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Read the title. Think about it. Think some more. And some more. Okay, now what do I mean by getting practical with getting practical? Thought inception? Unnecessary repetition? Necessary repetition?

The word “practical” means (according to Google) “of or concerned with the actual doing or use of something rather than with theory and ideas.”  Practicality is taking the thoughts and ideas in your head, whether yours or someone else’s, and doing it.  Getting practical is actually getting to the “thing” we “do” with the thought.  If something is impractical it is either a thought that is not acted upon or not worth being acted on at all.  These application afterthoughts are not for the realm of theory only, nor are they just yet another suggested application for us as a church to read, think about, and not do.  So, getting practical with getting practical is actually acting upon what these Application After Thoughts (AAT) suggest.  These AATs are not the be-all end-all, but they are meant to be a help for the practical, to show how the application of a sermon is practical.  It is an encouragement for the reader to get practical.

Now you might be thinking, so how is this AAT an AAT?  How does this give a practical application from this past Sunday’s sermon?  I can surely say it is an AAT, and it pertains to what Pastor asked at the beginning of his sermon.  He asked two questions:

  1. Does God’s Word establish your perspectives on life?
  2. Is your life being established intentionally by the Word of God?

How then do you get practical with intentionally establishing your life with the Word?  It is actually getting to the practical.  What is assumed in these questions is that you should establish your life on the Word.  A life practically built on the Word of God is the most practical thing any person could ever do.  So, the getting practical is how you establish your life on the Word.

Here are some practical ways to establish your life on the Word to actually get practical with:

  1. Read the Bible.
  2. Pray about what you read in the Bible.
  3. Talk to someone else about what you read.
  4. Gather with the Church under the preaching of the Word.
  5. Write out at least one implication/application from the reading or preaching of the Word. Place this piece of paper somewhere you already frequently look to remember to live it out the rest of the week; praying and asking for God’s help to live it out.