When our children were in school we would recognize P.T.A. Meeting as a Parent Teachers Meeting. One of my mentors, pastor John Sheered, described his approach as P.T.A, but is stood for Preach, Teach, and Apply. John would preach a message Sunday morning, teach the topic in more breadth /depth Sunday night and application was carried our in neighborhood small groups. That conversation was about 25 years ago and Sunday night services are less common. However, the need to see how preaching needs to be applied in small groups is even more relevant today.[1]

Cell Group Church advocate and author, Joel Comiskey posted this article:

Where do people go to be free from their fears and doubts? Many scroll through TikTok and YouTube, looking for advice. They find tons of motivational speakers, life coaches, and even a few spiritual influencers. Some give decent advice, but most advise to “do what feels right” or “believe in yourself.”

Those same fears and doubts existed in Paul’s day, along with the movers and shakers. The influencers included:

• Legalists adding works to grace
• Philosophers elevating human wisdom above divine revelation
• Heretics promoting secret knowledge
• Idolaters pulling people away from the true God
• False teachers twisting Scripture for selfish reasons

Paul jealously wanted to guide Christ’s church from spiritual manipulators and false doctrine. He directed his spiritual son, Timothy, to base his life and ministry on God’s Word. He writes,

Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear (2 Timothy 4: 2-3).

As evangelical Christians, we believe in the authority of God’s Word above all church councils, traditions, and history.

We believe God intentionally communicated the Bible message in a way ordinary people could grasp. Granted, to understand it fully, we need the inner witness of the Holy Spirit to enlighten our hearts to receive what is already plainly there.

What does preaching God’s Word have to do with the cell church? A lot. In the cell church ministry, we have the unique opportunity to preach the Word of God on Sunday and know that cell members will apply the preached Word in their weekly cell groups. The hearers can talk about God’s Word and apply it…[2]

Perhaps preaching could be compared to giving a spiritual meal, whereas application in small groups would be like digestion, and Christian living and ministry would be comparable to metabolic energy used in body life. James exhorts us to remember biblical application:

“But be doers of the Word [obey the message], and not merely listeners to it, betraying yourselves [into deception by reasoning contrary to the Truth]. For if anyone only listens to the Word without obeying it and being a doer of it, he is like a man who looks carefully at his [own] natural face in a mirror; For he thoughtfully observes himself, and then goes off and promptly forgets what he was like. But he who looks carefully into the faultless law, the [law] of liberty, and is faithful to it and perseveres in looking into it, being not a heedless listener who forgets but an active doer [who obeys], he shall be blessed in his doing (his life of obedience).” James 1:22-15 Amplified Classic translation

And application is not based on self effort, but abiding in Christ and being empowered by the Holy Spirit (John 15:5; Eph. 5:18).

JBW

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[1] John Shepherd was a pastor of thriving churches and founder of Calvary Road Ministries.

[2] Joel Comisley, “How Can We Preach the Word and Apply It?” Read the full article here in English, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish:
https://jcgresources.com/2025/05/04/preach-the-word-and-apply-it/
See his book Biblical Foundations for the Cell-Based Church