Just in conversation with a good friend yesterday, two images came out in reference to preaching.  I’m not going to say much, just offer them here for us to reflect on.

When preaching we should be preaching a meal, even a feast of Bible that will nourish, strengthen and build up our listeners.  The alternative that I come across all too often is preaching that seems to throw granules of sugar at people – very little content, very little value, very little lasting change.  Let’s look to preach the Word and not just abuse the Word to preach some nice thoughts of our own.

When preaching we should be both pushing them into the text so that they are stretched in their understanding and theological awareness.  It is too easy to stop short and give people a gentle snack that essentially repeats what they would probably get from the passage in a casual reading of it for themselves.

People can and probably do tend towards snacking for devotions.  But your sermon is an opportunity to go deeper in the Word.  Let’s feed meals, not throw sugar.  Let’s push and stretch, not stop short through lightweight superficiality.