Preaching on Difficult Topics

1
Preaching on Difficult Topics

• Advent final judgement
• Money, sex, power, working attitudes
• Asylum seekers, political topics
• and others

2
All topics are difficult topics

• preaching is for a change of mind and heart
• we are to be transformed away from our
  fleshly mindset

3
All topics are difficult topics

• grace and love can be equally as challenging as
  judgement
• what is an aroma of life to one is a stench of
  death to another

4
All topics are difficult topics

• mission involves putting Gods kingdom first
• in justice issues we are all complicit
• parable of the sower only one kind of soil was
  receptive

5
Pay attention to the ministry context

• listen to where the people are
• win the peoples trust
• work in collaboration
• know your own heart

6
Establish common ground

• e.g. Nathan and David
• e.g. Paul and Athens
• e.g. Paul and Philemon
• What part of the argument do they agree with?

7
Acknowledge the negatives

• a dentist says This may hurt
• MLK transforms the negatives

8
Leave the conclusion open

• give people a chance to think about it
• ask for permission to make the difficult
  suggestion