How to Choose a Transformative Topic: A Guide to Niching Down Your Christian Message

If you’ve ever tried to deliver a message, teach a class, or outline a book only to realize everything sounds a little too canned or churchy, this one’s for you.

Broad, fuzzy topics might feel safe and spiritual, but they almost always land flat. Not because the truth is weak, but because the delivery is. And before you go there — no, this isn’t about whether you’re a “good writer” or a “charismatic speaker.” This is about specificity. Knowing who you’re talking to, and what they desperately need.

Christian culture has normalized vagueness for so long that we’ve convinced ourselves it’s a form of compassion, or even humility. It’s not. It’s just unclear.

And unclear messages don’t change lives.

Why Broad Topics Fall Flat

(And Why They Often Reinforce Unhealthy Culture)

Recently, I heard a sermon about how we should “live like Jesus instead of living like the world.” Great concept. Great desire. But the message was so broad that it evaporated before it could make any real impact.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: shallow, vague teaching can unintentionally create group-think. When the message is broad, people nod along, but no one is actually challenged or changed. Everyone feels the same vague nudge, but no one walks out with a skill they can practice.

Yeah, he’s right. I should live more like Christ. Cool. 🍕 What’s for lunch?

Broad messaging also shifts the responsibility onto the listener to figure out what to do with it. And most people simply can’t or won’t. Life is too noisy. Faith is too complex. The world is too distracting.

And let’s address the seeker-friendly elephant in the sanctuary. When sermons are designed for the lowest maturity level in the room, everyone gets milk. No one gets meat. It’s not wrong to welcome seekers. But the mature believer still needs meaningful nourishment.

My approach? Be seeker-soluble, not seeker-friendly. Let the message be rich enough to feed the mature, yet accessible enough that it can still dissolve into the heart of the new believer.

Broad messages rarely accomplish this. Focused ones do.

In fact, research from Barna Group reveals that nearly half of self-identified Christians (48%) — and more than half of so-called "churched adults" (57%) — say that people they know are tired of the "church-as-usual" experience. This tells us something crucial: your broad [and dare I say predictable] message might be adding to the fatigue your audience already feels.

(Barna, 2020 — https://www.barna.com/research/current-perceptions/)

Niching Down Is Not a Marketing Trick.

It’s a Discipleship Mindset.

Let’s not get it twisted: niching down is not about SEO and ranking on Google. It’s about pursuing your unique calling.

Jesus didn’t preach the same message to everyone. Neither did Paul. Their truth was universal, but their message delivery was strategic.

Think about Jesus for a second. To the Pharisees, His message was basically: “Hey experts, why are you loading people down with rules you don’t even follow?” But to the woman at the well? “Hey friend, let’s talk about that thirst you keep trying to satisfy the wrong way.” Same Jesus. Same truth. Totally different delivery.

And Paul? He wrote like a man carrying a separate to-do list for every church. “Hey Corinth, why are you acting like toddlers with spiritual superpowers?” Then he turns to the Galatians like, “Hey church, who convinced you to abandon the freedom you already had? Snap out of it.” Add in a note to Timothy—“Hey son, guard your doctrine like your life depends on it (because it does).”

A niche isn’t exclusion. It’s your assignment. When you tailor your message, you’re following the way Jesus actually taught, not the way modern church culture often expects you to.

And this is where the deeper conversation begins. When communicators default to broad, surface-level teaching, it unintentionally props up some of the very patterns we need to challenge in the Church. These are the tendencies that keep people dependent, passive, or afraid to ask questions. Niching down disrupts that. It clears the fog. It replaces cultural habit with clarity that actually leads to spiritual maturity.

The Real Reasons Christian Communicators Resist Niching Down

Here are the top reasons I see communicators resist crafting their message for one specific audience:

• Fear of Exclusion: They don't want to leave anyone out, so they choose broad topics and hope they’ll reach everyone at once.

• Universal Truth Confusion: They assume that because a truth applies to everyone, the message must be spoken to everyone in the same way.

• Motif Fixation: They cling to a teaching motif (like the Armor of God) even when it doesn’t fit their audience’s needs.

• Unprocessed Story: They haven't reflected long enough to identify the real lesson behind their own experience, so they default to general themes and audiences.

• Clarity Fog: Sometimes, narrowing down initially makes the project feel muddier instead of clearer, which scares them off.

• Undervaluing Specialization: They don’t yet see how being a specialist builds trust and authority. It can even feel like claiming expertise they’re not sure they have.

• Audience Disconnect: They’re unsure what their audience actually struggles with, so they cast too wide a net.

• Lack of Conviction for a Specific Group: They don’t feel a burning passion for a niche audience yet, so they go broad by default.

So, what about you?

Which of these reasons hit closest to home?

Is there a group you deeply want to help but feel unqualified to serve?

Write those down. They matter.

Niching Makes You a Specialist

When you niche down:

• You become a trusted resource in your focus area.

• People know exactly what transformation to expect from you.

• You offer focused, effective tools for change and growth.

• You don’t just inspire. You disciple your audience.

The SkillStory Topic Test

A strong focus area is:

• Aimed at a clear audience

• Solving one clearly defined, painful problem

• Leading to a measurable skill or change in behavior

• Addressing a real barrier your audience feels

• Aligned with your assignment from the Lord

Examples of Vague vs Clear Topics

Here’s what this actually looks like in practice. Pause and notice which versions pull you in more, and why. What about the clearer examples feels sharper or more compelling to you?

• ⛅️ Vague: Living like Jesus
  🎯 Clear: Christlike decision-making when your emotions are foggy

• ⛅️ Vague: Finding peace
  🎯 Clear: Ending the spiral of overthinking through a 3-step daily practice
  

• ⛅️ Vague: Faith in hard times
  🎯 Clear: Healing distrust after childhood betrayal

• ⛅️ Vague: God is good
  🎯 Clear: Trusting God when trust feels unsafe

You’ll know you’re on the right track when you can picture your target Hero (audience) perking up the moment they hear your topic. If focusing in makes you feel lost or foggy, that may be a signal that you don’t know your audience yet. I invite you to press in and learn who they are and what they struggle with.

A Quick Tool You Can Use Right Now

Fill in this sentence:

I help [specific person] who feels [specific struggle] learn how to [practical skill] so they can [transformation].

Examples:

• I help burned-out ministry leaders who feel discouraged and ineffective learn how to teach with clarity so they can see real fruit again.

• I help women rebuilding trust after betrayal who feel spiritually stuck learn how to practice emotional honesty with God so they can heal in truth instead of fear.

Your Next Step:

Grab the Message Clarity Mini-Kit

Before you write another word or plan another project, start here.

The Message Clarity Mini-Kit walks you step-by-step through identifying your audience, choosing a problem with teeth, and crafting a topic strong enough to support a book, a talk, a retreat, or a course.

It’s a powerful next step toward clarifying your communication.

Final Word

If you don't take the time to niche down, your message may disappear into the fog of Christian platitudes. I beg you, don't waste what God has given you to share. Narrow your focus. Sharpen your impact. Lead your Hero toward freedom as you walk confidently in your God-given calling. 🔥❤️