Choosing between Christian podcast popularity and effectively reaching your community?

J.D. Greear:

I recently heard an insightful statement about preaching, “Your sermons will end up sounding like whoever you talked to that week.” Who you hang out with, who you read, the questions you have–they end up subconsciously crafting the questions you deal with in a sermon. If you spend all your week with other pastors and other Christians then your sermons end up being geared toward both of those groups. Many of the speakers I enjoy listening to sound like they have spent all week talking with people like me, which is probably why I like them, because they address my questions.

Preaching that way makes you popular in the Christian subculture, but does little to engage a lost world, who ask different questions. Being popular on the Christian podcast circuit and effective at reaching your city are not always the same goal.