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Every preacher has a clarity gap. Find yours. Take the free Clear Preaching Self-Assessment at clearpreaching.com/assessment

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Half of churchgoers say their pastor doesn't understand their family situation. That's not a theology problem or a character problem — it's an illustration problem. And most pastors have no idea they have it.

In this episode, Jonathan McClintock unpacks one of the most common and least-discussed weaknesses in preaching: the illustration blindspot. Most preachers draw from the life they've lived — their marriage, their stage of life, their background, their references — and over time that quietly tells large portions of the room that the sermon wasn't built with them in mind.

Using Paul's sermon at the Areopagus in Acts 17 as the model, this episode makes the case for widening your well without watering down your message. Paul quoted secular Greek poets to build a bridge to people who didn't even know the true God — then walked them straight across that bridge to repentance and resurrection. That's the pattern: widen the entry point, don't water down the truth.

You'll learn:

• What an illustration blindspot is — and why it's invisible to the preacher
• The four categories where blindspots show up most often
• A simple audit of your last four sermons that reveals your patterns
• Three principles from Paul's example at Mars Hill
• One concrete thing to do in your sermon prep this week

If you've ever wondered whether your preaching is reaching everyone in the room — or just the people whose lives look like yours — this episode is for you.

The Clear Preaching Academy is open now. Learn more at ClearPreaching.com.