Summary: It had been hard to do, but Joel had apologized to the Petersons for his bad behavior in church. He had also told them he hoped they would visit the church again. To Joel's surprise, the Petersons came back to church the very next Sunday. Cool! he thought when they even gave him a friendly smile as they walked in. Before the service started, Joel's dad took out a notebook and a pen. He held them out to Joel. "I want you to write down at least three things the pastor teaches or talks about in his message today," Dad instructed him. "I think you'll find note-keeping will help you listen more carefully." "Do I have to?" Joel asked. "I . . . I never really understand much of what Pastor Holt says, but you don't need to worry--I'll sit quietly. I promise." Dad just smiled and continued to hold out the notebook. Joel sighed as he nodded and took the book and pen. At first, Joel doodled a lot, but then he began to listen for things to write down. He was surprised that he could understand more of the message than he had expected. By the end of the service, he'd written five things the pastor taught--two more than his dad had told him to write. Doing this isn't so bad, thought Joel. I guess I never understood Pastor Holt's messages before because I didn't really listen to them very well! After church Joel showed the pastor his notes. "I'm going to do this every week, Pastor Holt," he said. "Great!" approved the pastor. "That's a very good idea. Why don't you suggest it to the other kids, too? Who knows? They might find that they like it as much as you do." "Well . . . okay," Joel agreed, but he was quite sure the other kids would think he was acting like a nerd. Oh well. It can't hurt to suggest it, he decided. "I liked church this morning," he announced on the way home. "The Petersons came back, and now I know a good way to learn something from Pastor Holt's sermons. Taking notes makes them more interesting." Joel grinned slyly at his father and added, "I think you should try it, Dad." How About You? Have you tried taking notes on your pastor's sermons? It may be a good way to help you learn more and more about God and grow in your trust and relationship with Him. If your pastor uses a word you don't understand, write it down and ask him about it. You can also ask your parents to discuss the messages with you. They can help you understand what your pastor is teaching from God's Word. Today's Key Verse: Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 3:18) Today's Key Thought: Grow in knowledge of God
