John Stott called it ‘double listening’, urging that the preacher must exegete, not only the Bible, but also the culture.  Not only to the eternal word of God, but also to the changing context in which that word is to be proclaimed.

Colin Adams would agree, and says that he has been thinking about questions such as:-

• Who am I preaching to?
• What pressures are they facing?
• What sins are they struggling with?
• What is the church in the UK like today?
• What are the trends in the wider culture?

He has put together this mind map, which he says helps him (and I think will help others, even though our circumstances will not be identical) in preparing to preach.