Evangelist D.L. Moody once said, “The preaching that this world needs most is the sermons in shoes that are walking with Jesus Christ.”

Congregants notice whether pastors practice what they preach. Sermons that flow from a life of biblical integrity resonate with authenticity beyond the pulpit. On the other hand, even the most dynamic message will ultimately fall flat if the preacher fails to walk the talk.

There is no shortage of advice on how to deliver more effective sermons. But I believe the most powerful thing we can do as preachers is lace up our shoes and walk daily with Jesus.

The apostle Paul certainly understood this when he told the Corinthians, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1).

Preaching and Integrity

Along with music, preaching is one of the most prominent aspects of a weekly worship service. If people find the messages boring, they might stop attending.

Consequently, church leaders sometimes prioritize charisma over character during pastoral searches. That is not God’s priority, however.

In 1 Timothy 3:2–13 and Titus 1:6–9, Paul identifies a number of essential qualifications for church leadership. According to these passages, leaders must be blameless and above reproach, maritally faithful, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, and gentle, maintaining an honorable household and good reputation.

Leaders should be established in their faith, avoiding drunkenness, greed, and behavior that is quarrelsome, overbearing, temperamental, or violent.

Paul also says overseers (pastors) should be “able to teach” (1 Timothy 3:2). All the other qualifications in these lists pertain to character. Only one has to do with competence.

This is not to minimize pastoral teaching and preaching. But it is clear that personal integrity and character formation are at the core of ministry rather than tangential.

In other words, preaching and integrity are inseparable. Crafting sermons without cultivating character is like telling the Lord, “I can do all things in my own strength!”

Nothing could be further from the truth. We need to nurture our souls and guard our integrity even as we engage in the work of preaching and teaching.

Time With God

It might seem rudimentary, but spending time with God is vital. Unfortunately, it often falls through the cracks amid the demands of ministry.

If pressed, many pastors would confess that they spend little time with God apart from weekly sermon or Bible study preparations.

Though significant, ministry preparation cannot substitute for personal devotions, Scripture reading, prayer, and fasting.

Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

Seeking God is the most productive activity pastors can pursue. Disconnecting our lives from the Vine is a fast track to moral bankruptcy and ministry disaster.

Accountability

Isolation and lack of accountability are common threads among ministry leaders who fail morally.

Personal integrity and character formation are at the core of ministry rather than tangential.

Without accountability, it’s easy to overlook or justify our own shortcomings. We need people in our lives who will provide honest feedback, point out blind spots, and challenge us to grow spiritually.

We also need people who will listen and offer guidance and prayer when we experience struggles. James 5:16 says, “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other.”

Trusted friends and ministry partners help keep us spiritually grounded, humble, and healthy.

Identify someone with whom you can maintain weekly or monthly accountability. A mentor outside of your congregation and community is often in the best position to share and uphold confidences.

Friendship

As a professor, I tell preaching students that their most important assignment while at seminary is finding a best friend in ministry, one who will share their highs and lows throughout the years ahead.

Loneliness among church leaders is on the rise. In a 2022 Barna survey, 65% of pastors reported feelings of loneliness or isolation during the previous three months, with 18% saying they felt this way frequently. By comparison, 42% felt lonely or isolated in 2015, with 14% experiencing these feelings frequently.

If you are feeling isolated and lonely, ask the Holy Spirit to send someone who will come alongside you — as Jonathan did for David, or Ruth for Naomi.

In a gathering of ministry leaders I attended, one individual wisely encouraged pastors to find what he calls a “useless friend.” As the speaker explained, this is someone whose presence in your life isn’t about professional networking advantages. The only benefits are mutual support and companionship. Such a pure friendship is rare, but valuable.

Viewing relationships only through the lenses of ambition and competition is unhealthy. Constantly trying to outmaneuver others, appear successful, or gain leverage leads to superficial connections at best and lapses in integrity at worst.

This is why “useless” friends are important. Such friendships are not based on competition or professional advancement, but simply caring enough to cultivate and challenge one another’s spiritual growth.

Shepherding

There is a temptation in ministry to focus on the public spotlight more than private shepherding.

By nature, preaching is public, while shepherding often happens behind the scenes. Yet when we separate preaching from pastoring, we fall prey to the vanity and narcissism that are endemic in today’s world. We risk turning preaching into self-serving performances.

While preparing and delivering sermons, we must remember that our primary calling is shepherding God’s flock. Rather than preachers who happen to pastor, our churches need pastors who happen to preach. An emphasis on serving and discipleship draws us closer to the heart of Jesus, the Good Shepherd.

No preacher can perfectly model Christ’s integrity. As Romans 3:23 reminds us, we’ve all fallen short of God’s glory.

Still, no aspect of sermon preparation is more important than practicing biblical ethics and integrity. We must strive to live in such a way that our daily habits and attitudes match the words we speak from the pulpit.

Cultivating personal integrity and character protects our reputations, families, congregations, and ministries. More than that, it expresses love for God. Following Christ in and out of the pulpit — walking out sermons in shoes, if you will — points to, honors, and pleases God.

The daily work of living the Word is an integral part of preaching it. Biblical integrity is not a destination, but a lifelong journey of following Jesus and seeking to become more like Him. Only from that position can we effectively teach others to do the same.

Paul said, “We instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. … For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life” (1 Thessalonians 4:1,7).

As we preach, may God — and those we lead — find us faithful and full of integrity to the end!

This article appears in the Fall 2026 issue of Influence magazine.