A young preacher who has just accepted a new position writes that when he first interviewed at the non-creedal church, he expressed his honest beliefs about the work of the Holy Spirit and concerning the role of women in the church which he knew were different from the church's traditional views. About half the church agrees with the preacher and half hold to the traditional understanding. The preacher puts a high priority on loving God and loving people. However, some members stated at a recent congregational meeting that "we believe [our traditional church] doctrine and if that doesn't work … [Read more...]

A parishioner in one state wants to tactfully suggest that his minister shorten the sermon, while a preacher in another state inquires how to make his sermons more effective. Both invite my opinion on the subject. * * * I am instinctively sympathetic toward preachers, having personally delivered two sermons each Sunday for about 20 years and still enjoying the pleasure of preaching from time to time. The truth is that a few listeners are bored by a sermon of any length and they need our love and prayers. However, preachers also need to remember the truth discovered by an African missionary … [Read more...]

A missioner in South America writes: "I sometimes preach messages of rebuke to people who tend to be lackadaisical in their walk. How do I do this with a balance helpful to the hearer and pleasing to God?" * * * The New Testament Scriptures themselves certainly contain various rebukes -- for indifference, failure to grow and learn, immoral conduct, improper attitudes and twisting the gospel. When contemporary life circumstances parallel the circumstances to which such scriptural rebukes are addressed, I believe that it is appropriate for us to repeat and apply those scriptural rebukes. We … [Read more...]

A gracEmail subscriber writes that his minister is very knowledgeable but he is sometimes mean and rude to anyone who crosses him or gets in his way. To make matters worse, no one seems bold enough to confront the preacher about his destructive attitude and manners. Can I offer any counsel? * * * All who follow Christ are called to imitate the Savior in his humility, gentleness and self-restraint as in other godly traits (Matt. 11:29; Phil. 2:1-8; 1 Pet. 2:21-23). Knowledge can be useful, but without love it feeds arrogance and amounts to nothing. By contrast, love builds people up … [Read more...]

A sister in Mid-America writes that she loves her minister and his family but that the man is simply lazy. Wouldn't it be better, she asks, to divert the considerable sum of money paid in salaries to preachers every year to needy people or other good works? * * * Neither Scripture nor common sense encourages people to support someone who will not work, whether that individual stands behind a pulpit or sits quietly in a pew (2 Thes. 3:10-12). Since preachers are normal people, they manifest all the traits of human beings in general, both good and bad. While larger churches of most varieties … [Read more...]