6. Be Confident. In these situations, you never want to be rattled or overly nervous. If you hesitate and tip-toe around an issue, it will put your people on edge and cause them to question how confidently you hold your position. It will also make them think twice about adopting the views themselves. This should matter to you if you want to change minds and influence hearts. I wrote about how to be confident when you preach while avoiding a prideful attitude in this article.
7. Be Humble. In your confidence, you never want to appear arrogant. Few people truly connect with a know-it-all preacher. Approach the topic with humility and respect for those who disagree. Preaching is supernatural work. God has to move in the hearts of your people for life-change to occur.
8. Consider providing a forum for questions and answers. These issues always bring more questions. You want to show your listeners that you are not afraid of questions. You may not know the answer to every question people ask, but it’s important to demonstrate that you care what’s on their minds as they wrestle with these issues.
9. Pray. This is the most important step. Pray while you prepare, pray before you preach, pray during if you can. Pray afterwards. Get others to pray for you. Be well-bathed in prayer. None of the above practices will do you much good without an active dependence upon God through prayer.
What do you think is important to do while addressing tough topics? What have you experienced?
