In Preaching Articles: "Struggle"

Can You Preach What You Struggle With?

By Ron Edmondson on Apr 4, 2025

Pastors often preach on areas where they still struggle. Honesty, humility, and commitment to the whole counsel of God make such preaching both faithful and effective.

Scripture: Acts 20:27, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, 1 Timothy 4:16, Hebrews 4:15-16, Romans 7:18-25  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Teaching, Preaching, preaching, teaching, Life Experience, Whole Counsel of God  (view more)  (view less)

2 Rules For Transparency In The Pulpit

By Brady Boyd on Feb 20, 2025

Pastors should be honest, but honesty must be wise. True vulnerability builds hope, not confusion, and protects both the flock and loved ones from harm.

Scripture: John 1:1-14

Tags: Preaching, Honesty, Authenticity, Struggles, Transparency, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Preaching Is Like Setting A Wildfire—except When It's Not

By Jacob Myers on Mar 7, 2024

How do you decide what to burn and what to protect?

Scripture: Joshua 6:6-25, Proverbs 8:34

Tags: Preaching, Culture, Reality, Struggle, wildfire, preaching, culture  (view more)  (view less)

Your Struggling Church Can Turn Around Today – But Greatness Takes Time

By Karl Vaters on Aug 22, 2023

If you’re pastoring a church that has or is turning around, here's some great news - and possibly your greatest challenge.

Scripture: Revelation 21:5

Tags: leadership, renewal, patience, Church Health, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

God’s Work In Your Depression

By SermonCentral .com on Jul 4, 2022

“Is this depression? I have almost no motivation for anything. I have been praying and I will keep praying for God to be my strength but how do you fight when you don’t feel like fighting?"

Scripture: Isaiah 43:2-3, Psalm 139:11-12

Tags: Emotions, Healing, endurance, Depression, Struggles, soul care, Fighting for Joy, Help for the Hurting  (view more)  (view less)

Those Frustrating Times With Church Members

By Joe Mckeever on Dec 13, 2023

"Any pastor can tell you about it. Even when you do your best to serve God by ministering to His people, some church members are not going to forgive you. You didn’t do it their way, weren’t there when they called, didn’t jump at their bark." So how do you handle these kinds of situations?

Tags: conflict, pastoral leadership, church membership, Pastoral Ministry, church ministry, ministry struggles, Difficult People, Love like Christ  (view more)  (view less)

My Sermon ... With A Little Bit Of Bible Thrown In

By Sherman Haywood Cox on Apr 14, 2023

"If you ain't struggled with the Scripture, we have something else other than a sermon."

Tags: Bible, Scripture, Preaching, Research, preaching, bible  (view more)  (view less)

What Is The Church's Mission? And Why Does It Matter?

By Carey Nieuwhof on Jan 20, 2021

With the vast majority of churches struggling in some way, it’s time to rethink our future mission.

Tags: Preaching

Why We Preach: Gospel Bread For Desperate Hearts

By David J. Lose on Oct 5, 2020

Preaching is not merely instruction or exhortation. It is weekly renewal in the story of God’s love for weary believers who struggle to believe.

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:2, Romans 10:17, Matthew 4:4, 1 Corinthians 1:23, Hebrews 10:23  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Gospel, Preaching, gospel, preaching, Christian worship, Christian Worship  (view more)  (view less)

Framing Thanksgiving

By Mark Looyenga on Nov 13, 2024

Again and again in Scripture, biblical characters experience contentment amidst struggle or difficulty in ways that go beyond just circumstance.

Scripture: Daniel 6:1-28, Ruth 1:16-17, Psalm 63:1-8, Philippians 4:11, James 1:2, 1 Peter 1:6, Matthew 26:53, Matthew 27:14, Romans 12:1  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Thanksgiving, Contentment, gratitude, Perspective, perspective  (view more)  (view less)

The Most Common Preaching Mistake: No Hook

By Bruce D. Johnson on Aug 25, 2023

Many sermons lose listeners in the first few minutes. Effective preaching begins by connecting the message to the real struggles and questions of the congregation.

Scripture: Nehemiah 8:8, Matthew 13:34, Colossians 4:6, 1 Corinthians 9:22

Tags: Preaching, mistakes, Homiletics, interest, hook, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Is Your Preaching Missing This Key Component?

By Lance Witt on Jan 6, 2021

As a pastor I am embarrassed to admit this, but prayer has often been a struggle for me. And yet, it is crucial to our success in preaching.

Scripture: Ephesians 6:1-4

Tags:

Rethinking Our Witness To The Neighborhood

By David Fitch on Oct 30, 2020

The gospel is the announcement that Jesus is Lord and is renewing all things. Faithful witness today requires translating that royal reality into everyday relationships, struggles, and longings.

Scripture: Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 1:15, 2 Corinthians 5:17-21, Colossians 2:15, Romans 6:6-7  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Congregation, Jesus is Lord, Jesus Is Lord

Is Your Preaching Over-Educated?

By Chris Surber on Jul 27, 2021

Theological training is valuable, but excessive academic detail can hinder preaching. Faithful sermons connect biblical truth to the real struggles people face.

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 2:2-5, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Romans 10:14-17, Colossians 4:6, James 1:22  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Teaching, Preaching, educated, preaching, teaching  (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