Church Checklist for Inner Realities

Did I pray along with the spoken prayers so that these prayers became my prayers?
Did I sing hymns while thoughtfully and prayerfully paying attention to the words?
Did I listen as carefully and prayerfully as possible to all the words of the sermon?
Did I listen with a humble and non-critical spirit?
Did I search my heart for application to our own life? Have I honestly sought one or more main points in which I could increase my obedience to the Lord?

What can we do if we are having difficulty getting anything out of the sermon?
Try to get (at least ) one major point or application.
Select the main text of the sermon and have that as a focus for the week. One way to do this is to copy the text and place it in a prominent place. It can be placed on the refrigerator where all members of the family can view it throughout the week.
As you listen to the sermon, keep asking yourself, "What principles from this text or message might God be wanting to apply to my life?" "What might God be wanting to impress upon me?"
Make the text or main practical application or implication of the sermon the object of special focus in your prayer for the week. Weave it into your prayer.
For parents or other spiritual mentors:
It is true that some pastors are weaker than others in the areas of spoken gifts. Yes, some sermons are less interesting or engaging than others. But it is spiritual damaging to continually criticize the sermon, pastor, or church, especially in front of children or other young disciples. Why?
Criticizing the sermon for all but serious reasons is against God's order. The text of Scripture and the sermon is designed to criticize us. We are putting ourselves over and above the Word when we do this. It is a refusal to look for sin and correction within our own lives.
This shows a lack of respect and reverence for God and His institutions: the church, the pastorate, and the ministry of the Word.
Needless criticism is closely associated with doubt, skepticism, and despair.
Needless criticism instills in children (or young disciples) the same deadly skills of faultfinding which they, in turn, may use as an excuse to leave church and apostasize.
Criticism of a church or sermon may be justified in cases where the Bible is blatantly neglected, misinterpreted or misapplied. But even so it should be done in a spirit of humility, with sorrow for the cause of Christ, and in an attitude of reverence.

For example, if my family and I visit a certain evangelical church where we witness infant baptism, I tell my children that this is a good church overall but that I take a different position on the matter of baptism. God is still honoring and blessing this church for its stand for the gospel and its faithfulness to sound theology\--and I had better pay attention to the preacher's message!

When visiting a certain Bible-believing church we heard the pastor teach a very symbolic presentation of the book of Revelation (that I disagreed with). Despite my hermeneutical objections it was still incumbant upon me to find applications apply to my life and to rejoice in. I made a point of relating to my children the important points of the message. In this was I could show the seriousness with which I take preaching and corporate worship, and show others godly reverence that builds them up in the faith.
While eating a meal after church, try to think of and discuss the good points of the sermon.

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