The list is simple and straightforward, I guarantee it will help you get a lot more out of sermons!
1) Open your Bible and take the time to look up the scriptures that your pastor is referencing in his sermon. Here’s an inside tip: you want to insult your pastor? Never bring your bible to church and never open a bible while he is preaching!
2) Take notes during the sermon. I guarantee that if you take 5-10 minutes out of your week to review these notes, the Lord will use them to help you grow in your walk with Him. Spend some time looking up the scriptures your pastor preached throughout the week. Don’t let church be a Sunday thing only.
3) You can get something out of a sermon regardless of how bad of a job the preacher did. Everyone prefers the head preacher to preach, but he needs time off work too! Give the guest pulpiteer your full attention and support and look for the positives instead of the negatives!
4) Come on time and don’t sneak out early. Youth, you better pay attention to number 4! Make an effort to show up early and to be one of the last people out the door after service. Watch and see what God will do in your walk with him.
5) Put your electronics on airplane mode during the sermon. Ya, I have an Iphone and it does a lot of cool stuff; but push notifications, Twitter, Facebook, text messaging, sports scores, etc, are often too hard to resist even for the most dedicated. The result: you might miss out on the most important, life changing, and challenging thing your pastor has ever said to you.
The Religious Nerd 