Struggling with application in your sermons?

A number of years ago I had the privilege of hearing American pastor and author Gordon MacDonald speak about application in preaching.

At the time Gordon would have been in his eighties, and had been a pastor for many decades. He encouraged preachers to think about the different seasons of life and their accompanying challenges, and what this means for the application of their sermons. Here are some of the things he drew out related to the different seasons of life:

1. Children and teens
   We’re starting to work out the "furniture" of our belief system and what it means. We need help to understand the basics. We’re developing our identity – who we are and who we want to be. We’ll have hopes and dreams. We’ll be struggling with peer pressure, wanting to fit in, and navigating the technologies around us.
2. Twenties
   I’m starting in the world of work, building my career. I might be starting, hoping, struggling in relationships – dating, engagement, singleness etc. I’m trying to make wise decisions about my career, where I live, finances, and so on. I’m still figuring out what I believe and will need help to get clarity.
3. Thirties
   I’m establishing my career. I may have a young family or I may be struggling with singleness. Life’s busy. Finances are tight. My boss is a pain. Everyone seems to want or need more from me (including church).
4. Forties
   If I’m single I may be wondering if I’ll ever get married or have a family. If I have a family, I’m discovering that kids get more expensive as they get older - some may be taking exams, or even off to university. I’m basically a taxi service. My job is high pressure. Retirement looks a long way off!
5. Fifties
   I might have some health concerns. I’m going through the menopause. Our marriage might be struggling. We’re empty nesters. I’m trying to navigate my career "peak" and new family pressures with older children and/or ageing parents. I don’t have the energy I had in my 20s and 30s. I’m worried about my pension.
6. Sixties
   I’m looking forward to retirement. I might be caring for ageing parents, and children and grandchildren. It’s both wonderful and extremely tiring. I’m trying to work out how to use my retirement fruitfully.
7. Seventies
   I’m beginning to slow down. I’m worried about being side-lined. Does anybody know what I used to do at work and in church? My health may be failing. I may have worries about my family.
8. Eighties and beyond
   I will likely have multiple health concerns. I’m starting to think about death much more. I may find fresh doubts emerge. I may fear what death will be like. I might need help making decisions about end-of-life care, and even what to do with my estate. I may feel guilty that I can no longer do the things I used to for the church.

And of course there may be other issues which transcend age, such as singleness, sexuality, disability, mental health etc. There’s clearly much to think about. And in terms of preaching, we can’t cover everything every week.

But if you regularly think about the above you’ll find your application starts to get a much sharper edge. You’ll be moving beyond the slightly bland and abstract applications of "read your Bible"; "pray more"; "give more"; and "evangelise more" (as important as these things are). Your listeners will engage with you much better since you are really speaking to their lives and situations. Give it a try and see what sort of response you get.