What did you get out of the sermon last Sunday?

During our brief Wednesday night study prior to our time of prayer we've been considering how to profit from preaching.  Preaching is a large part of what we do when we gather for worship at GBF.  We believe it is the means that God has ordained for the salvation of sinners and the sanctification of the saints.  So the preacher must labor diligently to bring the Word of God to bear on the lives of each one in the congregation.  Assuming that you have a preacher who faithfully proclaims God's Word, how can you profit from his preaching?  Robert Spinney gives 6 principles in his booklet, How to Survive Your Pastor's Sermons: Six Ways to Make Pulpit Messages More Profitable to Your Soul.  I am simply going to list the 6 principles here.  If you'd like to read more, you can buy the booklet here.
 
1.      Listen to the weekly Sunday sermon as if your life depended on it.
2.      Look for God’s remedies for sin and His instructions for living in a sinful world.
3.      Expect to be taught by the Holy Spirit as you hear God’s Word proclaimed.
4.      Be determined to listen…regardless of the speaker’s oratory skills.
5.      A profitable Bible message is one that delivers one life transforming truth.
6.      Pre-commit to apply and obey God’s Word as it is set forth in the sermon.

Here also is a helpful blog post by Philip Ryken on how to listen to a sermon.  He emphases a prepared soul, alert mind, open Bible, receptive heart, and readiness to put what you hear into practice.  Enjoy!  And when you listen to your next sermon, make sure you walk away the better for it.