Pastor Josh Howerton Criticized For Frequently Using Team Jesus In His Sermon Illustrations

Pastor Josh Howerton Criticized For Frequently Using Team Jesus In His Sermon Illustrations

Pastor Josh Howerton’s continuous repeated use of the phrase “Team Jesus” has drawn massive criticism from some Christians, including an X user with the TerriGreenUSA, who questioned the expression and one of Howerton’s sermon illustrations.

While reacting to the post, TerriGreenUSA wrote that the illustration left her “shaking my head,” comparing it to Pastor Ed Young Jr. driving a car onto the stage at his church. Then she criticized Howerton’s frequent use of the phrase “Team Jesus,” stating that, “Jesus doesn’t have teams.”

Howerton, the pastor of Lakepointe Church in Texas, has used the phrase “Team Jesus” in many of his preaching. In his January 2026 sermon series, he titled it Boot Camp Training For Team Jesus, while the phrase has also appeared in others of his messages about Christian discipleship and following Christ.

The criticism further reflects a broader discussion among Christians about how pastors use modern languages in preaching, creative illustrations and dramatic demonstrations when communicating biblical messages to its audience.

For critics such as TerriGreenUSA, the concern is that expressions such as “Team Jesus” may make Christianity sound like a competition between opposing groups rather than a call to follow Christ.

Supporters may also understand the phrase differently, using it as a simple way of describing Christians who identify with Jesus and seek to live according to His teachings.

The debate then highlights the different approaches pastors take when communicating Christian beliefs to contemporary audiences.