Why Do You Listen?
Even more importantly, why do you take notes during those Sunday messages? If it’s just for your own personal growth or to help you remember, then you’re missing half the opportunity of the message. These notes and your Bible are tools you can use everyday to teach others how to follow Christ.

When you listen and take notes knowing you are going to share the information with someone else, it changes the way you engage in the teaching time. Going “beyond the blanks” when you take notes will help you get the most of a message or lesson.

Reteaching Guide Now Available From our Ministry Staff Team, this Reteaching Guide will help you take what you are hearing from Sunday messages and Bible lessons and reteach it to others including your family, friends and associates. This simple 7-day guide is a great way to begin disciple-making in your daily life. Includes an introduction letter by David Platt, "How to Listen to a Sermon", ways to discover context within the Bible, and much more. This resource is a free download. > Download PDF Version (258KB) > Download MS Word Version (57KB)

How to Listen to a Sermon?
You mean there’s a way to listen to a sermon? Well, yes, at least in the form of these suggestions. The teaching of God’s Word is the central ingredient of our time in corporate worship. Here’s a quick guide to help you make the most of that hour each week:

Take it in. Come with an open mind, ready to learn. And come on time—the teaching time doesn’t start when the pastor stands at the pulpit. From the first moment of the service, God is speaking, through music, drama, video, baptism--if you come just for the "preaching," you're missing half of what God wants to tell you! When you come to the worship service, come to take it all in.

Write it down. Scholars tell us that your ability to retain what you learn increases 80% when you write it down, rather than just hearing it. Weekly we provide a “fill in the blanks” outline to help you follow along—but don’t stop there. Write additional thoughts, questions, scripture references in the margins. Write as if you had to reteach it from your notes (hopefully, you will).

Think it over. Use your notes during the week to begin to apply the message to your life. Look back over key points and Scripture. When you pray, ask God to reveal areas of your life that can be affected and changed by what you’ve heard and learned. If your finished notes stay stuck between the pages of your Bible for the rest of their existence, they aren’t doing you or anyone else much good.

Live it out. Hearing, understanding and applying God’s Word will have a visible effect on your life. Your attitudes, actions, dreams, goals, plans, focus, family relationships, business dealings--all of these will be influenced and even profoundly changed by God’s Word when you commit to live out what you are learning.

More Listening Hints to Help You Remember...
Write the reference. Whenever you hear a scripture reference, write it down to refer to later.

Names, dates, places. When you hear examples or background information, write down important facts like names, dates and places. They can form a trail of “bread crumbs” to jog your thoughts when you review later on.

Questions? Does hearing something during a lesson sometimes spur a question for you? Well, you likely can’t interrupt the sermon to ask, but write down questions that come into your mind during a lesson so you can follow up later on to find the answers.

The power of the line. Underlining especially poignant thoughts, Bible verses or phrases, and application points lets you emphasize for yourself what God is teaching you.

”Glorify God in your listening.” —Jim Shaddix

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