Read
Read through and think about the Biblical passage ahead of time ñ often this is announced or in the bulletin the previous week. This will help put you into a state of mental readiness to hear God’s teaching. Ideally, this should be done Saturday evening or Sunday morning just before church.
Pray
As the speaker begins, pray to the Lord asking Him to teach you by His Spirit this will put you in a state of spiritual readiness. The speaker has studied diligently and has himself prayed that the Spirit would use his efforts to powerfully communicate Godís teaching to you hearts. It is only when the God works in both your life and the speaker’s life that the human words of the message become charged with spiritual poweróitís a two-way dynamic. Even if you find the message initially ‘uninteresting’ or maybe the speaker is ‘off’ this particular day, the Spirit can still take some aspect of message or passage and provide a message for you.
Apply
Make a point of selecting one ìtake awayî from the messageósomething to apply to your life, put into practice, praise God for or share with others. It is only when this happens that the preaching of the word has itís intended effectóa changed life.
Review
As soon after the message as possible, read the passage again and review your notes. This will help remind you and solidify the teaching in your mind and heart.
Memorize
For those who desire more of a challenge, you might take a key verse from the message and commit it to memory. Psalm 119:11 says, “I have hidden your word in my heart”