Last time we thought about ways to trim the message. This is not to appease the unsubstantiated claims that people cannot concentrate like they used to (evidence suggests otherwise). Rather it is to enable the central truth of the message to come across more clearly, rather than being hidden by excessive padding.
The other side of this matter is that central truth. Is it too “big?” Sometimes we simply try to cram in too much information. Our main idea takes forty-eight words to summarize. This is a problem. I think it is important to realize the value of the cumulative effect of effective communication. Communicate effectively a biblical truth this Sunday, then another next Sunday, let them build. This is so much more helpful than trying to achieve everything in every message and effectively achieving very little because it was all just too much!
I suppose it is harder to put it more clearly than Andy Stanley (which is often the case, to be honest!) . . . just preach one simple truth.
I’m tempted to make some analogy along the lines of comparing the ineffective feast people offer to someone who has been starving, when actually what they can effectively assimilate is a small dose of something specific (but the feast feels like you’re feeding them, even if they do end up with no benefit from the overdose) . . . I’m tempted to do that, but that might be unnecessary elongation of this post.
One simple truth.
Biblical Preaching 
“This is not to appease the unsubstantiated claims that people cannot concentrate like they used to (evidence suggests otherwise).”
Interesting! Do you have references to studies on this? I’d like to see them.
(Very useful blog, by the way — I’ve only just discovered it.)
I’m sure there are studies on this, but I’m referring to the evidence (film length has increased significantly over the past two decades, for example). I suppose the nature of unsubstantiated claims is that they aren’t substantiated, but then again, perhaps I’m open to that since I haven’t got a study to hand 🙂