We’ve all been there.
We know we took notes on a book—or was it an article?—that had that perfect idea for a sermon.
In an attempt to retrieve it, we search in our computer using some vaguely remembered keywords but get nowhere.
We try a different route, by author. We think it might have been Cone? Or maybe it was Skinner? Unfortunately, that search doesn’t turn up what we’re looking for either.
We keep looking because it would save us so much time and effort to put the sermon together if we could just find it.
We know we read it last summer, so we search by date. We think we might have read it in June, 2022, or it might have been 5/22?
Still no luck.
Maybe we wrote it down in a journal instead of the computer?
We search through last summer’s journal page by page.
Aha! Found it! It only took us twenty-five minutes of searching, but we are triumphant!
Until we try to understand what we wrote.
The phrases and abbreviations that were intended to speed up the process are now incomprehensible.
We see plenty of exclamation marks that recorded our enthusiasm—but we have no idea what we were so excited about.
Turns out, we found it not in May or June, but July. And the author wasn’t Cone or Skinner, but Cannon.
Twenty-five minutes and a solid idea are wasted, and it’s back to the drawing board.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been through this scenario.
All that time flown out the window searching and searching.
We know “it” is there somewhere, but we can’t find it or may not understand what we meant at the time we recorded it or why it was important at the time.
It all adds up to a lot of frustration and wasted possibilities.
After some big changes the last couple years, however, I spend far less time and feel far less frustrated than I used to.
I’ve spent the last few years learning how to take notes that allow me to read, mark, learn, inwardly digest—and retrieve and apply what I learn.
This notetaking method has increased my creativity, my productivity, and my gratitude for deeper learning from authors and broadcasters—and it’s made my life so much easier because I never have to start a sermon or writing project from scratch.
Here are two of the most important tips to create notes to increase your chances to retrieve them when needed and ensure your future self will know what you meant when you do.
Tip #1: Create Consistent Naming Conventions
Here’s one of the biggest problems we face: the way we name notes, files, and folders is inconsistent.
Because it’s inconsistent, our search terms are inconsistent.
Think of dates, for example.
Do you write the full name of the month, like June? Or an abbreviation?
If you use an abbreviation is it Jun. or Ju? With or without a period?
How about the year 2023? ‘23? 23?
If you use numbers is it 6/20/23 or 6-20-2023 or 6.23.23?
Whether writing the name or using numbers, is it month/day/year, or year/month/day?
The more consistent the naming, the more reliable the search.
It doesn’t matter how you name things. There’s no right or wrong.
Using the same system every time is the key.
Your first task then, is to decide naming conventions for the following categories.
DATES
Decide on the order: M/D/Y, or Y/M/D
If spelling out the month decide on using the full word or an abbreviation of 2- 3- or 4-letters.
If using numbers, decide on a forward slash, hyphen, or dot.
AUTHOR NAME. [Last, First] or [First Last]
ABBREVIATIONS. Avoid abbreviations whenever possible (see Tip #2 below). or create a document of the abbreviations you'll use consistently.
SCRIPTURE.
Book name. Choose the full name, or 2-, 3-, or 4-letter abbreviation
Chapter and verse
Roman or English numerals
periods or colons
REFERENCE. APA, Chicago, or other format.
KEYWORDS Search function may improve with ALL caps or ALL lower case. Use the singular for nouns even if the content referred to is plural.
You’re not quite done!
The second task is to create a reference document with your naming conventions.
Keep this handy: for example, keep it on your computer desktop so you can refer to it every time until your conventions are habits.
Tip #2: Write in Complete Sentences
We write notes because we’ve just encountered or remembered something important.
We want to remember a task, ponder a profound thought, or quote an author’s wisdom.
In a hurry to get it down as fast as possible before we forget, we write in as few characters or symbols as possible.
That effort is wasted, though, when later we can’t decipher our own impromptu code!
And the more time that passes, the less likely we will be to remember what those phrases meant, or why it mattered enough at the time to write it down.
Instead of writing notes as quickly as possible, slow down enough to consider the most important reason to write a note: to make life easier for your future self!
And the best way to make your future self happier?
Write your notes in complete sentences, even when that feels slow, or redundant, or obvious.
Why?
Because complete sentences are the clearest: they carry ALL the necessary information you’ll need in the future.
Complete sentences with a subject and predicate reveal who the actor is and what the actor is supposed to do, think, see, or feel.
Sure, you can use consistent abbreviations (for example, I always use the Greek letter theta as my abbreviation for God), but don’t make up new abbreviations in the moment — unless you add it to your personal reference document of abbreviations immediately (before you forget!).
In addition, add a sentence or two about why that thought or task is important.
Why is it interesting? What does it relate to? What project is the task associate with? Under what circumstances might you want to use this information down the road?
This way you’ll not only have the information but know why it was relevant and how you might apply it.
The bonus is that that complete sentence can be copied and pasted into your sermon, newsletter, or other project later, saving you time and energy right then and there!
Finally, name and reference your note with, of course!, your naming convention so you can find it when you need it.
Notetaking for Sermons that Practically Write Themselves
I’m offering a 90-minute workshop for members of The Collective+ Thursday, 6/22/23.
The goal is to learn and apply a practice of notetaking for sermon writing that our future selves will thank us for!
By the end of the session participants will know:
which notes to take
how much to write
how to format and retrieve notes for their best use
whether to choose digital versus handwritten notes based on the pros and cons of each
examples of notes for sermon preparation with a big jumpstart on a sermon — all from taking notes on just one exegetical article
some of the best notetaking apps available
and more.
The session will be recorded.
Want to make your preaching more interesting, easier, and creative by taking great sermon prep notes that you’ll use and add to year after year?
When you do, I promise you this: you’ll read less but learn more!
Join The Collective+ and Thursday’s workshop!