song of Songs 8:1-4

Tags: Church Health, Pastoral Character, fixing eyes on Jesus, Christ Centered

7 Steps To Start Becoming A Church People Want To Commit To

By Karl Vaters on Apr 11, 2022

A growing number of people who do go to church don’t want to go, either. If we don’t give them something worth committing to, they’ll be gone soon.

Tags: Learning, inspiration, Leadership Listening, fixing eyes on Jesus, commitment to church  (view more)  (view less)

6 Reasons Why Pastors Must Be More Courageous Today

By SermonCentral .com on Aug 19, 2019

Thom Rainer believes we are in the midst of a cultural shift--and it's no time to shrink back from our calling.

Tags: Preaching

Why Some People Aren’t Happy With Your Preaching

By Peter Mead on Feb 27, 2025

Many pastors are blindsided when members quietly express frustration with their preaching. The reasons vary widely, ranging from communication issues to personality friction to the discomfort of genuine conviction. Preachers can respond well, shepherd wisely, and preach faithfully for the glory of Christ.

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16, Hebrews 4:12, James 3:1, Galatians 1:10, 2 Timothy 4:2, 1 Corinthians 2:1-5  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Communication, Preaching, Criticism, church leadership, criticism, Sermon Preparation, communication, preaching, sermon preparation, Church Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

Why The Church In Corinth Might Be Our Best Model Today

By Chuck Warnock on Jul 27, 2020

The Corinthian church was messy, immature, and flawed, yet deeply alive. Their enthusiasm, participation, and real-world faith may offer a better model than polished programs.

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 3:1-6, 1 Corinthians 1:2-7, 1 Corinthians 11:17-22, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, 1 Corinthians 13:1-13  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Preaching, Christian growth, preaching, Christian Growth

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