Resources for Christian Speaking & Preaching Ministry
If you have the spiritual gifts of exhortation, prophecy, and/or teaching you might find yourself engaged in a speaking ministry to communicate God's Word to others. Venues for a speaking could include children's sermons, preaching, teaching, training seminars, and more.
Click on a tab below to view a list of resources to help you with speaking in general or to equip you for a specific speaking venue or for tools to assist you in it.
While seeking to choose doctrinally sound resources, we make no claim to total endorsement of any listing. Where possible, links go to merchants with whom we have an affiliate relationship, such as being an Amazon Associate from whom we earn from qualifying purchases. These sites may use cookies to track activity to ensure that Ministry Tools Resource Center gets commissions from any sales. Links open in new pages to keep the list available.
General
General Information about Communication in a Speaking Ministry
Articles:
- Check Your Message
- God Communicates Audiovisually
- How Do You Develop a Public Speaking Ministry?
- So You Think You Want to Be a Speaker
- Speaking to a Generation with a Short Attention Span
Books:
- Communicating for a Change by Andy Stanley & Lane Jones
- Communication Plus: How to Speak So People Will Listen by Florence & Marita Littauer
- Everyone Communicates, Few Connect: What the Most Effective People Do Differently by John C. Maxwell
- Public Speaking, 2d ed.: A Handbook for Christians by Duane Litfin
- Purpose-Filled Presentations by Tony Jeary
- Speaking with Bold Assurance by Bert Decker & Hershael W. York
- Speak Up With Confidence, A Step-by-Step Guide for Teachers and Leaders by Carol Kent
- The Empowered Communicator: 7 Keys to Unlocking an Audience by Calvin Miller
Spiritual Gifts and a Speaking Ministry
Articles:
Tools
Illustrations to Use When You Speak
Articles:
- 5 Ways to Improve Your Illustrations
- 6 Tips for Better Lesson Illustrations
- 6 Keys for Choosing and Using Illustrations
Resources for Finding Illustrations:
- Books with Illustrations, Quotes, and Humor
- Sermon Illustrations.com
- Sermon Illustrations at Bible.org
- Sermon Central - sermons, illustrations, dramas
Powerpoint Use in Sermons & Other Speaking Opportunities
Articles:
Resources:
Sermon Annuals & Outlines
Study Tools for Message Preparation
Books:
- Bibles
- Bible Commentaries
- Bible Concordances
- Bible Dictionaries
- Bible Encyclopedias
- Bible Handbooks
- Biblical History
- Nave's Topical Bible
Online Helps:
Other Studying Resources:
Venues
Children's Sermons
Books:
- 5-Minute Messages for Children: 52 Children's Lessons for Any Occasion
- Big Book of Object Talks for Kids of All Ages
- Children's Sermons in a Bag
- Down in Front: Children's Sermons on Bible People, Places and Things
- Object Lessons for a Year: 52 Talks for the Children's Sermon Time
- Sticky Faith: 52 Family Messages for Big Church
- The Humongous Book of Children's Messages
- The Really Big Book of Kids' Sermons and Object Talks
Training Resources:
Preaching - Sermons
Articles:
- 6 Preaching Mistakes You Can Make in the First 5 Minutes
- 6 Ways to Effective Preaching
- Five Steps Toward More Practical and Relevant Preaching
- Is it time to renovate your sermons?
- Six Sermon Preparation Steps for Bivocational Pastors
- What are the Most Important Elements to Consider When Preparing a Sermon
Books:
- Moving Messages: Ideas That Will Revolutionize the Sunday Experience by Rick Bundschuh
- Preaching and Teaching with Imagination by Warren Wiersbe
- Preaching God's Word: A Hands-On Approach to Preparing, Developing, and Delivering the Sermon by T.G. Carter, J.S. Duvall & J.D. Hays
- Preaching: How to Preach Biblically by John F. MacArthur
- Preaching: The Art of Narrative Exposition by Calvin Miller
- The Art and Craft of Biblical Preaching: A Comprehensive Resource for Today's Communicators ed. by Haddon Robinson & Craig Brian Larson
- The Power of Multi-sensory Preaching and Teaching: Increase Attention, Comprehension, and Retention by Rick Blackwood
- The Supremacy of God in Preaching by John Piper
Teaching
May your speaking and preaching be grounded in God's Word, guided by His Spirit, and glorifying to the Lord. These ministry resources are merely tools.