The Family at Church

The Family at Church: Listening to Sermons and Attending Prayer Meetings
Joel Beeke
Pages: 77
ISBN: 978-1-60178-043-0

Summary: This book is like having two tiny books compressed into one.  The first half explains how we can derive the most amount of blessing and practical good from preaching.  After 4 very packed and thought provoking chapters, the book makes a sudden shift to talk about the importance and implementation of prayer meetings.

Personal Thoughts: I thought that I would enjoy the first part of this book more than the second part.  In truth, the exact opposite happened.  I have experienced incredible blessing under the preaching in the past years.  However, I have not enjoyed the regular company of other Christians in an intimate setting where we brings our pleas to the Lord together.  The second part of the book was very instrumental in changing my opinions on the importance of the prayer meeting, and one I would like to implement.  This is a very practical book on 2 important matters.

Quote: "Pray for the conversion of sinners, the edification of saints, and the glorification of God's triune name.  Pray for children, teenagers, and the elderly.  Pray for listening ears and understanding hearts.  Pray for yourself, saying, 'Lord, how real the danger is that I will not hear well!  Of four kinds of hearers in the parable of the sower, only one kind heard properly.  Help me, Lord, to concentrate fully on Thy Word as it comes to me, so that I may not hear the Word and yet perish.  Let Thy Word have free course in my heart. Let it be accompanied with light, power and grace.' " --pg 9

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