The Center for Preaching and Pastoral Leadership

3 Areas of Life Pastors Must Pay Careful Attention To

Imagine a shepherd out in the fields watching over his flock. The shepherd is fully alert, unable to […]

Philip Crouse Jr.

Pastor, Preach to the People in the Room

A few weeks ago I listened to one of the first sermons I preached. I’m not sure what inspired me to make this decision. But unless you’re a glutton for punishment, I do not recommend you to do the same.

Nathaniel Williams

Learning to Embrace our Weakness

Several years ago, I was going through a particularly painful season of ministry. Everything came to a head one Sunday morning. As soon as I finished preaching, I walked into a side room beside the stage, and I sat in the dark for twenty minutes. While sitting there, a few thoughts began to run through my mind.

Eric Roseberry

We Need Holy Youth Pastors

What my students need most from me is my personal holiness.There has been no shortage of discussion surrounding the reasons why there is an exodus of 18-year-olds that walk away from Christ and his church after graduation. Plenty of contributing reasons exists, such as: they weren’t integrated into the life of the church, they did not see Christian faith modeled at home, or their youth ministry was centered around entertainment.

Mark Young

The Need for Expository Preaching in Student Ministry

Teenagers are hungry for the glory of God and they don’t even know it (John 4:10).Often in student ministry, we lower the bar for our teenagers. We assume that they are coming to our gatherings merely to enjoy games and hype instead of Christ and him crucified. In reality, teenagers are searching for a joy that is greater than the cheap pleasure the world is offering them.

Mark Young

Episode 72: Student Pastors and Ministry (with Scott Pace)

This week’s episode: Ronjour and Brandon discuss the importance of theological education in student ministry with Dr. Scott Pace (Dean of The College at Southeastern).

Center for Preaching and Pastoral Leadership

Dealing With the Unique Stress of Pastoral Ministry

At the time this article was written, the music video for the song “Stressed Out” by the band […]

Quentin Self

How Preaching the Psalms Counsels the Hurting

A pastor slowly makes his way across the stage to where his pulpit stands. As he lays his Bible and notes on the pulpit, he looks out over his congregation and thinks to himself, “My people are hurting; how is my sermon going to help them?”

Philip Crouse Jr.

John Newton and the Importance of Just Being There

The story of John Newton (1725-1807) — the dissolute slave trader turned evangelical pastor — is one of the most captivating stories of grace in Christian history. In Newton’s final days, he said, “Although my memory is nearly gone, I remember two things very clearly: I am a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior.” This sentiment not only serves as a fit summary of Newton’s life but also conveys the overall theme of his pastoral ministry.

Alex DiPrima

Preaching to Short Attention Spans

In a world of endless distractions, it can seem that attention spans are getting shorter. We see how digital media is designed to cater to short attention spans by feeding people with snack-sized news stories, tweets, and videos, in order to keep their gaze captivated for as long as possible before they get bored and move on.

Mark Young

Episode 85: Finding Your Voice in Preaching

THIS WEEK’S EPISODE: What does it mean to find your voice in preaching? What are the dangers of […]

Center for Preaching and Pastoral Leadership

Book Review: Prayer (How Praying Together Shapes the Church), by John Onwuchekwa

In his book Prayer: How Praying Together Shapes the Church, John Onwuchekwa addresses deficiencies of corporate prayer in an ecclesiastical context. In 2015 Onwuchekwa helped plant Cornerstone Church in Atlanta, Georgia where he currently serves as the lead pastor.

Andrew Lucius

Pleading with God and Equipping the Saints Through a Pastoral Prayer

I grew up in what might be considered a typical Baptist church. While many in the Baptist church might consider liturgy something that “high church” types undertake, even free church models–like Baptist churches–have a liturgy despite the insistence that we will not be put in a box.

Ryan Hutchinson