Man Chooses Death Over Change (Sermon Illustration)
Why do we cling so tight to our sins? We know it is hurting us. We know it is slowly destroying us. We have been warned. The problem is not a lack of information. For some reason, we would rather…
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How to Preach a Sermon That Destroys Your Critics
Unfair criticism. All pastors get it. It doesn’t matter who you are or what size your church is. Criticism is coming your way. So what should you do when you get that email or comment card (because the biggest critics…
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3 Reasons to Be Thankful for Bad Sermons
We’ve all endured ugly sermons. The delivery was poor. The explanation of the text was lacking. The outline was difficult to follow. Maybe it was boring. The speaker was visibly nervous and obviously struggling. The pastor rambled and not even…
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Why Christians Need Vacations
I’m sitting on the patio of an old beach house overlooking the sea in a tiny coastal village in Mexico you’ve probably never heard of. The sun is bright, the sand is white, and the rhythm of waves meeting the…
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How to Preach Well According to Martin Luther
Early in his ministry, Martin Luther sarcastically described his “lazy” life of ministry in Wittenberg: “All day long I do nothing but write letters…. I preach at the monastery, I am a lector during mealtimes, I am asked daily to…
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Long Live the Sermon: 11 Steps to Extend the Life of Your Message
The average pastor spends 8-15 hours a week on sermon preparation. Great preaching requires this time at least. But did you know that after 24 hours, people only remember around 25% of what you say, and within a week they…
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Introducing the New 2018 Sermon Calendar
It’s Sunday night. You sink into the couch. The adrenaline from the day’s activity at church has worn off. Your sermon is playing over again in your head. Did you say it the right way? Did it connect? Did Mrs….
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10 Ways Christians Can Fight Depression
Christians get depressed, too, even pastors. I know because it’s part of my story. Years ago, my family and I went through a series of difficult events. I was hurt. I was bitter. It led me down a dark road….
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5 Ways to Reach More Millennials at Your Church
Hi, I’m Brandon, and I’m a millennial. I am one of those “entitled,” “snowflake” babies born between 1980 and 2000. Being a millennial comes with many unfair stereotypes: We are lazy. We want trophies just for participating. We can’t find…
