Jess Hall Jr. A sermon without application is not only shadow boxing, it is swinging wildly at no target at all. To use another sports analogy, home runs are hit when the batter keeps his eye on the ball. If the application is neglected, the value of the major part of the sermon is lost.
Good application is rare because it is difficult.
Proper application requires the preacher not only to be a student of scripture, but a student of human nature as well. He must not only know the Word, he must also know his world. He must not only be concerned with what the text means, but how the text will help his hearers in their daily struggles. It is even more difficult to know the hearers' hidden needs, needs of which the hearers are not even aware, and bring them into awareness. In short, it is more difficult to preach than it is to lecture.