Preaching Through Podcast

Preaching Through Seven Deadly Sins

Send a textWhat if one of your most spiritually formative sermon series was also one of your most attractional?Pride, lust, greed, envy, sloth, wrath, gluttony — these aren't just ancient categories or Roman Catholic relics. They're principal vices, the thick branches from which countless other sins grow. And when you preach them well, something powerful happens: people don't just feel convicted, they feel dissatisfied with the status quo and hungry for a different way of life.Here's the distinction that changes everything: The seven deadly sins aren't just morally wrong but they're bad for you. They don't just earn you a bad grade on the heaven test. They ruin your life. And when you preach that with good argumentation, people start to go, "I don't want to live this way anymore."This episode unpacks everything you need to consider before preaching a series on the seven deadly sins:Four preliminary questions you'll need to answer (and why your congregation is already wondering about them)The historical origin of the list and why it's not a Roman Catholic thingHow to pair each vice with its corresponding virtue for a "don't do this, do this" frameworkWhy this series demands personal sanctification from the preacher, and how to navigate vulnerability with integrityThe surprising attractional quality of confronting sin head-onThe seven deadly sins don't just exist in grotesque, extreme forms. They show up in ordinary life... in your scrolling, your striving, your silence. And just when you think you've beaten pride, here comes vainglory knocking on the door.If you're looking for a series that offers both spiritual depth and missional intrigue, this one belongs on your preaching calendar.Mentioned ResourcesGlittering Vices by Rebecca K. DeYoungSeven Deadly Sins Sermon Series (Ironwood Church)Seven Deadly Sins Resources from IronwoodThe Preaching Lab CohortRelated EpisodesPreaching Through the 4GsPreaching Through ArgumentationPreaching Through an Annual ThemeEvergreenDiscover all of our free resources: https://faithfruit.us/podcast-linksAdditional questions about this topic? Email us at info@faithfulandfruitful.com.Preaching Through is powered by Faithful & Fruitful, leadership resources for pastors so they can have a faithful and fruitful ministry over the long-haul.

Preaching Through Stagnation

Send a textWhat do you do when you've done everything you know to do—and it's just not working? When attendance is flat, baptisms are sparse, giving fluctuates week to week, and you can't point to any clear sign that God is actually moving? Or worse: what happens when your own soul feels dry, and you still have to get up and preach about a God whose goodness you're struggling to feel?Here's the distinction that changes everything: This isn't "Preaching Away Stagnation"—it's preaching through it. Stagnation is coming. The question isn't whether you'll face seasons of spiritual dryness or ministry plateau. The question is: when it happens, how do you keep showing up?"Healthy things grow" sounds right until you realize: only one of the four seasons is harvest. A lot of faithful ministry looks like planting, watering, waiting—and wondering if anything is happening underground.This episode unpacks two types of stagnation every pastor will face:Church StagnationPersonal StagnationThe Psalms are full of people crying out to God when things feel stuck. This conversation charts a way forward for you to do the same — and practical handles for how to keep preaching when you don't feel like it.📚 RESOURCES MENTIONED:Spurgeon's Sorrows by Zach EswineJohn Piper's biographical talks (search "The Swans Are Not Silent" or "Men ofWhom the World Is Not Worthy" on Desiring God)Authentic Masculinity Podcast hosted by Seth TrouttAccidental Pharisees by Larry OsborneEvergreenDiscover all of our free resources: https://faithfruit.us/podcast-linksAdditional questions about this topic? Email us at info@faithfulandfruitful.com.Preaching Through is powered by Faithful & Fruitful, leadership resources for pastors so they can have a faithful and fruitful ministry over the long-haul.

Preaching Through Long Texts

Send a textWhat do you do when your passage is four chapters long—or when one chapter has five completely different stories?The temptation is to cover everything. Hit every verse. Explain every detail. But that's not how compelling preaching works. The difference between a message people remember and one they forget often comes down to this: did you linger on what's obvious, or land on the "oh wow"?This episode unpacks how to preach through long passages of scripture without losing your people—or yourself. There's a case study on how the plagues of Exodus became one of the most energizing sermons ever preached (hint: God wasn't picking random punishments—he was dunking on Egypt's idols). And a breakdown of Luke 18 that reveals an unexpected thread holding five scattered parables together.Not all of God's word is equally interesting. Knowing that might be the key to preaching it more faithfully.It is possible to preach long passages in a way that's both faithful and genuinely compelling and we'll share with you one approach to do just that.Resources MentionedRomans For You by Tim KellerThe Preaching Lab CohortRelated EpisodesPreaching Through a Sermon CalendarPreaching Through a Capital CampaignPreaching Through the Book of RevelationPreaching Through JudgesEvergreenDiscover all of our free resources: https://faithfruit.us/podcast-linksAdditional questions about this topic? Email us at info@faithfulandfruitful.com.Preaching Through is powered by Faithful & Fruitful, leadership resources for pastors so they can have a faithful and fruitful ministry over the long-haul.

Preaching Through A Capital Campaign

Send a textWhat if the secret to a successful capital campaign has almost nothing to do with fundraising?New buildings don't fix stagnant churches. If God isn't already stirring something, more square footage won't change that. That's why the most important thing you can do during a capital campaign is preach vision — not obligation.This episode walks through the full anatomy of a capital campaign (or as we refer to them, resource initiatives): The realistic math on what churches can raiseWhy late-fall timing captures four year-ends instead of threeHow to sequence vision meetings and pre-work so people have time to pray and process. But the real substance is in the preaching itself. This isn't a series on giving — it's a casting a vision for the mission. You're not preaching about the building. You're preaching about the heart behind it.Discover why people give to successful vision — they need to see what you're already doing, just at a larger scale. Learn how to cast concrete visual pictures instead of vague abstractions. And hear what it looks like when commitment day doesn't go as planned—and why that might be exactly what refines you as a leader.In this episode you're going to learn how to preach through a capital campaign that casts vision, tells stories, and Christ mission above money.Mentioned Resources90-Day Tithe Challenge Training DayThe Preaching Lab CohortLead Pastor Leadership IntensiveRelated EpisodesPreaching Through A Vision SeriesPreaching Through MoneyPreaching Through Efficient Sermon Prep (2025)Preaching Through Efficient Sermon Prep (2024)EvergreenDiscover all of our free resources: https://faithfruit.us/podcast-linksAdditional questions about this topic? Email us at info@faithfulandfruitful.com.Preaching Through is powered by Faithful & Fruitful, leadership resources for pastors so they can have a faithful and fruitful ministry over the long-haul.

Preaching Through Efficient Sermon Prep

Send a textHow many hours did you spend on sermon prep this week? If the answer is "more than I needed to" or "more than I thought I would" you're not alone.. But here's what matters: did those extra hours actually make your sermon that much better? Or did they just delay the rest of your ministry?Here's the distinction that changes everything: Efficiency isn't about cutting corners. It's about eliminating the stuff that doesn't move the needle so you can reclaim time for everything else you're called to do. Pastor, you do so much more than preach. The question isn't whether you're busy. The question is whether you're protecting the rhythms that let you prepare faithfully without it consuming your whole week... or if you let even the best things to derail your sermon preparation.The real problem with sermon prep isn't effort. It's process. Without a defined process you are building a new system every week or you're trying to hit a home run with every sermon. Both strategies lead to the same place: burnout, last-minute scrambling, and a gnawing sense that sermon prep should feel less like a grind.In this episode we'll discuss:Impact of a preaching calendarHow to gather sermon content ahead of timeBuilding (and protecting) a consistent weekly rhythmInviting others into the processWhy "good enough" beats "perfect" every single time.This isn't about rushing or phoning it in. It's about working smart so you're not spending 20 hours to achieve what's possible in 8.Mentioned Resources8-Hour Sermon Prep Training DayDesigning Your Ideal Week Training DaySermon Architecture Simplified TrainingRelated EpisodesPreaching Through a Sermon CalendarPreaching Through Busyness of MinistryEvergreenDiscover all of our free resources: https://faithfruit.us/podcast-linksAdditional questions about this topic? Email us at info@faithfulandfruitful.com.Preaching Through is powered by Faithful & Fruitful, leadership resources for pastors so they can have a faithful and fruitful ministry over the long-haul.