Chapel truly is the heartbeat of Cedarville’s campus. It is a great opportunity to worship with other students and hear the Word of God preached daily. At Cedarville, we hear so many incredible sermons from faculty and guests. It’s an incredible blessing, but it can also feel overwhelming.
After a while, all of the messages start to run together, and you forget who preached on what, and what the Lord was speaking to your heart that morning. I have found taking notes in chapel to be very beneficial for my own personal growth. Taking notes helps me to get the most out of the time the Lord has given me to hear his Word preached.
So how do you take good notes and make the most out of the time you have in chapel?
Buy a Nice Journal
There are plenty of chapel experiences I never want to forget. Thankfully, I bought a journal to write those notes down in so I could keep them forever. There is a shoebox under my bed at home full of journals with chapel notes from my last three years at Cedarville.
Buying a nice journal is a great way to be motivated to take notes and to go back and read them later. It is also a blessing to be able to pull out these journals later in life to review. Who knows, maybe one day your children or grandchildren will want to read them!
Jot Down the Passage, Date, and Speaker
After a while, you will forget who said what in chapel, when. It’s important to write down who is speaking, what passage they are speaking on, and what day it is. This has been helpful for me when I attend Bible studies where the same passage is being discussed. When something that I heard in chapel about this passage comes to mind, I can flip back in my journal and see who said it and what exactly they said. This also lets me give proper credit to the speaker.
Write Down the Main Idea and Points
Have you ever heard a sermon and then forgotten what the message was about two hours later? I sure have. Writing down the main idea and main points can help you retain what the Lord is teaching through the Scripture being preached.
This is also helpful for when you reread this passage in your own personal study. If you are having trouble discerning what the main point of the passage is or what certain verses mean, having heard a sermon on it and written down the main points, you can refer back to those notes to guide you in your understanding of Scripture.
Take Notes on Everything You Don’t Fully Understand
Did the speaker speak about a theological concept that you don’t understand? Did they say something that raised many questions for you? Write down those concepts and questions and research them later. Ask your Bible professor or your pastor these questions. Search commentaries to gain better understanding.
Once you get answers to your questions or you better understand the concept, jot those thoughts down in your journal. It will be wonderful to see how the Lord is growing your understanding and knowledge of him later in your life.
Take Notes About What God Is Doing in Your Heart
Write down how the message is affecting your heart. Write down what the Lord is saying to you in those moments. Write down how the passage is convicting you, encouraging you, and challenging you.
Having a written record of how the Lord is working in your heart through his word can be so encouraging to look at later. I love that I can look back in my journal and see just how much the Holy Spirit has worked in my heart since then. In times where you don’t feel like there has been much growth in your faith, looking back at where your faith once was and seeing where it is now can be so encouraging.
Chapel certainly is the heartbeat of Cedarville’s campus. Don’t neglect the opportunity you have to be taught the Word of God everyday. Take notes and soak in the goodness of the Lord.
Majoring in Professional Writing and Information Design, Class of 2022
Where I’m from: Jonesborough, TN
Favorite Class: Bible and the Gospel with Dr. Owens
Go to Rinnova Order: Honey Latte