Preaching: How do we deal with that? What are some things pastors can do to help from stepping on that landmine?
Stanley: I think one of the primary things is to remember where you came from. A lot of folks don’t do that. They only think about where they are, and where they are going. They forget the fact that apart from God, you wouldn’t be where you are, and you wouldn’t get where you’re going. I think that recognizing who you are—your absolute, total dependence upon God, and recognizing also that some of the things that God allows us to go through in life are for the purpose of keeping us, and reminding us where we need to be.
If you just move along and you don’t observe what’s going on around you, and how God is working in your life—if you don’t observe, to be able to discern what He’s really trying to say to you as a person, often these are warnings.
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Preaching: You mentioned that this particular book came out of a sermon series. Do you preach mostly in series?
Stanley: Most of the time I do; it just depends on what I think the Lord has laid on my heart. If you ask me what I prefer? Absolutely, I’d prefer to preach one series after another if the Lord would give it to me that way!
Preaching: Most of us know you primarily through the In Touch television and radio ministry. As you try to balance the issue of media ministry vs. the local congregation to whom you’re preaching, do you find there are issues that you have to struggle with as to what might be good for the congregation vs. something that will work effectively in the broader media ministry?
Stanley: I used to think that would be a problem, but over the years I’ve realized it’s not. People are who they are and what they are, whether they attend church or it’s on television. The issue with me in preaching is: What’s the need? I think what’s really helped me over the years is if I preach something, my primary objective may be the church; then a couple of weeks later I check the mail to find out how people are responding; it’s just the same. I mean, it’s really been an eye opener for me—the truth is the local church is sort of an indication of where people are at everywhere.
Preaching: Are there certain needs or hurts that you hear more than others, within your local congregation and then within your broader media congregation?
Stanley: Yes, one of those particular areas is divorce. It’s just amazing to me how often we hear that. Also, people who are going through difficulty on their job, and people criticizing them for being a Christian, and they feel persecuted. I think that’s a major issue. A lot of times people don’t have the courage to stand for what is right. One of the reasons I talked about compromise is I think compromise is a major issue. Then the whole issue of sex— it’s becoming an alarming thing.