'Gotcha' Sermon Clips Are Bad for the Church

Fifteen years ago, an outlandish sermon clip made the rounds on YouTube. It was a shock-jock independent pastor ranting in front of a tiny congregation about modern Bible translations. It was comical, unnerving, and cringe-inducing. And I shared it on my blog. I was new to blogging, and around that time I asked an older, wiser pastor to speak into my writing. He asked a pointed question: "Who is edified by that sermon video?" And then he encouraged me to resist the urge to share something just because it was outrageous, entertaining, or a cautionary tale of how not to preach.