Posts Tagged ‘preaching’
The Positive About the Negative
by Lee Moses Many a faithful Gospel preacher has been chided for being “too negative” in his preaching. True, a preacher can certainly be overly negative, robbing Christians of the joy that is rightfully theirs by blasting the congregation from the pulpit every Lord’s Day, condemning them for sins they are not guilty of, and…
Read MoreChanging Preaching Content
by Gardner Hall In his book Reviving the Ancient Faith, historian Richard Hughes documents a noticeable shift in the content of preaching among “mainstream” churches of Christ in the 1960s and 1970s. The early 1950s featured speakers on the nationwide “church” program, “Herald of Truth,” who emphasized compliance with “the plan of salvation,” adherence to…
Read MoreBecoming Your Enemy
by Micky Galloway Paul wrote the Galatian letter to those who had been influenced by Judaizing teachers who had bound, as necessary to salvation, certain aspects of the Law of Moses. Paul indicted some of them, “Ye are severed from Christ, ye would be justified by the Law; ye are fallen away from grace” (Galatians…
Read MoreAdvice to Younger Preachers (McDonald)
by Robert L. McDonald via Expository Review, April 1983 When I first began preaching, in the late 40s or early 50s, I looked to older preachers for any help they could give me. I was delighted to hear them reminisce about their many experiences and problems encountered. Over the years, I have looked back on…
Read MorePreaching Is a Different Kind of Work
by Zeke Flores There are both good and bad, positive and negative aspects to it. But I can say that the positive far outweighs the negative. Because of the nature of the work, you get opportunities to serve the best people in the world – Christians – all the time. You get to help people…
Read MoreShare Your Faith Without Having All the Answers
by Erik Borlaug Do you ever feel nervous about evangelism—afraid you won’t have the right answers when talking with skeptics? You’re not alone. Many Christians avoid spiritual conversations because they feel unprepared. But here’s the good news: effective evangelism doesn’t start with having all the answers—it starts with asking good questions. In this video, Erik…
Read MoreReaching the Lost
by David Dann Most people are lost. “Few” are headed in the right direction in contrast to the “many” who are bound for destruction (Matthew 7:13-14 NKJV). They are “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1) and are “alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the…
Read MoreEvangelism (Haley)
by Robin Haley via Matters of the Faith, Vol. 5 No. 3, October-December 1999, p. 11. I recently came across the acrostic for the word “evangelism.” I found it not only interesting and accurate, but also a good reminder. I added some Scripture references to the acrostic to help us consider the word “evangelism” and…
Read MoreSometimes It Is Not Enough!
by Aubrey Belue One of the earliest jobs my dad had was teaching school – he began while still in his teens, at a one-room school in upstate Mississippi. Some of his students in the higher grades were as old and as big as he was, and more than once, he maintained discipline with the…
Read MoreEquipping the Saints
by Floyd Chappelear via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 18 No. 1, 31 March 1992 Were one to try to identify the single most important imperative for the gospel preacher, one might choose II Timothy 4:5: “do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.” Doing such work so that one can make full proof…
Read MoreGood Things Happen When We Teach the Lost
by Roger D. Campbell What child of God would not agree that it is “good” to teach the Gospel to those who are lost outside of Jesus? Surely no member of the Lord’s church would be opposed to the idea of teaching the lost. The “glad tidings of good things” (Romans 10:15) is God’s message…
Read MoreThe Place of Preaching
by David Gibson Why some won’t listen Have you ever heard someone say, “Don’t preach to me!” Preaching is not always appreciated. The rebellious inner self, the Bible says, must be put aside. In its place, there must be childlike humility. We must be willing to yield control of our lives to God and make…
Read MoreThoughts on Balaam
by Josh Welch Been thinking a lot about Balaam lately. The New Testament warns about him three times (II Peter 2:15-16; Jude 11; Revelation 2:14). Yet, when I read Numbers 22-24 in the Old Testament account, he’s just a real conundrum to me. He doesn’t seem all that bad on the surface. Actually seems like…
Read MoreSermon Openers: The Preface and Introduction
by Clay Gentry Preachers, you invest countless hours in developing your sermons – exploring passages, mastering the text, writing memorable points, crafting powerful statements that make an impact, and setting the right tone. However, all this effort can be wasted if the congregation isn’t engaged from the beginning with a thoughtful introduction. We’re not talking…
Read MorePreach It Anyway!
by Phillip Brannon I have come to the conclusion that when it comes to preaching the Word of God, some people cannot be pleased (this is also true in other areas). It is not possible to please everyone every time one preaches. Someone will be offended. If one preaches loud enough for everyone to hear,…
Read MoreThe Joys of Leading a Soul to Christ
by Jeff McCrary via Biblical Insights, Vol. 15 No. 2, February 2015 “One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (which is translated, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus” (John…
Read MoreWhy bother teaching those in denominations?
Question: Brother Jeffrey, I’ve recently thought that when talking to people of different denominations about the truth, we do have a responsibility to a certain extent. However I also believe that in this country, particularly in the southern United States, we may not be held as highly accountable especially to people of the denominations because…
Read MoreKeep It Simple!
by Jarrod M. Jacobs The above statement is the “mantra” of a friend of mine. When it comes to preaching and teaching God’s word, he often tells me, “Keep it simple.” This sentiment was further impressed upon my mind when a sister in Christ told me, “The main problem that high school students have today…
Read MoreDo I need to go to school to preach?
Question: Mr. Hamilton, I have studied the Bible all my life. I read everything I can. I preached for three weeks a year ago in a local congregation and asked all my elders to attend, and one did. He asked me if I wanted to teach in our congregation. I said yes, and never got…
Read MoreWhat Percentage of People Obey the Gospel?
by Ronald D. Gilbert The day of Gospel meetings is not over! Don’t give up, brethren! Your preaching and teaching may be more effective “percentage-wise” than on the day of Pentecost. “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls” (Acts 2:41).…
Read MorePowerful Preaching
by Zeke Flores Paul, the apostle, often portrayed himself as weak, ineffective, and even fearful. Sometimes, he felt that his words didn’t impress anyone. I can relate. Every preacher has dreamed of doing great things for God with his oratory skills. Some have. Others simply preach the old, unchanging message consistently, despite their perceived lack…
Read MorePreaching the Word to a World That Doesn’t Listen
Author Unknown It seems to me that the theme of June in society is centered around the symbol of the promise that God made to mankind in a word, never to flood the earth again. Obviously, the rainbow is being misused and mistreated among those of various parties, but the account of Noah is one…
Read MoreFive Dangers when Preaching on Homosexuality
by Perry Hall One danger is to ignore this sin. If we preach on Christ’s birth in December and Christ’s resurrection in the Spring “because it is on people’s minds”, then we should be willing to preach against homosexuality during “Pride Month” since it is on people’s minds. Another danger is to use a partial…
Read MoreDon’t Tell Me
by Zeke Flores Sometimes, people just don’t want to hear it- the gospel, I mean. As persuasive a preacher as Paul was, he couldn’t convince everyone to repent and turn to Jesus. So, he moved on, but not before letting them know that it was their choice to make and the consequences were theirs to…
Read MoreThe Prize
by Perry Hall “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. …
Read MoreWhat If This Was My Last Sermon?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/What-If-This-Was-My-Last-Sermon.mp3 by Raymond Warfel Download Audio
Read MoreThe Growth of the Church in Jerusalem
by Dudley R. Spears via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 16 No. 4, December 31, 1990 No period in the history of the Lord’s church records a greater numerical growth than the first century. There are repeated references to the reason why such phenomenal growth occurred. Men of faith claim the reason was the preaching of the apostles.…
Read MoreEzekiel and Preaching Truth
by Terry Wane Benton Ezekiel had a most challenging job, preaching the truth to people who were not ready to appreciate it. God gave Ezekiel the vision of God’s awesome greatness, and when a preacher preaches because he has a great concept of God, he can preach the hard truths that the people need to…
Read MoreWhat Does Preaching Accomplish?
by Bob Waldron The Old Testament prophet was the preacher of his day. He was inspired, but other than that, he served in the same role as preachers must serve today. There were all kinds: blunt Amos, noble Isaiah, austere Elijah. The various prophets also served different purposes. Some of them made virtually no converts…
Read MoreTake Heed
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Take-Heed.mp3 by Jeffey W. Hamilton Text: I Timothy 4:6-16 I. The books of I and II Timothy and Titus are instruction manuals for preachers A. If you think a moment, there isn’t another role in the church that is discussed at such length 1. And this is besides the numerous comments regarding preaching that appears in the…
Read MoreYour Preaching Is Offensive to Me
by Tom M. Roberts via Truth Magazine, Vol 43, 1999 “Then His disciples came and said to Him, ‘Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?’” (Matthew 15:12). The history of speaking “the oracles of God” (I Peter 4:11) is a history of controversy. There is an inimical and hostile…
Read More“How Beautiful Are the Feet” (Romans 10:15)
by Tom M. Roberts via Truth Magazine, Vol. 43, 1999 God did not entrust the gospel to angels, to supernatural beings, to higher life forms without foibles and feet of clay. Indeed, he entrusted the gospel to men. As an objective fact, this is rather astounding. The message of salvation is in feeble human hands!…
Read MoreWhat Ever Happened to Preaching Repentance?
by Terry Wane Benton “The chief problem in America today is not getting people saved. It is getting people to realize they are lost” [Charlie Hainline]. So many churches and preachers seem convinced that their mission is first to make people feel good about themselves. They rarely, if ever, teach repentance (Luke 24:48). We need…
Read MorePreaching Jesus Is Confrontational
by Terry Wane Benton Those who say that we should “just preach Jesus and avoid all arguments or not try to reason with people from error to truth” are themselves unaware that they are making an argument with far-reaching implications. When Paul preached Jesus, it was always met with controversy. Read through the book of…
Read MoreEvangelism, Converts, and Bearing Fruit
by Andy Sochor “Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, that they are white for harvest. Already he who reaps is receiving wages and is gathering fruit for life eternal; so that he who…
Read MorePreaching
by John Iverson Introduction Even those who have a vague idea of what the Bible teaches know preaching is ordained of God (Titus 1:1-3) Some of the greatest men who have ever lived were proclaimers of God’s Word. Noah (II Peter 2:5) Solomon (Ecclesiastes 1:1) Paul (I Timothy 2:7) Jesus (Luke 4:18-19) Some of…
Read MoreThat’s Not a Problem Here
by Heath Rogers Several years ago, I was reprimanded for preaching a rather straightforward sermon on the sin of homosexuality. The language of the sermon had upset a couple in the church, as they did not want their young children exposed to this subject. When I discussed this matter with two older men of the…
Read MoreWhy Churches Die
by Mike Riley The following are this writer’s observations over forty years as to why churches die. I’m certain that we can all relate to at least one of the categories listed below: Churches Die at the Tables of Compromise When the church fights worldly influences such as sin and false doctrine — asking no…
Read MoreAdvice to Beginners
by Leslie Diestelkamp via Think on These Things, V. 55, N. 3, July-September 2024 This is not intended to be an arbitrary directive to young preachers but is based on four-and-one-half decades of experience; close observation of gospel work and workers for all these years; and scriptural principles. It is hoped that these brief words will…
Read MorePaul’s Letters to Preachers
by Keith Sharp In denominational commentaries, the apostle Paul’s letters to Timothy and Titus are grouped together as “The Pastoral Epistles.” The term “pastor” is found only once in the New Testament, in Ephesians 4:11 (KJV, NKJV, ASV, NASV). The word is translated as “shepherds” in the ESV. It is the noun form of the…
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