In Preaching Articles: "Have Ear"

Aim For The Ear

By Hershael York on May 23, 2025

Preaching is fundamentally an oral event, not a written one. Effective preachers understand that delivery, connection, and presence are essential to communicating the Word.

Scripture: Acts 2:37, 2 Timothy 4:2, 1 Corinthians 2:4, Nehemiah 8:8

Tags: Heart, Preaching, mistakes, Head, connection, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Listen To Your Sermon Just Before You Preach

By Mark Mohler on Dec 3, 2024

Sermons are not made for paper--they're made for the human ear. Have you tried listening to yours?

Scripture: Matthew 8:1-2

Tags: Preaching, Listen, Creativity, call to action, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Some Things I Have Learned About Leadership–and Have The Scars To Prove

By Joe Mckeever on Aug 17, 2022

To serve people “for Jesus’ sake” means we ask Him how to serve them.

Scripture: Matthew 25:21-23, Romans 13:7, Luke 12:48, 2 Corinthians 4:5, Luke 22:27, Mark 10:43-44  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: leadership, serve others, pastoral leadership, selfish ambition, servant leadership, Humility and Pride, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

Do We Have To Be Perfect To Preach?

By Dean Shriver on Feb 9, 2025

True preaching power comes not from technique but from integrity. When our lives align with the truth we proclaim, God uses both our words and our example to change lives.

Scripture: John 1:14

Tags: Preaching, spiritual formation, Pastoral Integrity, Christian Leadership, preaching, Spiritual Formation, Expository Ministry  (view more)  (view less)

Have You Half-Quit Preaching?

By Peter Mead on May 1, 2025

Preaching brings constant pressure and subtle temptations to disengage. Faithfulness requires resisting the half-quit and leaning into Christ.

Scripture: 1 Timothy 4:16, 1 Corinthians 15:10, Philippians 3:12, Jeremiah 20:9, 2 Timothy 4:2  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Preaching, quit, Spiritual Discipline, preaching

10 Ways To Have A Reproducing Culture

By Ron Edmondson on May 6, 2021

You can’t recruit leaders – at least not effectively – if you never develop a culture to do so. Reproducing cultures reproduce leaders.

Tags: empower, church culture, ministry vision, church leadership

Does Your Soul Have A Backbone?

By Lance Witt on Apr 25, 2021

Over the last few years my single most consistent prayer has been for spiritual courage. Being a coward comes quite naturally to me. I don’t like to fight. I don’t like rejection. I am definitely not a fan of pain. All of these are essential qualities of a coward.

Tags:

Does Your Soul Have A Backbone?

By Lance Witt on Aug 6, 2023

Over the last few years my single most consistent prayer has been for spiritual courage.

Tags: suffering, Courage, People pleasing, intimacy with Christ

"Get To" Vs. "Have To"

By Lance Witt on Apr 12, 2022

I am not exempt from the needs of my humanity simply because I am a pastor or ministry leader.

Scripture: Matthew 11:28-30

Tags: pastor, endurance with joy, rest in Jesus, fixing eyes on Jesus, Pastor  (view more)  (view less)

The Prayer I Have Prayed Most

By SermonCentral .com on Aug 23, 2022

I suppose, in my little prayer nook in my study, where I have a little prayer bench that I built in 1975, as I’ve bent over that bench thousands of times, the most common prayer has been, “Lead me not into temptation. Deliver me from evil (see Matthew 6:13). Keep me. Keep me. I feel so utterly unable to do the next thing. My kids are at the breakfast table. I have nothing. I’m supposed to model joyful fatherhood, and I’m so depressed I can hardly remember their names. Help me.”

Scripture: Ephesians 2:8, Psalm 16:1-5, Romans 11:36, Romans 8:16, Jude 1:20, Matthew 6:13  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Faith, Perseverance, Prayer, Depression, God's Strength, continue in faith, Power of the Spirit, By faith  (view more)  (view less)

Preach Like You Have Four Audiences

By Mark Gomez on Sep 22, 2020

Pastors never speak to only one audience. Learn how four “levels” of listeners hear your words, and how to speak truth in love with wisdom.

Scripture: Hebrews 2:1-18, Ephesians 4:15, Ephesians 6:18-20, Proverbs 18:21, James 1:19  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Ephesians

Have You Heard The Four Laws Of Sermonomics?

By Chris Foster on Jan 18, 2023

Great sermons are not accidental. These four “laws of sermonomics” explain how biblical truth, memorability, creativity, and clarity help sermons become life-changing.

Scripture: Psalm 19:1-6, John 8:32, 2 Timothy 4:2, Hebrews 4:12, Isaiah 55:11  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Preaching, Refresh, Change, Homiletics, sermonomics, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Why Christians Have Stopped Reading The Bible

By Peter Mead on Jul 10, 2025

Bible reading is declining in churches, but the causes run deeper than busyness. Fragmented reading, historical ignorance, isolation, and pulpit apathy are all contributing factors.

Scripture: Psalm 119:18, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Deuteronomy 17:19, Joshua 1:8, Nehemiah 8:8  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Bible, Study, Preaching, Isolation, fragment, preaching, bible  (view more)  (view less)

Does Your Church Have A Negative Reputation?

By Ron Edmondson on Feb 5, 2023

"Not that I seek the approval of man, but I wanted to be part of a church that would truly make a difference in our community, so much so that if we were gone, people would miss us."

Scripture: Matthew 5:16, Acts 2:44-45, Galatians 6:10, James 2:17, Luke 4:18-19  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Church, Preaching, Positive, negative, reputation, preaching, church  (view more)  (view less)

What Does It Mean To Have The Heart Of A Pastor?

By Lance Witt on Apr 23, 2024

What qualities make a leader great? Hebrews describes the most important quality: heart. But what does it mean to have the heart of a pastor?

Scripture: Hebrews 5:1, Exodus 28:29-30, Jeremiah 3:15

Tags: Heart, Pastors, Church leaders