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For Christians, the Sunday morning sermon should be an important time each week for personal edification and spiritual growth. How can you be a proactive consumer and not just a passive listener?

Justin Wainscott, associate dean and assistant professor of ministry in Union University's School of Theology and Missions, has some tips for how church members can maximize their benefit from the preaching they hear each week.

1. Prepare for the sermon ahead of time

"Just as the preacher has work to do in preparing for the sermon, so does the listener," Wainscott says.

In advance of Sunday's time of corporate worship, Wainscott said church members can prepare by:

• reading and familiarizing themselves with the sermon text;
• beginning to think about and ask questions of the biblical text so they come to the sermon with a sense of investment and anticipation;
• bringing their Bibles with them to church;
• coming rested and ready to pay attention; and
• preparing their hearts and minds to hear from God through his Word.

2. Pray for the preacher and yourself

Wainscott said that Christians should pray in the days leading up to the Sunday service:

• that God would open their eyes that they might behold wondrous things in his Word (Ps. 119:18);
• that their hearts would be good soil where the seed of the Word can take root and bear fruit (Mark 4:1-20)
• that they wouldn't harden their hearts when they hear God's Word (Hebrews 3:7-19);
• that they would fight the temptation to be distracted or disengaged; and
• that they would have ears to hear the Lord speaking (Matthew 11:15, 13:9, 43).

"And right before the sermon begins, pray again, saying: 'Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening,'" Wainscott said.

3. Apply the sermon to your life

"Actively listen and engage with the sermon by thinking of how the truth you are hearing can be applied specifically to you and to your life," Wainscott said. "You know the particulars of your life much better than the preacher does, so don't be a passive listener and expect him to do all the work for you."

This is also one of the ways the Holy Spirit is at work in individual lives during the preaching of God's Word, Wainscott added. As God brings specific things in your life to mind, think about how the message you're hearing applies to them.

4. Meditate on the sermon

Once the sermon is over, take the time and make the effort to meditate on what you heard. Sit with it. Ponder it. Reflect on it. Pray over it.

"Otherwise, you will forget it and it will be of no lasting benefit to you," Wainscott said. "For the Christian, meditation is not an emptying of the mind; it's a filling of the mind with God's truth."

He advises recalling the main points, fixing them in your heart and mind, writing the main points down if necessary, and discussing the sermon with others.

5. Put the truth into practice

Wainscott pointed to James 1:22: "Be doers of the word, and not hearers only." In reflecting on the end of the Sermon on the Mount, he said what made the two people different was not the hearing of Jesus' words but the doing of them (Matthew 7:24-27).

"The wise person who builds his house on the rock is the person who both hears Jesus' words and does them," Wainscott said. "Therefore, to get the most out of a sermon, you must not only hear it but put what you hear into practice."

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MORE INFO:

For a more detailed list of tips for getting the most out of a sermon, see Richard Baxter's "Directions for Profitably Hearing the Word Preached" in his Christian Directory (which can also be accessed online) or the little booklet, "Listen Up: A Practical Guide to Listening to Sermons," by Christopher Ash.

DID YOU KNOW?

Union University's School of Theology and Missions offers majors in biblical studies/languages, Christian ministry and missions, Christian studies, philosophy and theological studies, in addition to options for graduate students and adult learners.

Wainscott and Ray Van Neste have co-edited a book by Theodore L. Cuyler entitled "How to Be a Pastor: Wisdom from the Past for Pastors in the Present."