Understanding The People We Preach To

In this video Mark Driscoll talks about the importance of Biblical preaching and understanding the people we are preaching to. He's pimping the upcoming Resurgence Conference. It is so very vital that preachers today understand Driscoll on this point. To communicate the Gospel effectively we must intimately know the people we are preaching to. For all our training in homiletics, we sometimes forget the very basics of communication. My beloved former neighbor in Black River, John Aviste, participates in a public speaking club. We would go over his speeches together, and he was painstakingly aware of every minute detail -- his attire, personality, hand motions, movement on the stage, choice of words and themes, etc. That's all Driscoll is advocating for. That preachers would preach the Bible respecting the very basic issues of communication and be painstakingly careful to preach in such a way that we will be heard. Another way to look at is, get into the mind and heart of those in your audience and evaluate your message through their lens before you preach it.