Today I'm adding Listen Up! by Christopher Ash to the Master Reading List under the category of Listening to sermons (Available from the Book Depository).
Most Christians recognise the importance of church. They also usually recognise the importance of hearing a sermon at church. And while there are many books written on how to preach, very few books are written on how to listen to preaching.
Ash's Listen Up! is really covering a gap in the marketplace of Christian books and it covers the gap well. The book gives us seven ingredients for healthy sermon listening:
(i) expect God to speak;
(ii) admit God knows better than you;
(iii) check the preacher says what the passage says;
(iv) hear the sermon in church;
(v) be there week by week;
(vi) do what the Bible says;
(vii) do what the Bible says today - and rejoice!
Each 'ingredient' is carefully explained and then followed by practical steps for adding the 'ingredients' into your listening arsenal. At the end of the book is advice on how to listen to bad sermons and how to encourage good preaching.
The book is easy to read and has colourful highlighting of keywords and matching cartoons. It is also not really a book but a booklet (31 pages) which doesn't daunt the timid reader. I know this from experience as I gave copies as a gift to all our church members last year and received good feedback from the most unlikely readers.
Buy a copy of Listen Up! and begin listening more effectively this coming Sunday (and because it so cheap buy a second copy and give it to a friend).
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