How to preach on hard (controversial) topics
How to Preach on Hard (Controversial) Topics
Pastors cannot avoid preaching on topics considered to be controversial, tough, difficult, or hard. Silence is not neutrality—it is a form of leadership. At the same time, recklessness from the pulpit can fracture a church just as quickly as fear can hollow it out.
The real challenge is not whether to preach on hard topics, but how. The goal is not to win arguments or prove courage. The goal is to shepherd people faithfully, tell the truth clearly, and do so in a way that unites the church rather than divides it.
Here are seven insights for preaching on hard topics.
1. Be honest about your own bias.
Every pastor brings a background, a story, experiences, and convictions into the pulpit. Pretending otherwise doesn’t make a sermon more objective—it makes it less trustworthy.
Acknowledging bias does not mean apologizing for biblical conviction. It simply means being transparent enough to say, “I’m coming to this text as a human being, not a disembodied voice from heaven.” That kind of honesty builds credibility and lowers defenses. People are far more willing to listen when they believe the preacher is self-aware rather than self-righteous.
Humility at the beginning of a hard sermon often determines whether people lean in—or shut down.
2. Do not draw lines where the Bible does not draw lines.
One of the fastest ways to divide a church is to elevate personal opinion to biblical authority. Scripture is clear where it is clear, and it allows freedom where it allows freedom. Faithful preaching respects both.
When pastors draw sharper lines than Scripture itself, they bind consciences God has left free. That creates unnecessary division and often shifts the focus away from the gospel and toward secondary or tertiary issues.
Our job is not to strengthen Scripture with our preferences, but to submit to Scripture as it stands—no more and no less.
3. Ask questions instead of making statements.
Hard topics often land best when framed as questions rather than declarations. Questions invite reflection; statements often provoke resistance.
Jesus frequently taught this way. Rather than forcing conclusions, He led people to wrestle with truth. Questions slow people down. They help listeners examine their own assumptions and open space for the Holy Spirit to work beyond what a preacher could accomplish with force alone.
In controversial sermons, good questions can disarm tension in ways strong statements never will.
4. Present other viewpoints.
Fairly representing other perspectives is not compromise—it is intellectual honesty and pastoral maturity. When pastors caricature opposing views, listeners who hold those views stop listening, even if they stay seated.
Presenting other viewpoints accurately communicates respect. It tells the congregation, “I have listened before I have spoken.” And it strengthens your own position, because truth does not fear comparison.
People are more likely to trust your conclusions when they know you didn’t ignore alternatives to get there.
5. Share your notes with others before you preach the sermon.
Hard sermons should not be written in isolation. Trusted voices—staff members, elders, mature leaders—can help identify blind spots, tone issues, or unintended implications.
This practice doesn’t weaken leadership; it strengthens it. Wisdom multiplies when counsel is welcomed. A sentence that sounds clear in your head can land very differently in the room.
Preaching on controversial topics is not the time to be a lone ranger. It’s the time to lean into accountability.
6. Remain humble and respectful.
Tone matters—especially when emotions are already high. A preacher can be biblically correct and pastorally destructive at the same time.
Humility does not mean uncertainty. Respect does not mean silence. It means remembering that the people listening are not issues to be fixed but souls to be shepherded. Many are still processing, hurting, or learning.
When humility governs the sermon, even disagreement can remain within the bonds of trust.
7. Maintain a Christ-centered approach rather than an issue-centered approach.
The pulpit exists to exalt Christ, not controversies. Hard topics must be addressed, but they must never become the center of gravity.
When sermons revolve primarily around issues, people leave thinking about positions. When sermons revolve around Christ, people leave thinking about transformation. Even the most difficult subjects must be framed within the larger story of redemption, grace, and discipleship.
Christ unites what issues often divide. Keep Him at the center.
Final thought
Preaching on hard topics is not a failure of pastoral sensitivity—it is often an expression of it. The church does not need fewer convictions; it needs better shepherding. When truth is spoken with clarity, humility, and Christ at the center, even difficult sermons can become moments of growth rather than fracture.
Faithful pastors don’t avoid hard topics. They handle them well.
