Why It Might Be A Bad Idea Preaching With The Bible.

Preaching without the bible?

Sounds somehow. I know. But…hey…could you just give me a few seconds to explain myself?

Please…!

When I suggest christians should learn to preach without the bible I actually mean one thing – the world has change. And so has our audience.

Unfortunately, our approach hasn’t changed much.

First, we fail to read the handwriting on the wall…

That we are speaking to a younger generation these days. (At least more than half of our population are youth).

That in this information age, these young folks have faster access to knowledge and information than their predecessors.

That the needs of our target audience have changed and become more complex than they used to be.

How then do we reach out to these folks?

First, drop the bible for now.

That’s right, because seeing you approaching them, bible in hand, put them on the defensive. Say what you’ll they’ve already tuned you out – politely though.

Don’t load and laden them with scriptures.

Try a boat-load of love instead. Many of them have come out of abusive relationships, broken homes,and the likes, and are questioning God’s justice. The only way to show them God is love is when you demonstrate that love.

Go and live with them…

You need to really know them inside out before your message can impact them. And how do you do that? Get to know their heroes. Understand their world-views and why they embrace them. Start from their point of view. Once you’re able to do that, they’ll drop their defences for you.

Start with a story.

Stories are powerful. That’s why Jesus kept on using them over and over again. Telling them stories help in several ways. The story about you shows them you are a real person. That christianity is really about simplicity. That it’s okay to goof.

Don’t lead with holiness, please!

This might sound heretic but it’s not. Particularly when I remember that it was the ‘holiness’ folks that drove me out of faith the first time I believed. Struggling at the time with a personal sin I knew as a sin anyway. But those holier-than-thou folks weren’t helping either. The result? I concluded christianity wasn’t just for me. I quit. Only to come back ten years later.

Besides, over-emphasising holiness can encourage hypocrisy. People will tell you lies just to keep up their holiness image. We need to emphasise honesty first. When we create an atmosphere where people can be more honest, holiness automatically follows.

In case you still haven’t got me right, well…I’m not alone in this. Here’s bishop Michael Pitt saying, “Much of the church is still preaching to a generation they believe has no faith, while the problem is not a lack of faith, but the misappropriation of the faith they have. The boundaries have shifted”.

We don’t get it yet, do we?

Segun Dada is God’s Own Errand Boy, and Yours. He writes to relegate fluffy stuffs by promoting real Values.