Helpful Tip Tuesday: Active Listening Part II

Hints for becoming an accomplished and effective 

"Active Listener:"

1.   Sit toward the front and center of the room. Vision and hearing are better.
2.   Tune in. Listening takes energy.
3.   Avoid distractions such as doorways, window glare and people who may distract you.
4.   Have two pens in case one runs out of ink.
5.   Write the date and topic on the top of your note-page.
6.   Prepare yourself mentally. Ask God to help you listen actively.
7.   Pay attention to the speaker for verbal, postural, and visual clues as to what is important. Repetition often indicates an important point.
8.   Listen to the introduction and write down the overall theme of the talk or sermon. What challenges or questions does the speaker raise?
9.   Be selective. Some points are more important than others. Write down only the main ideas and divide the lesson into key points. Number each point. Use letters or bullet points to highlight sub-points.
10.   Don't try to write down every word spoken. Concentrate on key words or thoughts and jot down words or phrases, not entire sentences. Write down a two or three word description of illustrations given to highlight key points. Use symbols ( +,=, &,@,w/ ("for with"), etc.
11.   Write scripture references next to key points.
12.   Instead of getting ready to leave immediately at the end of the sermon or lesson, listen carefully to the information given toward the end. Summary statements may be of particular value in highlighting main points.
13.   After the lesson, review you notes and write down applications from the lesson to your life. Learning without application is worse than no learning at all. Once we hear a word from God, we are responsible for that word.
14.   As part of your daily devotional time, re-read the scriptures used as a part of the lesson. Underline or make notations in your Bible's margin to highlight these scriptures for later reference. Commit to memory one of the key scripture references each week.

~Taken from Family Christian Press, Sermon & Lesson Organizer

Do you have any other helpful hints for listening that are not mentioned on this list?

Helpful Tip Tuesday: Active Listening Part I

Why take notes during a sermon or lesson?

1.   The spoken language is 90% forgotten within a week,   but you will retain about 50% of what you write down.
2.   Taking notes during a sermon provides a written record for review.
3.   It forces you to listen carefully and to pay attention. It forces you to become an "active listener."
4.   It requires organization, which involves active effort on your part.
5.   Taking notes aids in understanding because you must condense and rephrase what is being said.
6.   1 Peter 4:11 says that people who teach "should do it as one speaking the very words of God." This being true, to do anything less than listen with a whole heart is missing the very words of God for us on a given day. There is no such thing as an "ordinary sermon" if the speaker is a man or woman of God.
7.   Taking notes during a sermon or lesson will help you grow as a follower of Christ.

~Taken from Family Christian Press, Sermon & Lesson Organizer

Active Listening Part II will be shared on next week's Helpful Tip Tuesday!