In Preaching Articles: "Parable General"

The Parable Of The Pharisee And Tax Collector: A Call To Humility

By Josh Read on Oct 26, 2025

In the heart of Luke’s Gospel, we find the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:9-14). It showcases a stark contrast between two men who approach God, revealing deeper truths about humility, self-righteousness, and access to God's mercy. As pastors seeking to communicate God’s word effectively to our congregations, it’s essential to explore these themes and draw practical applications that encourage genuine humility in our walk with Christ.

Scripture: Luke 18:12-14, 1 Thessalonians 4:3, James 1:17, Romans 3:23

Tags: Parable, Humility

Are You Raising The Next Generation Of Preachers?

By Ben Mandrell on Apr 17, 2025

If the "preacher population" is shrinking, perhaps you have a role to play that could impact generations to come.

Scripture: John 15:15

Tags: Preaching, preaching

Ed Stetzer: no Word, No Kingdom

By Ed Stetzer on Jul 14, 2021

Jesus’ parable of the sower reveals that the kingdom of God begins not with strategy but with seed. The Word alone produces lasting fruit.

Scripture: Matthew 13:3-8, Matthew 13:19, 1 Peter 1:23, James 1:21, 1 Peter 2:2  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: preaching, Parables Of Jesus, Preaching, the word, seed, Parables of Jesus  (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: Preaching, parables, opportunity, jesus parables, Leadership, preaching, Trust, leadership  (view more)  (view less)

Why Illustrations Matter In Preaching: Learning From Jesus’ Use Of Parables

By Leslie Holmes on Jan 14, 2024

Parables and illustrations bring preaching to life. These seven tests help pastors use stories wisely to clarify truth, reduce resistance, and make sermons memorable.

Scripture: Matthew 13:34, Nehemiah 8:8, 2 Timothy 4:2, Psalm 78:2, Luke 8:10  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Expository Preaching, expository preaching

Preach The Way The Bible Preaches--Tell Stories!

By Ray Hollenbach on Nov 11, 2024

Those of us who feed God's flock must become God's storytellers. Here's the journey we must take.

Scripture: 2 Peter 1:5-9, Exodus 17:8-16

Tags: Preaching, narrative, storytelling, preaching, Parable  (view more)  (view less)

Instagram Generation: Four Ways Smartphone Cameras Are Changing Us

By Tony Reinke on Jun 2, 2022

A spectacular waterfall exposed me to how my smartphone habits are getting passed to my kids.

Scripture: Hebrews 6:12, 1 Thessalonians 1:6, Philippians 3:17, 1 Corinthians 4:16, Romans 12:1-2  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Technology, Bad Habits, Next Generation, social media, Cell Phone, Sharenting  (view more)  (view less)

Backyard Bbq Evangelism: A New, True Parable Of Outside-The-Church-Walls Ministry

By Karl Vaters on Sep 28, 2022

"Don't force people to do ministry your way. Help them with the ministry they're already passionate about."

Tags: Evangelism, Outreach, Spiritual Gifts, Body of Christ, Innovation, evangelism barriers, reaching the lost, evangelism planning, Conversational Evangelism, Unique Gifts, evangelism  (view more)  (view less)

I Write Stories During Sermons

By Carolyn C. Givens on May 11, 2021

Some believers process truth most deeply through narrative. This article explores how imaginative engagement during sermons can be disciplined by Scripture rather than distracted from it.

Scripture: John 1:14, Jeremiah 31:33, 2 Corinthians 5:20, James 1:21, Hebrews 4:12  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Parable, Preaching, Story, Engage, narrative, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Your Congregation Needs An Arc Of Hope, Not A String Of Pearls

By Nathan Aaseng on Nov 4, 2021

In our information-saturated age, your listeners have all the gems of wisdom they need, far more than they can process.

Tags: Parable, Hope, Preaching, string of pearls, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Forget Seminaries: What Are You Doing To Train The Next Generation Of Preachers?

By Chris Surber on Aug 15, 2025

We have a lot of people genuinely called, sincerely gifted people who struggle to find their way past the gatekeepers in our churches and denominations.

Scripture: Colossians 3:1-5, Mark 5:24-34

Tags: Discipleship, Gift, Seminary, Next Generation

Does Your Preaching Proclaim Jesus As Lord, Or Simply Savior?

By Dustin Leimgruber on Sep 14, 2022

Check out the modern parable of the Runaway Bride.

Scripture: Galatians 5:1-15

Tags: Savior, Parable, Preaching, Explanation, runaway bride, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

I Can’t Figure Out Millennials: 3 Reasons To Stay Connected

By Steven A. Hitz on Mar 15, 2022

There is a growing disconnect with Millennials because of the stereotypes many people hold about them.

Tags: Millenial, Listening, future generations, Generations

4 Ingredients Jesus Used To Hold An Audience

By Peter Walters on Jan 16, 2022

As a preacher, I am always looking for ways to improve my speaking. I study other communicators, for example, if a comedian gets me hooked, I analyze why he was successful and I love to read books on communication.

Scripture: Job 1:1-10, Luke 6:46, Matthew 13:16, Luke 12:25, Matthew 6:28, Matthew 13:34, Luke 10:30, Matthew 13:33, Matthew 6:5, Matthew 7:1, Genesis 2:10-20, Genesis 1:4-10, Luke 13:4  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Preaching, Following Jesus, jesus parables, Communication Speech, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

We Can Whine About The New Generation Or Worship With Them – But We Can’t Do Both

By Karl Vaters on Apr 25, 2024

We can either whine about how the new generation chooses to worship, or we can worship and minister with them. But we can’t do both.

Scripture: John 7:24

Tags: Perspective, Culture, church culture, Christian Priorities, future generations, church priorities, Generations, e, perspective, culture  (view more)  (view less)