Preaching at the Lincoln Christian College alumni reunion on March 14, 1985, Ben Merold opened 2 Timothy 1:3-7 to challenge believers toward fearless, Spirit-empowered living. Drawing on Paul's charge to Timothy, Merold unpacked three divine gifts: a spirit of power that transforms lives, a spirit of love rooted in commitment rather than feeling, and a spirit of self-discipline — what he called a "smiling mind" — that steadies the soul against fear, panic, and passion. With characteristic warmth and humor, Merold called his audience away from timidity and toward bold, obedient faith.

Walter Neuenschwander of South Lansing Christian Church shares his unlikely journey from farm kid to preaching minister — including a season of running from God entirely. He and Dr. Frank Weller discuss staff structure, investing in emerging leaders, and why trusting a sermon preparation routine might be the best preaching advice nobody talks about.

Tyler McKenzie of Northeast Christian Church returns to discuss the nuts and bolts of preaching — from his year-long sermon planning process to tackling controversial topics from the pulpit. He also opens up about the comparison trap, finding your preaching voice, and why he finally brought a manuscript on stage.

In this episode of the Better Preaching Podcast, Dr. Frank Weller welcomes Tyler McKenzie, lead pastor at Northeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky. Tyler shares his journey from being a college baseball player to becoming a pastor. He discusses his doctoral research on the intergenerational transmission of faith, focusing on the role of parents and grandparents in nurturing spiritual growth. The conversation concludes by encouraging seasoned preachers to leverage their experience and community knowledge to amplify their preaching.

The 2006 North American Christian Convention saw acapella churches of Christ and instrumental Independent Christian Churches coming together on the 100th anniversary of the schism that divided the Restoration Movement.

At the time Dave Stone had just transitioned to become Bob Russell’s successor as the Senior Minister at Southeast Christian Church, one of the most influential churches in our movement. Dave’s topic that night was Together in Service.

Preaching from Ephesians, Dave shared three benefits of serving together: unity, maturity, and testimony.

This year marks 120 years since the churches of Christ and Christian Churches split. Led by Christian Standard, and organizations like Renew, continued unity efforts make this sermon by Dave Stone as timely as it was two decades ago.

Dr. Donald J Wilson shares insights on sermon preparation, sermon delivery, and the importance of critique and connection in preaching. He emphasizes the need for strong theological grounding, effective sermon preparation, and the value of honest critique from others. Additionally, he highlights the significance of connecting with the congregation and the role of a supportive spouse in providing honest feedback.

Dr. Don Wilson shares his journey from a tiny church in the the wheat fields of Kansas to becoming the preacher of one of America's largest churches and what it was like to preach to 25,000 people each week.

In this episode, Pastor Danny Cox covers his sermon preparation process and the attention he gives to rehearsing the sermon. We explore the use of preaching tools and technology and the impact of AI in preaching. Finally, Danny talks about doing the hard work of sermon preparation, what he calls "embracing the grind."

The conversation with Mark Christian delves into the joy of sermon preparation and how to approach preaching to different audiences. He emphasizes the importance of community and accountability in preaching, and the need to let the text win in the life of a preacher.

In 1977 the 50th anniversary of the North American Christian Convention featured Wayne Smith's sermon on the importance of gospel preaching. Smith contended that preaching is a timeless and essential practice, and that the impact of preaching extends beyond the immediate audience and has a lasting influence. Though spoken nearly fifty years ago, these are timeless truths that bear repeating.