Jump directly to the Content

PREACHING THAT OH-SO-DELICATE SUBJECT

Speaking on sex clearly and redemptively is one of the preacher's biggest challenges.

What can a preacher say about sex without embarrassing or offending the congregation? One pastor who has pondered that question and developed a strategy is Bill Hybels, who preaches regularly about sex-related topics at Willow Creek Community Church in suburban Chicago, a church structured to reach the nonchurched. Based on a conversation with this innovative communicator, this article explains his motivation and methods for speaking publicly about a very personal subject.

I once had a professor who asked, "How often do you entertain thoughts about prophecy?"

One student answered what most of us thought: "About twice a year-once around Christmas, and again some time around Good Friday when I hear Isaiah 53."

"Okay," the prof replied. "Now, how many times in a given day do you have sexual thoughts?" Silence. The professor had accomplished his purpose. How many times do you hear biblically relevant preaching on human sexuality-something people are thinking about all the time?

That question stuck ...

March
Support Our Work

Subscribe to CT for less than $4.25/month

Homepage Subscription Panel

Read These Next

Related
FROM THE OFFICE OF THE PUBLISHER
FROM THE OFFICE OF THE PUBLISHER
From the Magazine
The Evil Ideas Behind October 7
The Evil Ideas Behind October 7
The Hamas attacks in Israel have a grotesque ideological history and deserve unflinching moral judgment.
Editor's Pick
What Christians Miss When They Dismiss Imagination
What Christians Miss When They Dismiss Imagination
Understanding God and our world needs more than bare reason and experience.
close