In Preaching Articles: "Facing Controversy"

Five Steps To Respond To A Hurtful And Hateful Email

By SermonCentral .com on Jul 6, 2022

“You have no business being the pastor of our church. All you are interested in is getting your own way and changing all the good things we have going. People are saying you should be fired. I agree with them.”

Scripture: Proverbs 15:1

Tags: Perseverance, leadership, conflict, Criticism, loving people, pastoral leadership, church ministry, Difficult People, Facing Controversy, criticism, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

Facing The Issue Of Biblical Literacy

By Ed Stetzer on Jan 12, 2022

This article is the first of six in a series on preaching in light of cultural shifts and biblical illiteracy.

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Tags: Bible, Preaching, pastor, Preacher, Teacher, sermon prep, Biblical Literacy, Pastor, Sermon Prep, preaching, preacher, bible, biblical literacy, teacher  (view more)  (view less)

Five Of The Hardest Challenges Pastors Face

By SermonCentral .com on Aug 9, 2020

Pastoral ministry carries unique pressures that few see. These five challenges reveal why shepherding God’s people requires grace, wisdom, and endurance.

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:1-7, Galatians 6:9, Hebrews 13:17, 1 Peter 5:2-4, James 3:1  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: gentle, Pastor Care

Facing These Questions Can Improve Any Preacher

By Charles Stone on Jun 6, 2021

The time we invest in sermons and the time people invest in listening to them should make us pause to evaluate our efforts.

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 2:17-20

Tags: Preaching, invest, Improve, questions, biblical preaching, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Facing The Issue Of Low Or Infrequent Church Attendance

By Ed Stetzer on Apr 18, 2024

This article is the fourth of six in a series on preaching in light of cultural shifts and biblical illiteracy.

Scripture: Hebrews 10:24

Tags: Fellowship, Community, Preaching, Church Attendance, why go to church, community, preaching, church attendance, fellowship  (view more)  (view less)

Do You Know The 4 Pillars Of Guest Preaching?

By Pete Wilson on Feb 6, 2023

Pete Wilson has keen insights not only for speakers but for listeners as well.

Scripture: Luke 4:18-19

Tags: controversy, Preaching, Respect, guest preaching, methodology, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

73 Problems Pastors Face And How To Address Them

By SermonCentral .com on Jan 11, 2021

Pastors face numerous problems on a daily basis. We've gathered 73 of the most-pressing issues and provided answers and discussion.

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5 Ministry Killers Every Pastor’s Wife Faces

By Charles Stone on Aug 20, 2025

Eight in ten pastors’ wives say they feel unappreciated or unaccepted by their husband’s congregations. Charles Stone and his wife give insight into how to protect your spouse and your marriage during the sometimes difficult calling of pastoral ministry.

Tags: Ministry, stress, Marriage, wife, family, Stress, relationships, priorities, home, Difficulties, pastoral care, Spouse, Church Body of Christ, Marriage General, church leadership, ministry, marriage support, Church Leadership, Pastoral Care, Ministry Health, Pastors Wife, Marriage Support  (view more)  (view less)

Seminary-Trained Preachers Face Unique Flaws: Are Yours On The List?

By Peter Mead on Dec 2, 2024

"You should wear your learning like your underwear: it's important that you have it on, but don't let it show."

Scripture: Psalm 119:10-12

Tags: Preaching, education, Seminary, preaching

Why Passion For God Must Lead Christian Leadership

By Brad Lomenick on Dec 24, 2020

Effective Christian leadership does not begin with strategy or management skills but with a deep and growing passion for God rooted in Scripture and prayer.

Scripture: Joshua 1:8, Psalm 63:1, John 15:4-5, Mark 1:35, Hebrews 4:9-11  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Preaching, Face, Seek, Time, christian living, preaching, Christian Living  (view more)  (view less)

Success Is Never About Defeating The Giants

By Brandon Cox on Nov 26, 2023

Success isn’t about beating giants. It’s about building a life that grows through trials and challenges.

Scripture: 1 Samuel 17:34-37

Tags: success, goals, achievement, pastoral leadership, Pastoral Ministry, success in ministry, Facing Giants, church ministry  (view more)  (view less)

Loving Muslims Begins With Honesty

By SermonCentral .com on Apr 23, 2020

Do Christians and Muslims worship the same deity? It has become one of the most pressing and controversial questions in the world in the last fifteen years.

Scripture: 1 John 5:12, John 8:19, John 5:42-43, John 5:23

Tags: Islam, World Religions, disagreement, loving people, Identity of Jesus, what Muslims believe  (view more)  (view less)

10 Pointers For Preaching On A Touchy Issue

By Peter Mead on Apr 11, 2021

Sometimes we have to preach something that is potentially controversial or that may not go down too well. Here are ten pointers to help when that is necessary.

Scripture: Acts 17:22-32

Tags: leadership, Preaching, Prayer, Self knowledge, Leadership, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Preaching On Hot Topics? 9 Outstanding Helps

By Lane Sebring on Mar 17, 2023

You want to help your people see how biblical truth intersects with every aspect of their lives. But the more controversial the topic the more important it is to handle it with care.

Scripture: Genesis 2:16-25

Tags: Hot Topics, Preaching, religious objections, thorough, cultural perspective, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Christmas: Not A Time For Inventing Twists On The Age-Old Story

By Joe Mckeever on Dec 13, 2024

Tell it with gusto and love. Tell the story of the birth of Jesus with all the excitement of someone hearing it for the first time. Tell the story without detouring into theories and guesses and myths and controversies.

Scripture: Luke 2:11

Tags: Christmas, Simplicity, storytelling, Christmas Advent