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When Church Hurts

I never thought my greatest wound in ministry would come from the person I once called my best friend—a man I served with, prayed with, and dreamed with. For six years, I stood shoulder to shoulder with a fellow pastor, giving my heart to a church  (a church that was dying when we arrived). And God moved. We saw spiritual growth, new life in the pews (okay, the pews had already been replaced with chairs, but you get the point), and genuine transformation.

But then came the shift. People left. Tensions rose. Looking back, I can see how I should’ve spoken up, loved, and stood in the gap more. But I was following my pastor’s lead. And when the dust settled, I was no longer at the table—I was on the outside looking in. I was suddenly excluded from the ministries we started. Decisions were made without me. My wife felt it, too, the feeling of being ostracized, dismissed with disdain from those who were our friends, almost like family.

I wasn’t met with compassion or grace when I finally brought my concerns forward. Instead, I was asked to step down—to “seek counseling.” That moment left my wife and I  stunned, grieving, and eventually walking away from a church we once called home. And the deepest cut? It wasn’t just the ministry shift. My pastor, whom I once showed grace to in one of his darkest hours, didn’t return that same grace when I needed it most. Actions indeed speak louder than words.

But, friend, if you are dealing with a situation like this, here’s what I’ve come to understand: this is not the end of the story. The enemy would love for you to quit. We must remember that Satan is a master manipulator. He prowls like a lion (1 Peter 5:8), not just in the world but even more so within the church, looking for ways to divide, distract, and devour. And what better way to do that than by wounding leaders, worshippers, and those faithful to the flock? Abraham Lincoln once said that a house divided against itself cannot stand. This is even truer when applied to the local church.

Make no mistake—church hurt is real. Never minimize someone who the church has hurt. We cannot let Satan write the final chapter of our story. We cannot surrender our calling, joy, or identity to the enemy’s deceitful tricks.

Remember: When People Fail, God Remains Faithful.
In moments like these, I cling to Romans 8:28 (CSB):
“We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.”

That includes the things that break us, the betrayals, and the seasons that end in silence instead of celebration. God is sovereign and in control. He knew this chapter would come, and He is not finished with you or me!

Another verse that comforts me is Romans 11:29 (CSB):
“Since God’s gracious gifts and calling are irrevocable.”

Let that sink in—no one can cancel the calling God has placed on your life. Not a pastor. Not a deacon. Not even a church split. Your calling stands because it came from the unchanging Christ (Hebrews 13:8).

Even when it hurts, we must forgive. Forgiveness is not optional for the believer. Jesus modeled it on the cross when He prayed, “Father, forgive them because they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34, CSB). And if we’re being honest, some of the people who’ve hurt us in the church may have thought they were doing the right thing at the time.

We are called to extend grace—even when grace wasn’t extended to us. That doesn’t mean you must return to that place or rekindle the relationship. But it does mean you release the bitterness before it poisons your soul and hinders your ministry.


I now see this painful season as one of God’s strangest blessings. Because through it, I’ve learned what kind of pastor I don’t want to be. I’ve learned to see those hurting in the pews and to seek the one even when it means leaving the ninety-nine. My former pastor may not have shown me the shepherd’s heart, but that doesn’t mean God won’t use this experience to form that heart in me.

Friend, don’t give up if you’ve been hurt in church. Don’t check out. Don’t let Satan convince you that you’re disqualified. If anything, your scars may be the credentials and real-life illustrations God will use to reach the broken people He’s calling you to serve next., so keep fighting the good fight!
The apostle Paul wrote from a place of hardship and betrayal but still said:
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” – 2 Timothy 4:7 (CSB)

You can, too. Not because it’s easy—but because Christ is worth it. And while church leaders may fail you, Jesus never will.

A prayer like this is hard but necessary.
Father, I come before You not with anger but with a heart that is still healing. I lift up those who have hurt me—not with bitterness, but in obedience to Your Word. May You bless and guide them, and may their ministry flourish as they align their hearts with Scripture. Lord, though they hurt me, I release them to You. Heal the broken places in me, and restore the joy of Your calling on my life. Use my pain for Your glory. Give me peace, strength, and renewed purpose to serve You well in whatever comes next. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Believer’s Baptism?

Baptism does not save you, but more importantly, I am only echoing what Scripture clearly states.

Bob sims

On June 8th,1979, I entered this world five minutes after my twin sister Becky. Side note: I was the last of four children, and as a practicing Catholic, my mom held onto her rosary beads as she delivered my siblings. Why did she not hold her rosary beads when she gave birth to me? She did not know that she was having twins, so when the doctor informed her about me, she dropped the rosary beads on the delivery room floor. But I digress. Soon after my sister and I were born, we were baptized at St. Louis Catholic church; incidentally, that is where I eventually attended Catholic grade school. What is the point you are probably thinking? I am getting there. So I was baptized as an infant into the Catholic Church; no accident would land me in limbus infantium.


I am purposefully speaking tongue-in-cheek. Even before I became a Christian, I always thought infant baptism seemed too good to be true. I reasoned that if infant Baptism achieved eternity in Heaven, what would be the point of attending church, praying, and doing “church stuff”? I thought if you receive the golden ticket to the mansion on the hilltop only days into your life on earth, wouldn’t that negate the entire concept of Christianity? It just did not add up, and I barely even believed in God when I began to make these realizations. However, my opinion of Baptism in general soon would dramatically change.

When I came to faith in the Lord Jesus, it was a shock to my family. Both my father and stepmom were Catholics-not practicing Catholics. My conversion occurred at the tail end of my Senior year in high school. Soon after I was saved, the pastor at my church shared that I should be baptized again; he called it “Believer’s baptism” and added that it was the first public statement of faith I needed to make. And so, I was baptized.


Baptism does not save you, but more importantly, I am only echoing what Scripture teaches. I do not embrace the idea of “baptismal regeneration, the notion that “baptism affects a transformation, bringing a person from spiritual death to life”. [1] Baptism is best described as a picture of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ[2]. In other words, it is a picture of the Gospel. Baptism, rightly, is only for believers. Those persons who have placed their trust and faith in Jesus are whom baptism is reserved for.[3] Furthermore, baptism should be by immersion for the original Greek word baptizo, which means to immerse, is the only word within Scripture to describe Christian baptism. The word is not even translated; rather it is transliterated. There is no way around it; the word means to immerse or dunk.

Lastly, believers should be baptized because they are mandated to (Mt 28:19). If Jesus is their Lord, the new believer should follow His commands and be baptized (Jn 14:15). I have witnessed many new believers struggle with following through with baptism. Still, when they do, many will share that they wished they had done it sooner. Also, when a believer is baptized, it conveys the message of the Gospel and shows their lost friends and family that they are walking in the newness of life in which they now live (Rm 6:4)!
Because of Him,
Bob
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[1] Millard J. Erickson, Christian Theology, 3rd ed (Grand Rapids, Mich: Baker Academic, 2013), 1018.

[2]  Romans 6:4-7, Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be in the likeness of his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be rendered powerless so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin, since a person who has died is freed from sin.

[3] Acts 2:41, So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand people were added to them.

Acts 10:46-47, For they heard them speaking in tongues and declaring the greatness of God. Then Peter responded, “Can anyone withhold water and prevent these people from being baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?”

Acts 16:31-33, They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” And they spoke the word of the Lord to him along with everyone in his house. He took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds. Right away he and all his family were baptized.

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Recapturing the Voice of God: Shaping Sermons Like Scripture

Smith, Steven W. Recapturing the Voice of God: Shaping Sermons like Scripture, Nashville, TN: B&H Academic 2015. 243 pp.

Biographical Sketch of the Author

            Currently, Steven W. Smith serves as Senior Pastor at Immanuel Baptist Church in Little Rock, Arkansas. Additionally, Smith is on the faculty of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary as Professor of Preaching and Pastoral Ministry, Senior Preaching Fellow, Spurgeon Library. Prior to his roles at Immanuel Baptist Church and Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Smith served as Vice President for Student Services and Professor of Preaching at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. Pertinent to this review, Smith has a robust background in Communication holding a B.S. in Communications from Liberty University, MDiv from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and Ph.D. in Communications from Regent University. Smith has authored two books: Dying to Preach and, Recapturing the Voice of God. Additionally, Smith co-authored Preaching for the Rest of Us[1].

Summary of the Contents

In Recapturing the Voice of God, Smith “unashamedly” hopes that the book will “contribute to the work of those who want to explain the text” of the Bible (1), adding that “expository, text-driven preaching is not a style but a theologically driven philosophy of preaching whose purpose is to get as close to the text as possible” (1). His justification, or rationale for the book “hangs on two axioms” that “Preaching is re-representing the Word of God” and “The structure of the text influences its meaning” (1-2). Smith states that “we preach the Word of God as influenced by the voice of God” (2), adding that “the simple proposition is that the shape of the text determines the shape of the sermon” (4). To persuade the reader of this, after a brief introduction, Smith utilizes twelve chapters to convert the reader to align themselves with his thinking. The first two chapters are devoted to the mechanics of preaching. Chapter one focuses on “Recapturing the Voice of God: Pitch, Rate, Volume” (5) whereas chapter two centers on “Text-driven Preaching: Substance, Structure, Spirit” (17). Chapter three covers “Preaching and the Genre of Scripture: Story, Poem, Letter (27), and with chapter four, Smith turns his attention to preaching the various types of books and genres in the Bible, beginning with the Old Testament (37), and concluding with chapter twelve which examines preaching the book of Revelation (197).

Critical Evaluation

The simple proposition that Smith propagates is that “the shape of the sermon should be influenced by the shape of the text” (3). The “shape”, that is, the genre in which a certain text is written, is what communicates the “author -intended emotional design of the text” (2).  Primarily, this book seeks to not only be used as an introductory reference to assist less experienced preachers but also to be used by the experienced preacher with many years of preaching familiarity. Smith unmistakably and successfully shows the significance of genre translation in homiletics. He adequately clarifies the inadequacy of a cookie-cutter type of sermon structure considering the unique nature of sacred text (10).

Stating that the goal of preaching “is not to sound like preaching”, but rather “to sound like God’s word”, Smith essentially calls out countless preachers who, for lack of a better term, parrot, other preachers (10). Smith continues this line of attack saying that “preaching that makes points from a text but avoids the meaning of the text makes our people vulnerable” (19). His reasoning that preaching of this sort results in congregations that are vulnerable is that in doing so, “Avoiding the meaning of the text is not lying to people, but it prepares our people to accept lies” (19). Smith states that “everything we say in the pulpit we say to the exclusion of something else” which could be one of the sub-themes of this book as Smith repeats it throughout the work (19). He stresses the importance of this idea because every person who stands in the pulpit to preach on any given Sunday only has a limited time in which to preach the sermon. And even if one creature is allotted forty-five minutes or more, that is still a minuscule amount of time when one realizes that this might be the only time that the congregation here’s the word of God preached in seven days. Therefore, according to Smith, it is key that the preacher rightly interprets but re-presents what God is saying not forcing the text into a rigid homiletical structure (21). Smith effectively drives this concept home stating that “The point is clear enough: there is someone who is responsible for the explanation of the Word to the people”, and that person is the under-shepherd, the local pastor of any local congregation (24).

A strong argument with numerous examples regarding the situational and moving nature of genres, the focus of Smith in chapter three (30). Smith successfully Is how every genre is ultimately influenced by it immediate and macro context; and further, he shows how each genre essentially points to Jesus Christ (40,55,68,70, 91, 197). Smith delineates the significance setting plays by showing how the book of Hebrews cannot be completely understood without a comprehension of Psalm 110 (180).  Peculiarly to this reviewer, Smith invests a lot of energy in interpreting the various books of the Bible according to their genre. However, he does so effectively, and, moreover, this content would be advantageous to any student of the Bible, but even more so for the preacher of the Word.

The chief criticism of this book is the absence of its supposed main thrust: the structure of the sermon based on the shape of the text. The amount of time that Smith spent on interpretation seemed to overshadow the portions devoted to the structure and shape of the text. And while the interpretation content was solid and beneficial, it seemed to outshine the shape and structure theme. Furthermore, some preachers might be discouraged, or at the very least confused, if they recently read any of the sermon books published that focuses on the traditional sermon and homiletical principles.

Conclusion

Recapturing the voice of God is a beneficial read for any pastor or teacher who preaches the Word. Smith Has done a fine job of making the case that a cookie-cutter approach to sermon creation should not be the standard and furthermore, he has shown that it can be irresponsible at the very least but could be dangerous at its worst. Having read a later work of Smith’s, Preaching for the Rest of Us, this reviewer feels that Smith was able to succinctly make his case more so than he does in Recapturing the voice of God.

  Even though Smith spent much of his writing focused on interpretation, his writing was solid and grounded in Scripture which is commendable. The thesis of the book was, “The humble ambition of this book is to show a preacher or teacher how the genre influences the meaning of the text and give practical help for those who want to know how we can shape our sermons to reflect this meaning” (2). To this end, Recapturing the voice of God adequately fulfills this goal.

[1] “Steven W. Smith,” October 23, 2021, https://www.mbts.edu/about/faculty/steven-w-smith/.

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