On Listening to Sermons
by Robert Hines

How about a suggestion on how better to deal with sermons? As a veteran fidgety pew wiggler myself I have some experience in these matters. Immense help and immense focus come when we always follow along in the Scriptures and take notes on the sermon. The importance of these two cannot be overstated. You will be surprised how much more involved you will become. You will listen better. You will follow along better. You will pay attention better. Put down a title, main points, passages used, and any observations (even things like, “Is he right about that?”). When I do this I am putting something into the lesson in order to get more out of it. It does not matter if I have heard the topic before, or if it is the simplest of lessons, or what the topic is. It helps me to pay attention, and admittedly, yes, maybe helps the time move along better when paying attention is difficult.