Don't Begin With the Needs of Your People

I used to begin with the needs of people and then go to Scripture. I figured that the place to begin as a preacher is with the needs of the people in front of me.

I still see the value in this approach. The wise preacher considers the needs of the congregation. We need to know our people and their struggles, and build a preaching diet that’s appropriate to the needs of our people.

But there’s also a danger in this approach. Taken too far, the needs of people — not Scripture — will dictate what we ...