In Preaching Articles:

How To Preach Like The Weeping Prophet

By Chris Surber on May 21, 2025

Love in the pastorate--not logic in the academic hall--wins people to Christ.

Tags: Preaching, Gospel of Luke, Weeping, preaching, Prophet, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Matthew  (view more)  (view less)

Preaching To Promote Life Together

By Chris Surber on May 20, 2025

Preach with a focus to cultivate life together and nurture incarnate community rather than simple gatherings of people.

Tags:

Letter To A (Real Life) Hurting Pastor

By Chris Surber on Apr 26, 2025

Author Chris Surber suggests six avenues to handle the hurt and disappointment so common in pastoral ministry.

Tags: Preaching, preaching

Preaching The Messy Way

By Chris Surber on Apr 24, 2025

The greater the distance between you and your listeners, the easier it is to preach at them. Sharing life with them leads you to preaching the messy way.

Scripture: John 6:66-71

Tags:

How To Preach Like A Combat Medic

By Chris Surber on Apr 22, 2025

Can you bring the goods when life and death are at stake?

Tags: Preaching, preaching

Christmas Preaching Needs Resurrecting!

By Chris Surber on Dec 24, 2024

If we want Christmas preaching to matter, we've got to preach like Christmas matters.

Scripture: Luke 2:22-40, Mark 11:1-10, Matthew 1:21

Tags: Christmas, Preaching, preaching

How Your Preaching Can Destroy Modern Idols

By Chris Surber on Nov 15, 2024

Every church has those things that it clings to that are off the table for change or removal, and usually even for discussion--unless you bring them up.

Scripture: Leviticus 26:30

Tags: Preaching, destroy, Discussion, modern idols, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Do You Preach To Real People Or Straw Men?

By Chris Surber on Nov 8, 2024

Preaching in the abstract means missing real lives and real people. Here are four ways to connect to real people.

Tags: preaching, Holy Spirit, Preaching, Sensitive, real people, straw men  (view more)  (view less)

Don't Get Caught In The Practical Preaching Trap

By Chris Surber on Nov 4, 2024

Life isn't a series of problems to be solved. It is a journey to be lived out.

Scripture: 2 Peter 3:1-18

Tags: Preaching, Practical, trap, glorify god, corporate worship, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Why You Should Train Others To Preach

By Chris Surber on Oct 4, 2024

What is your church doing to train future preachers and pastors?

Tags: Preaching, teach, instruct, benefit, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Are You Training Lay Preachers? You Should!

By Chris Surber on Jan 24, 2024

When we neglect to develop and maintain active lay ministry in the life of the local church, our churches miss out in at least five ways.

Scripture: Proverbs 17:17

Tags:

Does A Pastor Preach Christ At The Funeral Of An Unbeliever?

By Chris Surber on Aug 4, 2023

Preaching Christ at the funeral of an unbeliever requires the subtle art of careful preaching. It’s as much about what you don’t say as what you do say.

Tags: Preaching, Funeral, unbeliever, preaching Christ, preaching, Unbeliever  (view more)  (view less)

Pastor, Are You Chasing Stray Dogs?

By Chris Surber on Jan 27, 2023

"Here is a list of people who have left the church in the last few years. We would like you to call on them to see if you can win a few of them back."

Tags: stray dog, preaching, church, Church, Preaching, members, Church Health  (view more)  (view less)

Practically Impractical

By Chris Surber on Apr 30, 2022

In all of our efforts to be relevant are we forgetting the mysterious beauty of God?

Tags: Kingdom, God's Kingdom, mystery of Christ, eternal perspective

5 Filters For A Funeral Sermon

By Chris Surber on Feb 7, 2022

I’ve preached a lot of funerals. Along the way I’ve learned some lessons from others and I’ve learned some lessons the hard way.

Tags: Preaching, Funerals Christian, preaching Christ, Funerals, preaching  (view more)  (view less)