Most pastors want the same thing.
We want deep faith in our churches.
We want people to grow, not just attend.
We want disciples who follow Jesus with conviction, consistency, and courage.
Some churches have built discipleship pathways to help make that happen. Others are still trying to connect the dots. But in every church, regardless of size, theology, or structure, sermons play a massive role in shaping spiritual growth.
Every pastor hopes their sermons add value to the discipleship pathway.
The issue is where we begin.
The Question We Ask First Shapes Everything That Follows
At some point in the week, every pastor asks a very normal question:
What do I want to say?
We choose a text.
We identify a theme.
We build an outline.
We look for illustrations.
We work toward application.
That question makes sense. We care about Scripture. We care about faithfulness. We care about saying the right things.
But it should not be the first question we ask.
The more important question, the one that should come first, is this:
Who is going to hear this?
Because what we preach should be driven by who is listening.
When we know who is listening, we can then determine how to say what we want to say. That shift, from content-first to person-first, is the difference between sermons that inspire and sermons that actually form people.
Why Content-First Sermons Often Miss the Mark
Starting with content is not necessarily wrong. But starting with content alone assumes something that is seldom true.
That the room is spiritually uniform.
Every Sunday, you are preaching to people at very different places:
- People exploring faith
- People new to faith
- People growing in faith
- People ready to help others grow
NOTE: In my 5 Rights Discipleship Framework, we start with the “Right Person.” You can read more about this approach here.
They are all hearing the same words, but not in the same way.
The same sentence that challenges a mature believer may confuse a seeker.
The same application that motivates a growing disciple may overwhelm someone new.
The same expectation that excites a leader may alienate someone who is barely holding on.
Faithful content without intentional targeting often produces vague application.
That is not a preaching problem. It is a starting point problem.
Series Planning Reveals the Gap
This becomes most obvious not in weekly sermon prep, but in series planning.
Most planning conversations begin with questions like:
- What do we want to talk about next?
- What feels timely?
- What have we not taught in a while?
- What would make a compelling series?
Rarely do they begin with questions like:
- Who are we primarily trying to disciple in this season?
- Which group most needs clarity or challenge right now?
- Who are we trying to move and where are we trying to move them?
Series planning is one of the most formative discipleship decisions a church makes. Yet it is almost always driven by topics rather than people.
When series are built without a clear person in mind:
- Seekers feel talked over
- New believers feel overwhelmed
- Growing believers feel under-challenged
- Mature believers feel unnecessary
And almost no one knows what to do next.
Start With Who, Then Determine What and How
This is where intentional leadership changes everything.
Starting with the right person does not mean abandoning what you want to say. It means deciding who you are building the message for before you decide how to build it.
When you know who is listening:
- You know what language to use
- You know how much explanation is needed
- You know where to create tension
- You know what kind of application makes sense
In other words, clarity about the listener shapes clarity in the sermon.
That is not dumbing things down.
That is pastoral wisdom.
Sermons Are Already Part of Your Discipleship System
Most pastors want their sermons to support their discipleship pathway.
But sermons cannot support a pathway they were never designed to serve.
Every sermon, intentionally or not, answers important questions for the listener:
- What kind of disciple am I expected to be here?
- What really matters in this church?
- What should I do next?
When those answers are unclear, people do not move. Not because they are resistant, but because they are uncertain.
Sermons do not just communicate truth.
They shape expectations.
Which means sermons are already functioning as part of your discipleship system, whether you planned it that way or not.
Preaching to Everyone Requires Intentional Layers
The obvious objection is understandable.
“But I am preaching to everyone.”
Yes. And that is exactly why clarity matters.
You do not need to preach four sermons. You need to design one sermon with intentional layers.
Concentric circles allow you to:
- Build the message for one primary person
- Acknowledge others in the room without confusing the focus
- Create appropriate tension and application for different listeners
The goal is not equal airtime.
The goal is clear movement.
This principle holds true every time:
Clarity for one person creates movement for everyone.
One of my current church clients ends his messages with four questions, each designed around the spiritual maturity of the people in the room.
I love this idea.
Where Intentional Discipleship Actually Begins
The 5 Rights of Discipleship do not begin with content.
They begin with clarity.
- The Right Person
- The Right Message
- The Right Time
- The Right Way
- The Right Next Step
Everything rises or falls on the first one.
When sermons start with who is listening, they stop floating alongside the discipleship pathway and become part of it.
A Question Worth Sitting With
Most pastors do not lack desire.
Most pastors do not lack effort.
What is often missing is a design that begins with the listener rather than with the content being delivered.
Discipleship will not happen by accident. And sermons are too powerful to remain disconnected from the pathway.
So before you decide what you want to say next, especially when planning a series, pause and ask one intentional question:
Who needs this most right now?
That question may shape discipleship in your church more than anything you say afterward.
Quotes to Share
- “Faithful content without intentional clarity often produces vague discipleship.”
- “Sermons are already shaping your discipleship system, whether you planned it or not.”
- “Clarity for one person creates movement for everyone.”
Helping You Add More Intention To Your Mission,
Dr. Gavin Adams
