In Preaching Articles: "Killing"

Ten Ways To Kill A Great Idea

By SermonCentral .com on May 28, 2021

From preaching topics to outreach programs, how many great ideas have fallen into these potholes?

Scripture: Proverbs 11:14, Ecclesiastes 11:4, Nehemiah 2:17-18, James 1:22, 1 Corinthians 12:4-7  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Idea, Plan, Kill, Improve, Church Practices  (view more)  (view less)

7 Ways To Keep From Killing Your Message

By Carey Nieuwhof on Feb 28, 2023

Every week, gifted communicators kill the messages they bring by making at least seven predictable, fixable mistakes.

Tags: Preaching, Feedback, call to action, preaching

Dangerous Assumptions That Will Kill Your Message

By Dr. Larry Moyer on Jun 21, 2021

Preachers often lose effectiveness when they assume too much about their audience. Avoiding common misconceptions can greatly improve communication and engagement.

Scripture: 1 John 4:1-7, John 15:5, Nehemiah 8:8, 1 Corinthians 14:9, Colossians 4:6  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Biblical Communication

7 Mistakes That Kill A Great Sermon

By Carey Nieuwhof on Aug 11, 2025

Great communicators avoid seven predictable mistakes: weak preparation, poor openings, wandering stories, too many points, no call to action, weak endings, and no feedback.

Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:15, Ecclesiastes 12:10-11, Colossians 4:6, Nehemiah 8:8, James 1:22  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Preaching, Lame, communicate, crash, Sermon Delivery, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

6 Statements That Can Kill A Church

By SermonCentral .com on Mar 30, 2022

These are statements from church members whose churches have already closed their doors.

Scripture: Proverbs 18:21

Tags: Money, Power, Unhealthy, Dying Church

Looking For A Silver Bullet In A Microwave Culture

By Mike Breen on Jun 22, 2025

It's tempting. It's alluring. And it's the best way to kill your church.

Tags: Culture, preach, silver bullet, microwave, culture  (view more)  (view less)

This Killed Kodak And It's Coming To Your Church

By Karina Kreminski on Apr 10, 2024

It saddens me that some people see the need for change in the church, yet God’s people keep doing the same thing as if minor tweaking will stop the decline of the Western church.

Tags: Transformation, Culture, Missional, church culture, culture  (view more)  (view less)

5 Ways Judgmental Christians Are Killing Your Church

By Carey Nieuwhof on Aug 29, 2023

Jesus said Christians should be known for how deeply we love. Yet studies show that in the eyes of many non-Christians, we’re known for how deeply we judge, not for how deeply we love.

Tags: Evangelism, Grace, judgemental, grace, evangelism  (view more)  (view less)

Only In A Small Church: Sometimes You Gotta Kill Cockroaches

By Karl Vaters on May 18, 2022

Principles that make sense in a big church don't always work in a smaller one.

Tags: leadership, Perspective, Church family, Small Church, perspective, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

Why Pandemics Are Dangerous For Jews

By Dr. Susan Michael on Oct 26, 2020

Throughout the Muslim world, rumors abound that the Jews developed the coronavirus to gain power, kill a large number of people, and make a fortune selling the antidote.

Tags: Danger, Jews, Pandemic

9 Tips So Special Days Don't Kill Your Preaching

By John Beukema on May 8, 2026

John Beukema discusses the challenges and opportunities of providing your listeners with fresh content for holiday sermons.

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, 2 Corinthians 1:20, Ecclesiastes 4:12, Psalm 60:4, Matthew 2:1-12  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Advent, Holidays, Father's Day, Preaching, mother's day, preparation, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

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

Sermon Feedback: 6 Questions For Better Preaching

By Peter Mead on Jul 19, 2024

Clear, simple sermon-feedback questions help preachers grow. These six practical prompts reveal clarity, engagement, biblical accuracy, and delivery strengths.

Scripture: Acts 8:25

Tags: Preaching, Criticism, experience, Improvement, evaluation, Homiletics, WORDS THAT KILL, Pastoral Ministry, Communication skills, improvement, criticism, preaching, Communication Skills  (view more)  (view less)

5 Ways To Minimize Ministry Silos

By Charles Stone on Jul 25, 2022

Silos occur in organizations and churches when leaders act like their ministry or team is the only one that matters. A silo attitude results in that leader or team only supporting, giving, or attending functions that pertain to them. It can kill a ministry and result in many problems. In this post, I suggest ways to minimize ministry silos.

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:10, Ephesians 4:3, Romans 15:5, Psalm 133:1

Tags: Trust, leadership, unity, Ownership, Volunteer, Harmony, Consider Others, Step Up, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)