It seems the goal of some preachers is to make their people feel bad every week about something that they are or are not doing.

There are numerous sermons preached where the goal is to confront sin or the absence of righteousness and leave people feeling bad about themselves. And if the preacher has not made everyone a little bit sad, then they have not done their job.

Some take it one step further. If you do not preach on sin and are consistently making people feel bad, then you are “sugarcoating the gospel” or “watering down the message of Jesus.”

I would argue that scripture comes to us in a variety of ways, and preaching should, too. Some of the Bible contains poetry, proverbs, and promises. Some of the scriptures are history, prophecy, and a little mystery. Some of the messages are gospel, grace, and goodness. There are words of encouragement, enlightenment, and education.

Repentance and confession are a massive part of the call for believers, but it is not the only message. Not every sermon needs to make people feel bad about themselves. A feel-good sermon can be equally Biblical and practically required.

This Sunday, I will stand up and share a message of the love of God and the love of one another. I do not desire for people to feel bad about themselves; in fact, I want people to know the love that God and his people have for them.

Be careful about judging the quality of a sermon by its condemnation of sin or apathy. Those are not the only criteria for a good sermon.