Over the years, I have been lots of concerts such as Sawyer Brown, Toby Keith, BNL and, maybe the best one, Keith Urban. From that list, it may sound like I am a country fan, but I am not. In fact, I am just a fan of “live music”. I really enjoy the various “Concerts for Saskatchewan” artists that come through town. I like piano recitals. I have even gone to hear jazz played live (and I generally hate jazz).
There is just something about live music, regardless of the style, that is different from listening to the same song on a CD. In fact, often the concert version is not as technically well done, but there is an energy that you get when you hear a song performed live that cannot be reproduced on any recording. This past Sunday, I was reminded that the benefit of hearing something live is not limited to music.
We had a guest speaker here and that meant, that for the first time in a long time, I got to sit and listen to someone present the word of God. To be honest, since I spend a lot of time talking about God, I had sort of forgotten how powerful the spoke word can be when you are listening to it.
That the word of God is powerful should not be a surprise. Hebrews says, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (4:12). We are also told that “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17).
Think about the book of Acts for a moment. The church grew because the Christians were living their faith. However, they were also teaching and preaching about God, Christ, the cross and the Holy Spirit. Many turning points in the church came as a result (at least in part) of someone teaching the word of God.
I hope that you spend time reading God’s word on your own. Nothing can replace Bible reading. However, I also hope that you know the benefit of hearing the word being preached or discussed in a Bible class with other Christians.
There is something special about hearing the word.
There is just something about live music, regardless of the style, that is different from listening to the same song on a CD. In fact, often the concert version is not as technically well done, but there is an energy that you get when you hear a song performed live that cannot be reproduced on any recording. This past Sunday, I was reminded that the benefit of hearing something live is not limited to music.
We had a guest speaker here and that meant, that for the first time in a long time, I got to sit and listen to someone present the word of God. To be honest, since I spend a lot of time talking about God, I had sort of forgotten how powerful the spoke word can be when you are listening to it.
That the word of God is powerful should not be a surprise. Hebrews says, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (4:12). We are also told that “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17).
Think about the book of Acts for a moment. The church grew because the Christians were living their faith. However, they were also teaching and preaching about God, Christ, the cross and the Holy Spirit. Many turning points in the church came as a result (at least in part) of someone teaching the word of God.
I hope that you spend time reading God’s word on your own. Nothing can replace Bible reading. However, I also hope that you know the benefit of hearing the word being preached or discussed in a Bible class with other Christians.
There is something special about hearing the word.
Comments