I was visiting with a friend today and he mentioned a well known preacher. This preacher is typically topical, not verse-by-verse. I told my friend I don't prefer him but that he wasn't "bad" (like Osteen's preaching).
My friend said, "He's just meeting them where they're at."
Out of reflex I replied, "No, he's keeping them where they're at."
A church whose pastor normally teaches topically, not expositionally, will never mature past their pastor. He will only ever teach out of what he already knows. Teaching verse by verse stretches the pastor and makes a congregation face questions they never would have otherwise. Not only that, the pastor will tend to avoid uncomfortable or unfamiliar topics presented by God in His word. He will likely return to his hobby-horse subjects or simply people please.
Consider this as you teach and as you select a church.
