There’s something sacred about rightly dividing the Word. I care deeply about good exegesis and honoring what the text actually says. But lately, I’ve been asking myself: Is this sermon just delivering knowledge, or is it actually forming people?
That’s what Paul was getting at in 2 Timothy 3:16–17. He wasn’t just defending the authority of Scripture—he was reminding Timothy, a young preacher, what the Word is for.
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
It teaches. It rebukes. It corrects. It trains.
And all of it leads toward one outcome: equipping others.
I’m learning that it’s not enough to explain a passage clearly. If it doesn’t lead people toward maturity—toward action—then I’ve missed the point. I can inspire emotion or admiration, but unless I help people walk more faithfully with Jesus, it’s just noise.
So now, whether I’m preaching or just trying to live this out in everyday conversations, I’m trying to keep this in mind:
Don’t just teach, inspire. Don’t just inspire, equip.
Because the Word of God doesn’t just fill heads.
It forms lives.