Joshua Butler

Graphic violence. Murder. Bloodshed. Gang rape. Sexual perversion. Hollywood is going off the rails, right? Well, maybe, but you can actually find all of that R-rated stuff in the Bible too, especially in the Old Testament. Of course there's a big difference between the Word of God and Hollywood. The biblical story inhabits a moral universe and narrates a redemptive story while longing for the ultimate Redeemer. Unfortunately, many people in our culture are using R-rated Bible stories to discredit the God of the Bible. So this summer we're rolling out preaching skills and model sermons that will encourage and equip you to preach right into these tough passages.

Cole Brown

We kick off the series with this fabulous article by Joshua Ryan Butler who reminds us that the Bible is not a safe or sanitary book. Butler provides some overarching principles for preaching on these R-rated Old Testament texts without flinching. We also offer a fine sermon from Cole Brown on what really happened at Sodom and Gomorrah. I love Brown's unusual but I think correct approach to this text: he places it in the larger narrative of Abraham's "intercessory" argument with God on behalf of Lot's family and the two cities.

Watch for more articles and sermons on these tough texts and then try preaching one of them. Don't worry if you offend or shock your people or your seekers. The word is out: they already know parts of the Bible are R-rated. So get equipped.

Also, check out these new resources:

• Featured Illustration: Movie Big Hero 6 Shows Sacrificial Love
• Featured Video: The Facebook Trap: We've all been there: browsing social media hour after hour, wishing we had what others have. Use this poignant video to help introduce the pitfalls of social media to your audience.
• Featured Sermon: "What Really Happened at Sodom and Gomorrah?" by Cole Brown
• Featured Skills Article: "R-Rated: Preaching Those Unsafe OT Texts" by Joshua Ryan Butler

Matt Woodley
Editor, PreachingToday.com
mwoodley@christianitytoday.com

Matt Woodley is the pastor of compassion ministries at Church of the Resurrection in Wheaton, Illinois.