Changing Lives Through Preaching and Worship

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It would be much easier to dodge preaching about sex. But there'd be no rescuing people from the devastation of misused sexuality and no leading them to the joy of God's intentions for this gift.
—Bill Hybels

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 with me, and when I began ministering with youth, I put his advice to work. After all, what's on the minds of teenagers?

But as I got older, it occurred to me that I was still interested in sexuality, even though I was married and pastoring a church and years removed from the hormone battles of puberty. And I know I'm not alone, because every time I preach on a sexual matter, the church grows quiet in a hurry.

Sex is on our minds.

Anything that occupies that much of our thought life and powers that much of our personality ought to be addressed from the pulpit, because some of those thoughts are misguided and in need of God's correction. To not preach about sex would be to desert my post at one of the most active battle fronts in our culture.

I realize preaching about sexual matters is fraught with possible problems. I could offend people. I might embarrass somebody, including myself. I might even distract the thinking of those listening.

Yet I can't ignore the topic.

Marriages ...

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