Esther Sundman’s Reviews > Expository Listening: A Practical Handbook For Hearing And Doing God's Word > Status Update

Ramey recommends notetaking to aid in active listening, but I would add “plan to discuss the sermon with someone later”. We listen differently when we know we must do something with the information. We think of questions to ask ourselves and others. We consider cross-references and meaning more intently. We take the info in knowing we’ll have to express the main points ourselves and have an opinion.

Adults must learn to take distracting thoughts captive and extend grace to those around them. Children and adults alike can benefit from light correction when their habits at church are a distraction, but that doesn’t mean to exclude them. Kids are catching more than we give them credit for.

In Fight off distractions, where he recommends not bringing children in to the service before they are capable of understanding the preacher because you may teach them not to listen, I think he misses the mark. Teaching to sit 30 minutes is the first lesson.

Four questions to ask as you read scripture, based on 2 Tim 3:16:
- what did I learn? (Teaching)
- where do I fall short? (reproof)
- what do I need to do about it? (Correction)
- how can I make this a consistent part of my life? (training)
Then, when you are listening to the preaching of God’s Word, your heart will be trained to apply these same questions to the text under consideration…