The effectiveness of the sermon cannot be separated from what the preacher thinks about the listener. The listener is someone who is moving toward God or away from God, or even a mixture of both. This article clarifies the meaning of preaching to such an audience.

What does "preaching with the listener in mind" mean? This is a preaching which is textual, directed to the heart, and rooted in the relationship of God to his people, as he comes to them and they to him. This kind of preaching is also shaped by the image the preacher has of the listener.