Do you love recording sermon notes but don’t know exactly how to do it well? Well, this article will blow you away, as it provides you with seven ways to take sermon notes. These will likely be ways that you have never heard of before.
From keeping it simple with a basic method to getting creative with something entirely new, you will surely discover the way to record sermon notes that fits perfectly with your personality and style. It’s important to stay engaged at church, and sermon notes are a great way to listen well.
We’ll talk about everything from how to take notes in different ways to how to create a sermon notes binder, where you can store all of your sermon notes so that they are easy to organize and find when you need to review a specific sermon or notes on a topic. Enjoy the read!
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Top 7 Ways to Take Sermon Notes
Enjoy taking sermon notes in a new way by trying ones of the ways to record sermon notes!
#1. Keep it simple with the basic method.
With a basic method, you can just write down the name of the church, the name of the person speaking, the date, the title of the message, and the key points you want to remember. This keeps it simple. You might even record this information on your notepad before going to church.
That way, when you get to church, all you have to do is fill in the information you wrote down. This is the most popular method because most people enjoy a mixture of sermon notes from listening and the basic points they want to recall for later.
Related: How to Go to Church
#2. Watch and learn.
Some people have trouble listening and writing at the same time. In this case, I would suggest that you just listen to the message. You are likely to get more out of it if you aren’t missing every other sentence because you are trying to write down sermon notes.
You can learn a lot just by listening to someone, especially if you pay close attention to what they are trying to say. This means giving the speaker your full attention and minimizing distractions. Always turn your phone on silent or vibrate at church.
Related: How to Listen Better
Related: How to Improve Your Listening Skills
Related: How to Listen to God
#3. Try digging deeper.
Depending on the message, I would describe myself as a digger. I have an all-or-nothing personality that shines through when I am passionate about something. For example, at my church, they’ve just done a series on Philippians – one of my favorite books of the Bible.
So, when I am done listening and taking sermon notes, I will likely add my own research on Philippians to my sermon notes before I add all of it to my journaling Bible. Is anyone else as nerdy as I am? Well, I’m sure there is someone out there.
God never turns away in disgust at the failure of his children, but turns toward them with forgiving, transforming, and delivering grace. – Paul David Tripp
#4. Be creative.
For those of you who are very creative in nature, you can take sermon notes and be creative at the same time. You might want to draw a picture of what the sermon is about, what the speaker is saying, or even just cute things that make you smile.
Don’t spend all your church time drawing, coloring, or being creative in another way, unless you are a fabulous listener and this is the best way for you to pay attention to the sermon. If you do, you might miss the point of the message. Take sermon notes by being creative and attentive.
Related: Why Go to Church?
#5. Transcribe.
When you transcribe sermon notes, you basically aim to write down every word the preacher is saying. This can be effective or a hindrance. It really depends on whether you are able to listen while writing so much. If you enjoy this method, consider recording the message to review later.
Biblical change is not the absence of struggles but the freedom to choose holiness in the midst of our struggles – Christopher Yuan
#6. Add it to your Bible.
So, after taking sermon notes, what do you do with them? One option, which happens to be my favorite, is to put them in your Bible. This way, when you turn to that passage at a later date, you can review the sermon notes and remember the main points the preacher spoke about.
I would suggest using a journaling Bible because they have wide margins, which you can use to record your sermon notes. Usually, they are bigger, as well. You can purchase large print journaling Bibles that truly are huge but very helpful for those who can’t see small print.
If you’d like to record your sermon notes in your Bible but do not want a journaling or wide-margin Bible, I would suggest doing a “tip-in.” Tip-ins are papers you add to your Bible. If I have too much information for the margins of my Bible, I will add paper with washi tape.
Maybe you’d like to add paper to your regular Bible, as mentioned above. If so, here are a couple of tips. (1) Cut the paper down to the size of your Bible before you write your sermon notes on the paper you plan to add to your Bible.
(2) While this isn’t so much a tip, I’d like to be honest about one thing here. If you add lots of paper as tip-ins in your Bible, it will eventually get quite bulky. This might be something you want and would enjoy. If you don’t like a heavy Bible, reconsider adding paper to your Bible.
Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are Mine. – Isaiah 43
#7. Create your own sermon binder.
Many churches will give you an announcement or handout of some sort. On this information, they often give you space to write down your sermon notes. If that is not what you’d like to use or if it is unavailable, consider taking a notebook or notepad to record your sermon notes.
Once you get home, you can easily hole-punch the sermon notes for the week and add them to a binder that you have labeled as “Sermon Notes.” What’s also nice about this method is that you have easy access to the church’s announcements (if you used them to write sermon notes).
You’ll always be up-to-date with what’s going on at church if you write on the back of the announcements. If that isn’t how you’d like to do it, another option is to add your paper, on which you took the sermon notes, and also add the announcements in your sermon binder.
If you decide to make your sermon binder in this manner, you will have two new pieces of paper each week, usually on a Sunday, to add to your sermon notes binder. This will help you stay organized and keep all those announcements from falling off the fridge or end table.
Faith does not maintain; faith multiplies. (Matthew 25:20) – Steven Furtick
Sermon Notes Resources
As you record your sermon notes, try one of these sermon notes resources to help you along.
How to Make a Sermon Notes Journal
One way to make your own sermon notes journal is to use a notepad or spiral notebook. Just record the information from the sermon that you want to remember, date the page, and include the title of the message, the speaker of the sermon, and the main points.
Another awesome way to make a sermon notes journal is to include your notebook paper or beautiful paper, hole-punched in a binder. With this method, you can add dividers for the months of the year, topics that the preacher covered, or any other method you see fit.
Great Sermon Notes Journals
Enjoy these sermon notes journals, as they are already made and ready for you to start taking some great sermon notes!
Spiral-Bound Sermon Notes by Barbour gives you a Scripture, plenty of room to take sermon notes, and all the details marked for you, so all you have to do is fill it in. I also love the cover and that it is spiral-bound. This makes writing in this journal a breeze.
Sermon Notes Notebook | Church Notes Journal – This one sounds amazing, like a real winner! It has enough pages for all 52 weeks of the year. Also, it contains 3 full pages per week, so you will have plenty of room for your sermon notes. There’s plenty of room for application, too.
My Sermon Notes Wirebound Notebook with Tree – There is room to record the date, place, and speaker in this notebook. Additionally, you can add key themes and Scriptures, record your sermon notes, and complete the question, How can I apply this to my life?
FREE Sermon Notes Printable
Sermon Notes – This FREE printable from Sharing Life and Love has room for the date and your sermon notes. It’s very attractive and can be printed on normal-sized paper. After church, when you have it filled out, just add it to an attractive Sermon Notes Binder. Enjoy!
Conclusion
So, which method will you try when recording your next sermon notes? Do you have a unique method that wasn’t mentioned here? We’d love to hear all about it in the comments. Let us know which ones you tried and how they worked out for you! God bless you!
Give it time. God is at work underground. Quit trying to force fruit that’s not yet due. – Beth Moore
