While seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit is a must and the first step in preparing any sermon, many sermon preparation tools are available to assist in crafting inspiring and life-changing gospel messages. While the usefulness and quality of each will be largely subjective, there are several resources that rise to the top of…
Easter Sunday was a success and attendance has surged in your church. This surge is often the result of members inviting friends and family to attend celebration services with them. So, how do you encourage, challenge, and minister to the new people who continue attending services?
We have put together a list of the top 10 After Easter Sermon Series that will speak to newcomers and members alike.
The difference between Advent being just another Christmas ‘thing’ and it being a spiritually engaging Christmas tradition can be influenced greatly by pastors preaching sermons that capitalize on the momentum of a countdown. Not just approaching sermons as ‘Christmas’ sermons but truly being intentional with the sermon outlines and manuscripts to capture the heart of…
Christmas always feels like it is right around the corner. Churches all over the country will soon be making plans to create one of their most meaningful times of the year. With the Christmas season will come the Christian celebration of Advent. Advent in One Sentence: Advent is a season celebrated by Christians as a…
Editors Note: This is the first blog in a series written by local church leaders for local church leaders. Today’s post comes from Chad Graham. Chad serves as Lead Pastor at University Assembly in Colorado Springs, CO. Chad is also Senior Fellow at The Gordon Lewis Center for Christian Thought and Culture. As American church attendance declines,…
This time of year, we see a ton of products and how-to guides talking about how to put together an annual preaching calendar. You might have even see our resources, too. *If you’re looking for preaching calendar resources and ideas, click here to read our ultimate guide to creating a preaching calendar. You may even…
Sermon illustrations. They’re powerful but can be really difficult to use effectively. Sure, you can throw a sermon illustration in here or there that has somewhat of a point and get by, but powerful sermon illustrations are tougher. A powerful sermon illustration helps a sermon get to a different place for the listener. People love…
The sermon calendar. It’s a world of possibilities and opportunities, but it can also be a world of stress and writer’s block. Every year, a few other staff members and I sit down to fill in the calendar. We usually do 6 months at a time. We’ll sit down in October to plan January through…
No preacher will ever say, I don’t want another sermon illustration to add to my toolbox. Why? Because sermon illustrations show and tell. They bring flavor and color to a point of truth. Lane Sebring of PreachingDonkey.com says that you need to teach, illustrate, and apply every point you make. Most preachers have no trouble with teaching and…
I have the privilege of preaching nearly every Sunday, and I have also had the privilege of being in the room when all four of my children were born. Stick with me … because there is a correlation. My wife was amazing (or crazy!) and chose “Natural Childbirth.” Four kids. Only four Advils. While each…
I love preaching in a series. I made this confession in a previous article and outlined some of the many benefits of preaching in a series. This raised a question by several readers: “I was wondering where you all come up with your sermon series ideas?” That is a great question! Here are three primary…
I love preaching in a series. Like a new pair of socks, it just feels right. For nearly twelve years I have preached in a series (with an occasional “stand-alone” sprinkled in for fun!) and I cannot overstate the benefits. Here are four of many worth considering: 1. Preaching in a series reduces stress. Imagine…
The Story Brent Sloan has been a member of Ministry Pass since the day we launched. We were humbled when he told us his story of going from pizza maker to pastor—and how Ministry Pass helped him make the jump. Check out Brent’s story in this video, and learn how Ministry Pass can help you…
Every pastor knows that preaching the Word regularly demands a lot of time spent in research and development. We collect and categorize ideas. We dig into our passages. We assemble supporting verses and material. We put it all in outline form. And then, we deliver it! One of the last steps in the preparation process…
The title is the smallest part of a sermon. It usually doesn’t even get mentioned during the actual sermon. Professional copywriters often refer to the first line of a sales letter as the “eyebrow” because it literally looks like one, all alone at the top. But I believe the value and importance of sermon titles is severely…
Every pastor knows that preaching the Word regularly demands a lot of time spent in research and development. We collect and categorize ideas. We dig into our passages. We assemble supporting verses and material. We put it all in outline form. And then, we deliver it! One of the last steps in the preparation process…
Sunday. The day of rest. The Lord’s day… Gameday. At least, that’s how it can feel amidst the hustle and bustle of a dedicated church staff working day-in-and-day-out to bring the Gospel to your congregation. That’s how it feels when you’ve gone over your sermon for the 100th time, wording and re-wording each sentence in…
Editors Note: This is the second blog in a series written by local church leaders for local church leaders. Today’s post comes from Andy McMillan. Andy is a passionate leader, pastor, speaker and coach. He has been in ministry over six years. He has a B.A. in Christian Leadership and a M.A. in Ministerial Leadership. Currently, Andy…
If you’ve been involved in a teaching or preaching ministry for any period of time, you’ve probably had to throw a sermon or lesson together at the last minute. If so, you’ve also realized that, even though God is able to work through our weakness (even weakness of preparation), sermons are far more effective when we…
Welcome to video number four in our series with pastor and New York Times best selling author, Mark Batterson. In this video, Mark talks about some of the strategies he and his team at National Community Church use when planning their sermon series. Missed the previous videos? Check out the links to Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3….
Fresh Ideas to Connect Christmas with Life
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Powerful and Relevant Illustrations Connect Christmas with Life
Inspiration to Breathe New Life to the Traditions of Christmas
