Preaching has a way of connecting people to their needs in a specific way. Sometimes it’s a need that is easy to feel — like a failed relationship, worry about the future or financial issues. Other times the need is harder to get at — like spiritual discipline or bad attitudes toward others.

Knowing before you preach whether you’ll be addressing a felt or unfelt need can help you structure your sermon better. It drives your big idea and the main application. It will also affect what illustrations you use and how you package and advertise your series.

Let me say from the start that I don’t believe one type of need is more important to address in a sermon than another. Every message proclaimed from any church should always include a clear representation of the gospel.

Jesus often spoke of the importance of meeting felt needs when it came to the kingdom of God (Matthew 25:31-46). Whenever He addressed someone’s felt needs, like Zacchaeus’ need for table fellowship and belonging (Luke 19:5), Jesus also got to the heart of unfelt needs as well, often salvation (Luke 19:9-10).

What is a Felt Need?
To better understand these two different approaches to sermons, let’s define what we mean by felt need and unfelt need. A felt need is one that is easily recognizable. It usually demands immediate attention. Think of the last need you felt. It was probably hunger. Noon rolls around, and you need to eat lunch. That’s a felt need.

What felt needs are there among your church? How about in your community? How can you address some of the biggest needs right across the street while offering Jesus as the answer?

Preaching to a felt need may mean you preach a sermon series on financial stewardship. Or how about a message that focuses on parenting or marriage, or how to be a better friend and neighbor? All of these have spiritual components to be sure. But it’s often implied instead of overt.

The demand of felt needs often get in the way of unfelt needs. They serve as a mask, either preventing us from getting to the root cause of our concerns or allowing us to ignore the greater needs we have. By addressing felt needs, you can clear the deck to address weighty issues.

Some serious felt needs include the need for shelter and food. Jesus proclaimed that He came to meet needs such as these (Luke 4:16-21), and so should we. But, felt needs can go beyond the physical. A broken relationship can be felt immediately and have lingering effects. Anxiety about the cares of the world may seem trivial at times, but those who carry them are constantly looking for relief.

What is an Unfelt Need?
An unfelt need is deeper and harder to identify. When you feel hungry, your immediate concern is food. You may not feel the need to eat a healthy meal, but a balanced diet is just as important. The difference between felt and unfelt needs is your level of awareness.

By addressing felt needs, you can clear the deck to address weighty issues.

Often, unfelt needs are spiritual in nature. We all have the need for salvation, but there were moments when we weren’t aware of that need. And Christians can go years without addressing their need of discipleship if they are complacent in their walk with God. Until our audience is aware of a problem, it is an unfelt need to them.

A sermon on salvation, baptism or discipleship would address an unfelt need in most cases. These messages require either digging deeper to uncover the inner spiritual needs, or attaching a felt need so the audience becomes aware. That means more work up front to help your audience understand the importance of their unfelt need.

Which Need Do You Need to Preach To?
Should our preaching always cut to the heart, or is there value in staying skin deep? Is preaching to felt needs only scratching the service? Many times we think that we’re not addressing the most important issues when we address peripheral issues. That’s simply not the case.

First of all, preaching to a felt need does not mean you’re not preaching from Scripture. In the Bible, God promises to meet the needs of His people. That includes our felt and unfelt needs. “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights” (James 1:17). That means He delights in meeting our spiritual and physical needs, as well as emotional or relational. God is standing ready to give gifts to the children He loves. The Bible promises this over and over!

Second, it’s important to keep in mind that behind every felt need is an unfelt need. Whether you’re preaching on salvation and baptism or finances and friendship, you’re always preaching Jesus. He had an amazing way of cutting to the quick of people’s condition and finding the unfelt under the felt need. The story of the woman at the well is a perfect example of this. She may have had a physical thirst, but Jesus probed to her heart to find the spiritual thirst underneath.

Finally, remember that people are always looking for relief from their felt needs. They will pay doctors, therapists and lawyers plenty of money for relief. But you and I have an answer to all of their needs. Why not offer them abundant life, both here on earth and in eternity with Jesus? Whether you preach to felt or unfelt needs, make sure you’re reaching out and offering relief.