Every Sunday at New City Mumbai, we open a book of the Bible and work through it passage by passage. Week after week, chapter after chapter.
Some people wonder why. Wouldn't it be more relevant to pick topics? Wouldn't it be more engaging to jump around based on what's happening in the news?
Why Expository Preaching?
Here's why we're committed to verse-by-verse teaching:
It lets God set the agenda. When you preach topically, the preacher decides what's important. When you preach expositionally, God decides. You encounter passages you'd never choose. and they turn out to be exactly what you needed.
It builds biblical literacy. Over years of consistent exposition, our church develops a deep familiarity with whole books of the Bible. their themes, their arguments, their flow. This shapes how we think about everything.
It prevents hobby-horse preaching. Every preacher has favourite topics. Verse-by-verse teaching forces us to deal with ALL of Scripture. including the uncomfortable parts.
It models how to read the Bible. When people see their pastor carefully handling a text in context, they learn to do the same in their personal study.
What This Means for You
If you're new to New City, here's what to expect on a Sunday:
We'll be somewhere in the middle of a book. Don't worry. each sermon stands on its own, even as it fits into a larger series. You'll hear the passage read aloud, explained in its historical context, and applied to life in Mumbai today.
Sometimes it will comfort you. Sometimes it will challenge you. Sometimes it will confuse you (and that's okay. ask questions afterward).
But over time, something will happen. The Bible will stop being a mysterious ancient book and start becoming a living voice that speaks into your actual life.
That's what we're after.