Snowman, you got your ears on?

I heartily recommend Thabiti Anyabwile's book, What Is a Healthy Church Member?

One of the things rarely mentioned in Christian literature is guidance for the church member with regard to his/her role in the preaching process. Thabiti addresses that topic in a chapter entitled, "A Healthy Church Member Is an Expositional Listener."

A few highlights:

"Expositional listening is listening for the meaning of a passage of Scripture and accepting that meaning as the main idea to be grasped for our personal and corporate lives as Christians."

What Are the Benefits of Expositional Listening?

1. It cultivates a hunger for God's Word.
2. It helps us to focus on God's will and to follow Him.
3. It protects the gospel and our lives from corruption.
4. It encourages faithful pastors.
5. It benefits the gathered congregation.

How Can Church Members Cultivate the Habit of Expositional Listening?

1. Meditate on the sermon passage during your quiet time.
2. Invest in a good set of commentaries.
3. Talk and pray with friends about the sermon after church.
4. Listen to and act on the sermon throughout the week.
5. Develop the habit of addressing any questions about the text itself.
6. Cultivate humility.

• Buy the What Is a Healthy Church Member?
• See also Mark Dever, What Is a Healthy Church? (An appetizer)