By Ewere Okonta
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“We are raising children who can fast for 21 days, but can’t say the truth for 10 seconds.”
That was the opening shot fired in what many are already calling one of the most controversial Sunday sermons of the year — a no-holds-barred critique of how religion, politics, parenting, and family values have conspired to create a nation of loud prayers and weak character.
The preacher (this writer) didn’t bother with niceties. No safe greetings. No polite warming up. He dove straight into the heat.
The controversial message was titled “Holy Hands, Dirty Hearts: The Failure of Faith and Family in Raising Honest Children” and pulled no punches. It was part religion, part political critique, and part parenting class — all wrapped in one fire-laced delivery.
“Our homes are decorated with Bibles but lack integrity. Our children know how to speak in tongues but not how to speak the truth. What kind of legacy is this?”
And just like that, the entire room went still.
Holy But Hollow: A Nation That Worships Loud but Lives Wrong
We live in a country overflowing with faith — churches on every corner, mosques in every street, vigils that echo through the night. But for all our religiosity, we’ve failed to produce a moral generation. The preacher asked the crowd a hard question:
“How come we’re so prayerful, yet so deceitful? How come we’re so churched, but not changed?”
He said we’ve trained our children to perform faith, not live it. And the result? A generation of altar boys who cheat in exams. Church ushers who defraud on TikTok. Teen prayer warriors who can’t even say ‘sorry’ at home.
The Parents Are Not Innocent
At the heart of the sermon was a brutal truth: The first place a child learns to lie is not on the street. It’s at home.
“You told your child to ‘tell Uncle I’m not at home.’ You faked a phone call in front of them. You called someone ‘my sister’ and rolled your eyes as they walked away. Now your child lies easily — and you’re shocked?”
He blamed many Nigerian parents for prioritizing religious activity over personal responsibility.
“You buy your children Christian t-shirts but not character books. You drag them to crossover nights, but not to conversations about honesty. We have left parenting to pastors and influencers.”
The preacher warned that when parenting is outsourced, values are lost — and society pays the price.
When Politics Pollutes the Home
He wasn’t done. He turned to the politicians — especially the ones who post family photos on Instagram while looting national funds on the side.
“Your child watches you lie at the Senate and smile in church. You change parties like underwear and still insist you’re serving the people. What exactly are you teaching your child? That survival is more important than integrity?”
He called it what it is: parenting in the age of political madness.
Politicians preach family values while breaking every one of them. They expect loyalty from children while betraying their spouses and their oaths.
“Don’t be surprised when your child grows up believing power is truth and lies are strategy. Because they didn’t just hear it — they saw it at home.”
The Church and Mosque Can’t Save What the Family Won’t Build
It wasn’t just a slap at families and politicians. Religious leaders, too, were called out.
The preacher said too many churches and mosques now focus on attendance and tithes — not character or transformation.
“We celebrate the teenager who leads worship, not the one who stands up against bullying. We ordain children as young prophets, but ignore their disrespect at home. We are breeding performers — not disciples.”
He warned that until religious institutions stop prioritizing hype over holiness, we’ll keep producing generations that love church but hate correction.
And the government? Missing in Action
No sermon on family and society would be complete without spotlighting government failures.
“A country that spends billions on elections but underfunds schools cannot claim to care about the next generation.”
The preacher said the government has failed to build a society that supports strong homes. Poor education, economic stress, and broken infrastructure — all make parenting harder and moral development weaker.
“How do you teach honesty to a child who watches their teacher strike over unpaid salaries? How do you preach hard work when the youth see fraudsters living better than doctors?”
A Call to Reset the Nation — From Inside the Living Room
As the sermon closed, it shifted from outrage to invitation. The preacher pleaded with parents to start again — this time with truth, not titles.
“Before you post another church selfie with your child, ask yourself: What are they learning from me that will outlive me?”
He urged families to stop raising churchgoers and start raising honest citizens. Stop raising religious actors and start raising value-driven leaders.
“If we don’t fix the family, forget the future. Because no matter how holy your pulpit, your home is the first altar.”
The message has sparked fierce debates online. Some say the preacher was too harsh. Others say he simply told the truth no one else would dare to say.
But one thing’s clear: in a nation where parents are busy, politicians are dishonest, and pastors are distracted, someone had to stand up and shout, Enough!
Maybe — just maybe — it’s not too late to raise a generation that prays and tells the truth.
This is my Sunday sermon from my holy pulpit!
This Sunday sermon is part of our ongoing series on navigating life’s toughest questions through the lens of faith, family, and modern realities. Share it. Live it. Let it stir something in you.
Ewere Okonta is the CEO of EOB Media. He is a family values advocate. He writes from the Department of Business Administration, University of Delta, Agbor
gts2007students@gmail.com