In Preaching Articles: showing 1-15 of 27

Practically Impractical

By Chris Surber on Apr 30, 2022

In all of our efforts to be relevant are we forgetting the mysterious beauty of God?

Tags: Kingdom, God's Kingdom, mystery of Christ, eternal perspective

5 Filters For A Funeral Sermon

By Chris Surber on Feb 7, 2022

I’ve preached a lot of funerals. Along the way I’ve learned some lessons from others and I’ve learned some lessons the hard way.

Tags: Preaching, Funerals Christian, preaching Christ, Funerals, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Don't Fear Bruised Toes

By Chris Surber on Dec 25, 2021

He is a poor preacher who gives no offense to his listeners.

Tags: Discipleship, Preaching, poor preaching, measuring success, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

How To Say Good-Bye: Preaching Your Last Sermon

By Chris Surber on Nov 10, 2021

People usually listen closely to your first words--and your last. Make them meaningful.

Scripture: Matthew 16:18

Tags: Preaching, Purpose, preparation, Goodbye, last sermon, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Who Says Bigger Is Better? 3 Reasons I'm Convinced God Works Through Small Churches

By Chris Surber on Oct 15, 2021

"Bigger churches can do things smaller cannot do. And little churches do things much larger churches can never do."

Scripture: Matthew 1:1-24:20, Acts 11:15-18, Genesis 22:1-15

Tags: family, Preaching, friendship, connection, Small Church, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

The Top Secret Agendas Carried By Your Congregation

By Chris Surber on Sep 11, 2021

Every church member carries an agenda in the secret briefcase of their heart. What's their agenda?

Tags: Preaching, challenge, Congregation, Agenda, Affirm  (view more)  (view less)

Is Your Preaching Over-Educated?

By Chris Surber on Jul 28, 2021

If you have more theological degrees than a thermostat, you might be over-heating Sunday mornings!

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 2:3-5

Tags: Preaching, educated

The *law* Of Mutual Non-Exclusivity

By Chris Surber on Jun 5, 2021

All of God's truth deserves our passionate presentation -- even the parts that appear to be mutually exclusive.

Christmas Preaching Needs Resurrecting!

By Chris Surber on Dec 11, 2020

If we want Christmas preaching to matter, we've got to preach like Christmas matters.

Scripture: Luke 2:22-40, Mark 11:1-10, Matthew 1:21, Luke 11:24-12:23

Tags: Christmas, Preaching

4 Points Of Principle Preaching

By Chris Surber on Jun 11, 2019

"Can I call her up to the front on Sunday morning, have her sit in front of the congregation and use her sin as an example?”

Scripture: Psalm 128:1-2

Preach The Past: Discover Powerful Illustrations And Lessons From Church History

By Chris Surber on Apr 16, 2019

A working knowledge of Church history teaches us to be humble. Our footprints aren’t the first tracks on this road.

Scripture: Acts 2:13-40, Acts 25:1-17, Job 1:1-24:7

If You Overpack Your Sermon, Your Listeners Are In For A Bumpy Ride

By Chris Surber on Mar 4, 2019

Perhaps your sermon outline is actually a sermon series. Can you tell the difference?

Scripture: Acts 5:15-25

Tags: Preaching, Content, Logic, Research, central point  (view more)  (view less)

How Can I Possibly Do Sermon Prep When I'm Just Not Feeling It?

By Chris Surber on Feb 26, 2019

God feels far away. Everybody at home is mad at you. Even the dog won’t talk to you. What do you do when you need to do sermon prep but you just aren’t feeling it?

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 16:11-15

Tags: Preaching, sermon prep, venue, immerse yourself

Does Your Sermon Pass The Geography Test?

By Chris Surber on Feb 16, 2019

The Gospel is for everybody everywhere. Is your sermon?

Scripture: Colossians 3:1-5, 2 Timothy 2:20-30

Tags: pain, Sin, Preaching, suffering, affluence  (view more)  (view less)

Forget Seminaries: What Are You Doing To Train The Next Generation Of Preachers?

By Chris Surber on Feb 15, 2019

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