It’s the Saturday Do It Yourself edition of Scripture for Students. Grab your Bible for some hands-on.
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This is Scripture for Students. I’m Steve Whitacre, president of Trinity College and a pastor at Sovereign Grace Church of Louisville. I want to help students build a daily habit for life-long Bible reading. Today is December 15, 2024 and this episode of Scripture for Students is called Unwrapping Your Preaching Present.
When I was young, my sisters and I used to beg our parents to let us open a Christmas present early. The most we could ever weasel out of our parents was one gift on Christmas Eve, but they would pick the gift. So it was always a little bit anticlimactic: hey, new socks! I’m kind of old, so this was before they had invented fun socks. Socks were pretty boring when I was a kid.
I have great news for you, my friends. Today is Sunday and that means that you are getting an early Christmas gift. And unlike a three-pack of socks from my childhood, the gift you’re getting today won’t be boring. I’ve already told you the title of this episode, so I guess I ruined the surprise. You’re getting a sermon today! Or—depending on when you are listening to this—you already got one!
If that doesn’t excite you, I’d like to ask you: why not? The God of the universe is going to speak to you this morning. He’s going to do it through the preaching of his word. Are you coming to listen? Will you have ears to hear?
You need ears to hear because the preaching present comes wrapped. Sure, if you’re in the room for that sermon, words are coming at you, but are you ready to receive the gift? There are at least three ways you can unwrap this gift
First, take notes. It’s a simple practice that will help you pay attention and distinguish—in real time—what is the main idea and what is important for you to understand.
Second, listen with an ear for application. Be asking yourself; what does God want me to learn here? Is he showing me a sin I need to repent of, a step of obedience I need to take, a promise I need to believe, an insight I need to understand, a habit I need to cultivate or break? Preaching is meant to be transformative. What is one way God wants to transform you?
Third, share the gift with others. This doesn’t have to take long, but try to devote even a few minutes to talking about the sermon over lunch or sometime later in the day. Ask your parents or siblings about it, but learn to ask better questions than, “What did you think of the sermon today?” Ask, “How did God meet you in the sermon today?” “What is something that you learned in the sermon today?” “Did God show you anything in that passage that you’ve never seen before?”
One more thought: Just like you’re getting a gift today, why don’t you give a gift, too? Gift the gift of gratitude and thank your pastor for his sermon. Preparing a sermon is a lot harder than you probably think it is. Find your pastor after the sermon and tell him thanks for the sermon. And give him one thing you’re grateful for about it, one thing you learned, or one way you want to grow as a result. You’ll make it a merry Christmas for him, too!
That’s all for today. If you enjoyed this episode please share it with a friend and follow us on Apple Podcasts.
This content is sponsored by Trinity College of Louisville. We shape young men and young women for Christ and for the church. Learn more at TrinityCollegeLou.com. Until next time, keep growing!
Listen to this post on Apple Podcasts.