How to get the Meat out of a Sermon

 All the good people tell us to go to church and get the Word. However, most do not disciple you how to hear from God when you go to church, how to maximize the message that you are hearing and what to do during the week.

If that is you, here are some ideas AND a way to help you to remember them!

First, pray before you go and ask God to open your heart and mind to what He has for you. Many times a Pastor will share the Word and we tend to think of how others could benefit from what is being said instead of concentrating on what the Lord may be trying to tell us. Ask God to give you focus and to really give you what you need in that moment. Thank Him for it in advance like a meal that you love and know it is coming. Set your expectations high.

Next, come prepared to receive God's message to you. One way to do this is to ask God to forgive you of all of your sin (even thoughts that do not please Him) so that, like preparing for a meal, you are "hungry" for the Word. (Psalm 23:5) Then bring utensils - your own Bible and a way to remember (notepad, phone notes or highlighter, etc...). As the Word is preached, some people eat it whole and quickly while others like to take small portions and chew on it. Everyone is different. Pray to be attentive and not distracted. Some things in a message may pertain to you and others may not (leave those on the plate for now). Then, take a drink. This represent the Holy Spirit. He will help you to "take in" what you need and even if it is bitter, or not what you want to hear you can receive it and let it change you for the better. He also bring the Word back to your memory! (John 14:26)

After a message is over what do you do? Well....whenever I have a great meal at a great place, I like to share my experience with others. You reminisce about what challenged you, how to incorporate what you learned into your life and review the moments to solidify them in your memory. Some people do this by reading what they noted or journaled. Some meet with others during the week to share information on the message or what they may have missed.

Finally, pray again asking the Lord to make the message relevant for your life. I find that during this second prayer, the Holy Spirit will give me a message within the message that is tailored for my life or give me clearer direction. That is especially sweet! (Psalm 119:103) He will do the same for you. Let's call it dessert :) 

Like any meal, you cannot eat just on Sundays and expect to be satisfied and full of energy to tackle life's problems during the week. Spend time in the Bible daily (maybe even three times a day) to get the spiritual nourishment that you need to sustain you. God will meet you at the table and His Word will never leave you empty or void (Isaiah 55:11).



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Lil Maurice Rated PG

Image
Praise God! When I was a little tike, of about five years of age (1975). I guess I thought I was some kind of explorer or zoologist or something, because I used to go around searching for Moby Dick (the fictional whale). I can't remember hearing the story, and I know I didn't read the long novel. But I was obsessed with finding this creature. Which is kind of embarrassing when I think back on it. Somehow I got the idea that Moby Dick lived down in the sewer system, under the manhole covers. One summer day a friend and I, with our big afro's and bell-bottom pants, were playing at my house. My mother (RIP 1/8/50- 5/19/86) decided to take me and my friend with her so she could see her friend, who lived in another part of the hood. When we got there we sat on the front porch. The nice lady offered my friend and I some watermelon. After eating that, my friend and I went around to the back of the house, as my mother and her friend sat on the front porch talking. While...
Read more

Spousal Support in Bereavement - Missing Daddy

Image
We have been silent on this blog. We have been quietly holding each other up. This is why. Just a few years into our marriage, we lost Maurice's dad and on February 23rd my dad passed from earth to eternity. Some would say that we are now fatherless, but we beg to differ. My father - Arnold Lee Harden gave his life to Jesus Christ as a teenager and served in his local church. He then married, had three girls and became a deacon in his latter years. We know that life begins when we receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, so my dad is living his BEST life right now! I got that full revelation on Easter Sunday weekend. I was tempted to deeply mourn during the holidays, but then, I remembered that this year was my dad's first Easter with Jesus Himself - how glorious! All couples deal with death differently. When your spouse is hurting, how do you support them? Here are a few things that Maurice did for me. Letting Me Cry I do not think I have ever cried so much on my life. I c...
Read more

Becoming a Mother

Image
There was a time that I wondered if I would ever be a mother at all. After we got married in 2001, we waited for a few years and then we were pregnant with our first child in the spring of 2005. We were elated because we had finally saved enough to move out of our 1 bedroom apartment and become real homeowners!  Our happiness quickly took a turn for the worse just a few short months later when I began to have periods of cramping, then spotting. I had been working full-time throughout my pregnancy in rehab. It was heavy work, but I thought nothing of it. I was also very ignorant about heavy lifting while pregnant and monitoring my out-of-control mood swings. I took a lot of my frustration out on my husband. We had told our families and then we lost the baby to a miscarriage. Incompatible genes they told us. Incompatible?? Bind the Devil!! Now, I was no midwife or OB/GYN nurse, but I figured two healthy people could have a healthy baby together without complications. It's b...
Read more