I truly love Pandora.  If you’re not familiar with this site, it’s basically a radio station of sorts based on your favorite artists or genres.  Right now, as I type, I’m listening to a station called “Jazz Holidays.”  But I have also developed a Bluegrass station, Dave Brubeck, Classical Christmas, and a slew of other types over the years.

One of the truly interesting aspects of Pandora is that they somehow have it programmed what song or artist is coming up–but I have no idea what it would be.  If I like it, I can give it a ‘thumbs up’ or a ‘thumbs down’–the latter being that I will not hear that song again in the rotation.

Expositional preaching prevents the Pandora effect.  How?

1. If you preach expositionally, you won’t question at all what’s coming up.  In your preparation, you have committed to preaching the whole counsel of God, and therefore you know that God placed that text in the order its in for a sovereign and providential purpose.
2. As an expositor, you may choose what book or genre to preach from, but you do not have the option of a ‘thumbs up’ or ‘thumbs down.’  You know that all Scripture is inspired and profitable (2 Timothy 3:16), and therefore will engage in a Spirit-prompted mining of that text to find the gospel-gripped profit of that text.   
3. The free edition of Pandora has ads that come across every five or six songs or so, in order to pay for the service and keep it free.  The message that comes from Scripture, with no ads at all–because that message has been sealed and authorized by One who has already paid for our sins and secured eternal life for us.  

While I am grateful for Pandora, this service reminds me of the glory of expositional preparation and preaching.  I know what’s coming, that it’s all profitable to make us mature and equipped for every good work.  And I’m so very grateful for what God has provided in Christ and His Word.