In Preaching Articles: "Birth Control"

The Birth Of A Sermon

By Brady Boyd on Aug 31, 2020

It's Monday, and just when you're ready to relax from the weekend, you realize you have to start the sermon process all over again.

Tags: Preaching, preparation, preaching

Allowing The Spirit To Take Control Of Your Sermon

By Leslie Holmes on Apr 16, 2025

Somewhere inside most of us who preach lingers the need to be in control. It's what we do best, but being in control is the worst thing we can be when it comes to preaching!

Tags: Holy Spirit, Preaching, Triune, Holy Spirit General, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

8 Ways To Deal With Control Freaks In Your Church

By SermonCentral .com on Apr 13, 2026

Especially in small churches, each member has greater impact. This tends to attract control freaks. But we can deal with them lovingly and effectively.

Tags: Preaching, preaching

A Novel Idea For Preaching Christmas

By H.b. Charles, Jr. on Nov 30, 2018

We assume our congregations know the biblical story and doctrinal meaning of Christmas. So we avoid major texts and look for something new or novel to say about the old, old story.

Scripture: 2 Peter 1:12-15

Tags: Christmas, Preaching, Birth of Jesus, storytelling

Great Preaching Through The Christmas Season

By Ray Hollenbach on Dec 11, 2020

Some people think the Christmas verses are the stuff of Christmas pageants and cheesy dramas. They are also fuel for great preaching.

Scripture: James 5:7-10, Matthew 1:18-20

Tags: preaching, Christmas, Jesus, Preaching, Birth, Christmas Star  (view more)  (view less)

The Most Difficult Aspect Of Praying

By Joe Mckeever on Jun 7, 2024

"If we cannot walk by faith and believe by faith–a redundancy, of course–we will stop praying."

Scripture: Psalm 23:3, Luke 18:1, 2 Corinthians 5:7

Tags: Faith, Prayer, God's Will, Confidence, Trust God, God in control, God hears prayer  (view more)  (view less)

Fill Your Christmas Preaching With Nobodies

By Ray Hollenbach on Dec 21, 2018

Jesus was smuggled into Bethlehem through the womb of a teenage girl, who gave birth in a barn. That’s different.

Tags: Mary, Christmas, Preaching, nobody

Sorry, Pastors – The Growth Of The Church Is Not Up To Us

By Karl Vaters on Jun 4, 2024

"Preaching the Word, training disciples and ministering to the community may or may not increase the number of people who sit in front of me from Sunday to Sunday. But it will produce a healthy church."

Tags: pastoral leadership, call to discipleship, church leadership, Church Growth, Surrender, Healthy Church, God's Church, God in control  (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

How Your Calendar Is Killing You (And What To Do About It)

By Carey Nieuwhof on Jun 30, 2024

Here’s the sad truth: when your calendar is out of control, so are you. And so is your life.

Tags: pastoral leadership, Busyness, Time Management, productivity, Personal Life, Balanced Life, Workplace Balance, Schedule  (view more)  (view less)

Christmas: Not A Time For Inventing Twists On The Age-Old Story

By Joe Mckeever on Dec 13, 2024

Tell it with gusto and love. Tell the story of the birth of Jesus with all the excitement of someone hearing it for the first time. Tell the story without detouring into theories and guesses and myths and controversies.

Scripture: Luke 2:11

Tags: Christmas Advent, Christmas, Simplicity, storytelling

How To Enjoy Christmas As A Pastor

By Lance Witt on Dec 18, 2024

About 3 years ago, it was the very end of December and I was not in a good place. I was frustrated and honestly I was mad at myself. Our schedule had been out of control and I was worn out.

Scripture: Luke 2:17-19, Luke 2:8

Tags: Mary, Christmas, pastoral leadership, Time of Reflection

Why Kids Need Exegetical Bible Teaching For The Long Haul

By Cameron Cole on Nov 14, 2022

"Preparing kids to face the real world on their own is scary and daunting. There are only so many things we can do and there are no guarantees. Within the realm of things, we can control resides the teaching of God’s word."

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16

Tags: Youth Ministry, guard the truth, child training, Discipleship, teach, parenting, Equip, parenthood  (view more)  (view less)

The Gift Of Being Unproductive - Part 2

By Lance Witt on Mar 29, 2024

Over time I’ve learned that Sabbath is not a have-to, it’s a get-to. This incredible gift from God allows us to reflect, restore, and replenish. During Sabbath God whispers, “I’m in control.

Tags:

How To Keep Your Brain Sharp

By Charles Stone on Oct 29, 2023

The brain is a masterpiece of God’s creation. It grows rapidly from birth until the mid-twenties. Unfortunately, it’s downhill from there. Even though you can’t avoid getting older, you can take some simple steps to keep your brain sharp.

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 6:19

Tags: leadership, Aging, Health, pastoral leadership, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)