My Dear Friend,

After years of trying to hide this from the Christian public, I must now come clean. I have a confession to make: I am a noteaholic! Hopelessly and helplessly addicted to taking notes. But I am comforted by knowing I am not alone. Millions of serious Christians are just as obsessed as I am! Let me describe our mania.

When we hear biblical truth expounded and applied to our lives, we feel a strong inner urge to inscribe it. It is more precious than silver, gold, or exquisite gems! Nothing is to be compared with the immeasurable value of divine truth. So, we note it. And let me note something else.

Worldlings all over the world share this addiction, incessantly noting the words of other worldlings. In the post-game interview, the coaches and players speak, and sportswriters scribble or peck away feverishly at their laptop or notepad keyboards. To them, it is all so important. They just can't miss anything. Not a word!

The same is true when famous entertainers or musicians make public statements. The Hollywood press scramble for their iPhones or computers. The beautiful and talented people have spoken, and the homely and untalented public must know every idle word they utter.

When politicians make speeches or statements, the professional noteaholics - journalists, we call them - hit high gear. Every little statement must be recorded so publishers, editors, and op-ed writers may then analyze them for the unthinking public. Or twist and misrepresent them to favor their personal prejudices! Or sugar-coat them so they are more appealing to their constituents. So much for worldlings' obsession with what will ultimately be seen as mere trivia.

As Christians, our situation is vastly different. We have the most noteworthy thought stuff in the universe: the very Word of God! It is of immediate value to our lives and works in this world and of eternal worth in the next. So note it we should, note it we must, note it we will!

When our pastors deliver their sermons and professors their lectures, we are scribbling. When we read deeply spiritual books expounding biblical truth, we mark them with underscoring, brackets, and asterisks. When we discover a spiritually meaningful quote posted on social media, we may print and hang it in our office.

When attending Bible studies, where the Scriptures are opened to us by gifted teachers and illuminated to our hearts by the Teacher, the Holy Spirit, we are writing constantly from start to finish. It's all so good. We just don't want to miss a single word. It must not fall to the ground unnoted.

When we listen to a great podcast, radio program, or documentary conveying biblical texts, principles, or life lessons, we jump up, run for our notepad, and inscribe every thought we have imbibed. And we thank God for every truth noted, especially when they come, as they often do, just when we need them.

And when we go to conferences, in person or by livestream, ah, what a furious frenzy of notetaking! Great speakers, wonderful seminars, engaging PowerPoint presentations, fascinating conversations with notable ministers whose teachings we have often noted! It's all so wonderful! We jot down every jot and tittle!

So, let us freely acknowledge the evident truth about our earnest selves: we are helpless, hopeless, habitual notetakers! Addicted. Driven. Living for our next "fix" of scribbling. Blessedly obsessed with every blessed truth that blesses us. So we note it. Every Sunday. Every mid-week meeting. Every day. Notes, notes, everywhere, but what is it all going to come to?

Will we take our notes to our graves? Or bequeath our notes to our children to inspire them to also be outstanding notetakers? At the Judgment Seat, will we read all our notes to Jesus? Will they earn His "Well done, thou good and faithful servant" (Matthew 25:21)? Or could it be He wants something more than efficient note-taking? Hmm?

Our heavenly Father, who watches over us with joy as we note our way through life, wants our noteworthy notetaking converted into noteworthy character. Or, as the apostle Paul noted, that we are "conformed to the image of his Son" (Romans 8:29).

That's the end. That's the goal. That's what Jesus prayed for in John 17. And it's the core mission of the Holy Spirit - to convert note-takers into character makers. Then send these transformed notetakers into the world to evangelize, teach, and train . . . other diligent note-takers! And help them understand our notes are just the beginning, not the end. And also understand the process we enter when we become diligent biblical note-takers.

That process begins by accepting this vision I am casting. Once we are willing to go beyond fine notetaking, real spiritual progress may begin. We must first seek high-quality teaching, biblical instruction that covers not preferred selections only but "all the counsel of God" (Acts 20:27), that is illuminated by the Spirit, and then applied directly to our lives. Comfortable Bible lessons that never challenge or convict will never lead us to a higher, holier walk. We must be taught, and we must be corrected, if we aspire to be "conformed."

After noting such teachers' God-given wisdom, we must remember to review our notes. We should prayerfully pore over them, meditating and ruminating. Often this habit will become a springboard for new, life-changing biblical studies that lead us to discover even more meaningful and timely biblical insights. If we never follow up on our notes, we forfeit this deeper, richer blessing. Why?

It is the lesson of the burning bush. When Moses first noticed the burning bush, God waited and watched. Would Moses "turn aside" to "see," or thoughtfully ponder, the wonder (Exodus 3:3)? If not, there would be no further discovery. If so, God was prepared to reveal more of Himself to Moses. The moment Moses drew near to study the wonder, God spoke wondrously: "When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him" (Exodus 3:4).

And we know what this led to: immersion in the presence of God, the Word of God flowing like a river, the mandate for the Exodus mission, and the amazing signs and wonders displayed in Egypt culminating in the glorious Red Sea deliverance; and later, the plan for the Tabernacle, the order of worship, the giving of the Law, and 40 years of God's people walking in God's company, glory, word, and Spirit! All these wonders followed because Moses, upon seeing the bush, made a note of it. And then he followed up on it by drawing near to further investigate what he had noted.

This simple process - listening, noting, following up - will also lead us into testing, just as surely as the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tested by the Devil (Luke 4:1-2)! But God will faithfully use our adversary to grow and mature us if we respond by steadily trusting our Note-Giver and steadily obeying our noted truths.

Tests, therefore, are to our advantage, opportunities to turn biblical notes into biblical living and biblical character. Ah, so this is what our note-giving Father and the note-inspiring Holy Spirit desire. That we live our notes! And demonstrate them daily before God, the devil, and everyone in our circle of contacts. Whenever, wherever, however we do this, others are drawn to the Note-Giver.

So, from one hopeless addict to another, may I recommend that you keep making notes of every meaningful biblical truth or life lesson you discover. But also remember it's just the beginning, not the end. Then follow the simple path and process outlined above. Or, I suppose I'm really saying . . .

Make a note of it!

Dr. Greg Hinnant

GREG HINNANT MINISTRIES