May 28, 2026
Preaching to Broken Hearts
A hospital-room visit early in ministry shaped Chris Philbeck’s approach to preaching. He urges pastors to reflect God’s heart by preaching with clarity and compassion to weary, burdened, brokenhearted people.
Articles for tag: Chris Philbeck
March 13, 2026
Equipping God’s People
Chris Philbeck reflects on leading a preaching cohort and the biblical call to equip God’s people. He shares how preaching becomes most powerful when Scripture first transforms the preacher and produces authenticity that can’t be faked.
January 1, 2026
Preach the Real Gospel
Discernment isn’t knowing the difference between right and wrong; it’s knowing the difference between right and almost right. Almost right will never be enough when it comes to someone’s eternal destiny.
November 5, 2025
When a Plan Comes Together
A sermon should be long enough to adequately exegete and apply the main point of the passage, but short enough to leave mature Christians willing to listen a few minutes longer.
September 3, 2025
Write Sermons for the Ear, Not for the Eye
Preaching is a living transaction between the preacher and those who are listening; the words we speak must represent that truth. So, when you sit down to prepare a sermon, write for the ear, not the eye.
Preaching with Your Own Voice
We all want to be great preachers. But being a great preacher is not nearly as important as presenting a great God with your own unique voice.
The Power of Preaching Comes from God
We need to let God control the message. The power in preaching doesn’t come from the packaging or presentation, it comes from God.
The Power of Repetition
One of the most significant things I learned over the course of more than four decades of preaching in the local church is people don’t need to be taught something new as much as they need to be reminded of what they already know.
December 31, 2024
Preach with the Wisdom God Provides
Regardless of how effective we might be in creating emotional responses, it’s the preaching of God’s Word that helps people make deep and meaningful connections with God that leads to life change.
October 31, 2024
Explaining the Word, Capturing the Heart
Illustrations and stories enhanced a message by making it more relatable and applicable to modern life, but it is the explanation of the Word of God that captured the heart.
October 17, 2024
Love for the Word Empowers Preaching
When it comes to preaching, our effort begins and ends with drawing near to God and his Word so he can speak through us with a message that is so much more than we could ever create on our own.
‘Preaching with No Regrets’
Most every preacher will tell you they have a certain number of regrets in their life when it comes to ministry. I certainly do. But I don’t want to have any regrets when it comes to preaching. . . .
Leading Through Preaching
Joshua was leading through preaching. He was wielding leadership influence through the proclamation of his words and the witness of his life. Let’s follow that example.
Preaching Changed My Life
A funeral sermon helped launch me on a path to ministry . . .
January 1, 2024
A Path for Healing in the Midst of Despair
By Chris Philbeck Having served as a pastor for more than 43 years, I know how challenging ministry can be to a person’s mental and emotional health. I also know how difficult it is for pastors to be honest about this challenge. A tension often exists between despair we feel over certain realities of life and our commitment to faithfulness. Tension can also be found in the pages of the Bible. LEARNING FROM DAVID In studying David’s life, we see he experienced times of great despair even though he’s described as a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14;
November 1, 2023
Preaching with Depth
By Chris Philbeck “I’m pretty sure no one will go home and say, ‘That’s the best sermon I’ve ever heard.’” I spoke those words recently as part of my sermon introduction. Let me explain. I’m preaching chapter-by-chapter through the book of Romans in a series called, “Unashamed.” I love Romans because it gives such a thorough explanation of the gospel. Paul begins with the sinfulness of man, moves to the grace of God that makes salvation possible through faith, and then focuses on our continued pursuit of righteousness. MEAT AND POTATOES On this weekend I was preaching from Romans 6
September 1, 2023
What Does the Bible Say About Everything?
By Chris Philbeck As I write this column, I’m in the middle of a message series called, “Truth Over Trend” (series title not original to me). The specific topics are gender identity, same-sex relationships, deconstruction of the Christian faith, and having the courage to speak up for biblical truth. You’d have to have your head buried in the sand not to realize the seriousness of these issues in our world and culture, and the impact they have on our local communities and families. Writing the first two messages on gender identity and same-sex relationships reminded me of an important truth
July 12, 2023
Chris DeWelt Retires as President of College Press (Plus News Briefs)
Chris DeWelt has retired as president of College Press Publishing, a company founded by his father, Don DeWelt, 64 years ago. . . . SpireConference plans preconference options. . . . Reggie Epps and Eddie Grover have passed away. . . . Chris Philbeck announces retirement plans. . . .
July 1, 2023
God’s Answer in My Distress
My Cancer Battle Has Made Me a Better Preacher and Leader
A Calling Wrapped in Failure
By Chris Philbeck I recently read an article by Lewis Allen called “10 Things You Should Know About Preaching,” published at Crossway.org. One point in the article stood out to me: “Preaching is a calling wrapped in failure.” That may seem a little shocking to someone who isn’t a preacher, but let me share a couple things to think about. First, here’s the reality: We are imperfect beings trying to speak for a perfect God. On our best day, we’re going to fall short. I have sometimes said, “There are things in the Bible I believe and experience, and there
