Every week, I have to sit down with my sermon and say, “What am I assuming these people know about the Bible?”

Do the people I am speaking to know what an Ephesian is or why they have a letter? Do they even know there are two testaments? Do they know who the Apostle Paul is?

What do I, as a preacher and teacher, assume others know when I am speaking to them?

If I am speaking to a group of Christians, I might start by saying, “Take out your Bibles.”

If I am speaking to non-Christians, I might start with a story that raises an issue many people struggle with today. Then say, “There was once a guy who lived in the first century who struggled with that very issue, and he wrote to some Christians who lived in the city of Ephesus. Let us open our New Testament that is, the second half of your Bible, to the letter named Ephesians.”

This also applies to the conversations you have every day with people about faith as well. We tend to assume that other people know the things we know, and that is seldom true. When we do this, we build up walls in our communication caused simply by a lack of understanding, not a rejection of content.

One rule I try to use when talking about things of faith to anyone is to assume they know nothing about religion or the Bible and start there. That way, you are always sure you are on the same page.