“I’ve known people in as many as six Bible studies per week who grew only in knowledge but not in Christlikeness because they were not applying what they were learning. Their prayer life wasn’t strong, they weren’t influencing lost people with the gospel, their family life was strained. If we will begin to discipline ourselves to determine at least one specific response to the text before walking away from it [Whitney is referring to devotional Bible reading/Bible intake], we will much more rapidly grow in grace. Without this kind of application, we aren’t doers of God’s Word” (Donald S. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, 61).

Whitney makes a great point about the pro-active approach to reading one’s Bible in private devotions. But the point he makes is just as applicable to the Lord’s Service, which occurs one day in seven.

A sermon should be both thought provoking and convicting enough for one to dwell and meditate on its message the other six days of the week. But meditating for six days on one sermon takes discipline, it takes a pro-active response to hearing God’s Word.