Preaching and Life Transformation

I travel about working with both existing churches and new church starts and with people who, while they have not lost interest in Jesus, have lost interest in church. The reasons for this are quite varied and the debate about not "watering down the message" continues. As I am perplexed in what I see and the continuing downward trends in American Churchianity, I am asking why? I invite you to weigh in on this discussion.


We can talk about relativity. We can talk about music and buildings and systems and authenticy and being the church beyond the walls and the hypocrisy that many outside the faith point to (and which many of us who are followers of Christ actually live). My more recent musings have related specifically to our role as preachers or teachers or speakers or communicators or whatever we may wish to be called.


Recently, I have been contemplating the focus of our preaching. While I am 100% committed to teaching of God's Word, I am wondering if we are missing the mark in our approach? Are we preaching and teaching for life transformation or simply so that people will learn more information which we hope they will eventually find a way to apply. What approach should we take in our proclamation of God's Word...exegitical - through the text, topical expositional? Most people don't even know what these words mean. To me the issue is a two-directional thing - connecting people with God's Word and connecting God's Word with people. I am certainly not one for pop-psychology in the pulpit, nor for reading a section of Scripture and then building a sermon that has nothing to do with the text. The real issue is connecting it to life. Even Doctrine, properly taught connect with life. In fact, without good doctrine, we run the risk of mis-aligning our lives. Good doctrine is the footer (cement in nature) on which we build all the rest. For me, even the very nature of God is practical. His attributes give credence to life and to faith.