https://headhearthand.org/blog/2013/01/17/8-ways-to-harm-the-depressed-with-your-preaching/  Informing Minds. Moving Hearts. Directing Hands. Mon, 23 Feb 2026 18:08:00 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=3.8.41 https://headhearthand.org/blog/2013/01/17/8-ways-to-harm-the-depressed-with-your-preaching/#comment-50872 Sun, 10 Apr 2022 19:16:00 +0000 http://headhearthand.org/?p=11109#comment-50872 I think the point that they were trying to make is that the pastor would never tell people not to go to the doctor. So they shouldn’t tell people not to take anti-depression medication that their doctor prescribes. I personally have never heard a pastor preach against antidepressants anyway. But personally I have had a bad lot of side effects with them. That doesn’t mean I shouldn’t take any of them but that I should do my research on the prescriptions that my doctor gives me. Personally, I think Zoloft is a dangerous medication that can make people violent and Wellbutrin gave me a 5 month heavy period. Yes, I was bleeding for 5 months straight and I didn’t know why, but Wellbutrin was the only medication I was taking at the time so I finally asked my doctor if I could stop taking it and the periods went away. Birth control didn’t help. But just because one prescription didn’t work doesn’t mean I won’t try again. Now I am trying Prozac. And if that doesn’t work I will just keep taking St. John’s wort which is a natural supplement that I haven’t had any problems with. But if your pastor goes to the doctor for any reason then he should not be preaching against any kind of medication.

]]> https://headhearthand.org/blog/2013/01/17/8-ways-to-harm-the-depressed-with-your-preaching/#comment-19794 Thu, 04 Apr 2013 03:32:40 +0000 http://headhearthand.org/?p=11109#comment-19794 [...] 8 Ways Preachers Harm the Depressed | HeadHeartHand Blog [...]

]]> https://headhearthand.org/blog/2013/01/17/8-ways-to-harm-the-depressed-with-your-preaching/#comment-13846 Sat, 02 Feb 2013 16:21:20 +0000 http://headhearthand.org/?p=11109#comment-13846 Congratulations, Mike, on 53 years of faithful service. I agree with you also on the vital importance of pastoring the flock one-to-one. I agree too that we need to preach about sin. Gospel doesn’t make sense without it.

]]> https://headhearthand.org/blog/2013/01/17/8-ways-to-harm-the-depressed-with-your-preaching/#comment-13813 Fri, 01 Feb 2013 08:01:15 +0000 http://headhearthand.org/?p=11109#comment-13813 [...] This is good: 8 ways preachers harm the depressed [...]

]]> https://headhearthand.org/blog/2013/01/17/8-ways-to-harm-the-depressed-with-your-preaching/#comment-13634 Fri, 25 Jan 2013 23:10:39 +0000 http://headhearthand.org/?p=11109#comment-13634 Great word. Thank you.

]]> https://headhearthand.org/blog/2013/01/17/8-ways-to-harm-the-depressed-with-your-preaching/#comment-13554 Thu, 24 Jan 2013 05:04:56 +0000 http://headhearthand.org/?p=11109#comment-13554 I have been a pastor for 53 years. I am coming down to the end of a great ride. I was saved at the age of 10 and called to preach the Gospel at 17. I have had ups and downs in life as has everyone else. I can honestly say that being a preacher and shepherd has been the greatest honor, and the greatest pleasure of my life.
First of all, I want to say that I am in complete agreement with what David has said in this article. I have always tried to find a balance in my preaching between the negatives of the Gospel and the positives. I also know I am going against the overwhelming trend in church life for what I am going to say. At the same time that I know what the article laid out is correct, it also gives me a queasy feeling. I have always believed that the most important thing a pastor does is not his preaching, and I am not denigrating the sermon at all. It is very important. But I have labored to make my personal contact with the folks a priority. I’ve always loved visiting in the homes of families, and to find out their spiritual situation. I have made myself available to people without limit. I have prayed with folks, read Scripture with them, and bawled with them when they were going through incredible hurts and pains. I know there are people dealing with depression in our churches all the time, and I have been one of those who have been depressed. The late Dr. N.A. Woychuk, the founder of Scripture Memory Association, was a dear friend. He came to be our speaker at a Homecoming Celebration several years ago. As we were eating together at the noon meal, I said, “Chuk, you travel all over the country and visit in many different churches. What, in your opinion, is the state of preaching in America?” His reply was one word–”Pathetic.” Many churches today advertise as places that are “non-judgmental.” I think I know what they mean, but, my brothers, there has to come a time when folks are told, with all the love that you have got in your heart, that their lives are full of sin, and that they are where they are because of the lousy choices they have made in life. Yes, tell them of the precious Jesus, tell them of His beauty, tell them of His tenderness. Yes, Yes, Yes, tell them that! But speak sweetly to them that they are sinners, even those who are depressed, and take medications, and feel like their lives have no meaning. Tell them and stand by them as the blessed Holy Spirit begins to transform their lives from the inside out. I often feel nowadays that I really know nothing about being a pastor. I have watched as our churches have become mainly places of coolness and entertainment. And at a time when, supposedly, the church is really growing, the power of our congregations to change the culture is non-existent. I am thankful for every God-called man out there whose heart is filled with the glory of Christ, but I am saddened by the numbers of pastors who are afraid to speak the full truth because people might leave and go to the church down the street. Forgive me for not jumping on the bandwagon, I have seen too much and lived too long. Yours For Souls.

]]> https://headhearthand.org/blog/2013/01/17/8-ways-to-harm-the-depressed-with-your-preaching/#comment-13502 Wed, 23 Jan 2013 01:15:21 +0000 http://headhearthand.org/?p=11109#comment-13502 I found this on facebook, and I wanted to thank you so very much.
This is just a wonderful, gospelicious tonic for often, not always, but too often what hurts both the pastor and the sheep !
So grateful and will pass on.
His grace to you,
Harvey

]]> https://headhearthand.org/blog/2013/01/17/8-ways-to-harm-the-depressed-with-your-preaching/#comment-13441 Mon, 21 Jan 2013 00:10:23 +0000 http://headhearthand.org/?p=11109#comment-13441 [...] saved this post by David Murray a couple of days ago. It flows on from my last post. It’s not meant to be exhaustive and [...]

]]> https://headhearthand.org/blog/2013/01/17/8-ways-to-harm-the-depressed-with-your-preaching/#comment-13400 Sat, 19 Jan 2013 16:42:10 +0000 http://headhearthand.org/?p=11109#comment-13400 I agree with most of the article, and I find it encouraging except for one point. Point seven, I believe, is a false characterization of pastors who speak against meds. Thank you for the thought provoking article.

]]> https://headhearthand.org/blog/2013/01/17/8-ways-to-harm-the-depressed-with-your-preaching/#comment-13397 Sat, 19 Jan 2013 15:00:03 +0000 http://headhearthand.org/?p=11109#comment-13397 I can’t think you enough for this. I was once a bruised reed that got plowed under. Years ago, I was having intrusive thoughts about harming my newborn. Wanting support and understanding from my church, I went right to my pastor for prayer. I couldn’t bear to explain to him how bad it really was, but I did tell him I was severely depressed and could not stop crying. His first response to me was that I needed to examine myself and consider that I might have something to repent of. He went on to remind me about another member’s tremendous suffering and how anything I was going through must pale in comparison. I was reaching out for help, instead of hiding, and I got kicked in the stomach. My husband was with me and his jaw dropped. We were both so weak that we just took that and then finally left, with polite thank-yous on the way out the door. Latter on I was able to ask my husband if it really happened that way. He has confirmed that I’m remembering it correctly.

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