Hello World! Do you need some help in keeping your attention engaged when at church or a meeting? Here are some great tips.
Tips for Getting the Most Out of a Sermon
When you go to church to witness a sermon by a guest pastor like
Ed Young Jr or your full-time pastor, do you feel like it is hard to pay attention? Do you keep drifting off in your mind to other topics, such as things that you have to do for work or what you want to do with the rest of your Sunday, after you get home? This is pretty common, but it can still be frustrating because you really do want to learn something at church and pay attention. The following tips will help you do it so that you will enjoy church more and get more out of it.
Take Notes
A good place to start is by taking notes. These do not have to be comprehensive to the point that you could almost give the sermon if you were reading them. You can just jot down little things that spark your interest or what you think the main point of a section is. The notes help to keep you engaged so that you are paying attention and not thinking about other things. They also help you remember what you are hearing more easily if you are thinking back on it later because the process of writing itself slows your mind down and really makes you focus on the words.
Turn to the Passages
When the pastor is speaking, he may tell you to turn to a specific passage, wait for a moment, and then press on with the sermon. Most people do not do anything, just waiting for him to start talking again, but you are far better off to actually turn to those passages. Read them while he is talking from them. If he reads them out loud, follow along on your own. Again, this is about engaging yourself in the event, rather than just watching it happen.
Ask Questions
Of course, you do not want to ask questions while the pastor is speaking, as that could be rather intrusive. What you can do, though, is to write down the questions that you have along with your notes. This critical thinking is going to help you stay focused on the sermon. It will also get you to dig deeper into things that interest you, which could help you learn more than anyone else. If you cannot find the answers to the questions on your own, talk to the paster after the sermon and he will be glad to tell you more, which also makes the whole sermon more memorable for you.
Look for Things that You Disagree With
No one said that you had to agree with everything that the pastor says. It is fine to ask questions and even disagree with points that he makes. This helps you become more emotionally and intellectually involved. Write down the things that you did not agree with and then do more research on your own or ask the pastor about them later.
Connecting with the Sermon
The reason that you are having a hard time with the sermons may be that you are just not connecting with them because you are not doing your part. You are expecting the pastor to do all of the work. These tips will help you connect more, and it can be rejuvenating.
Thanks for popping in for a visit! Have a great rest of the evening and remember to be kind to one another! Joy to the Full!
Toodles,
Kathryn
Kathryn
***The Dedicated House was compensated for this review.***
These are great tips Kathryn! In our church, the lay people are assigned a subject to speak about, and we each take turns preparing and then speaking. Usually two speakers each week, plus a youth speaker. Some people are gifted speakers, some not so much. I have found that taking notes helps enormously to keep my mind from wandering, also I say a prayer before both for the speakers and for me that I can get the most out of their message. If we go to church each week and have no memory after what was discussed, then we are missing out on quite a bit!