Sermon Tone Analysis

Note: Series outline and content supplemented by Live Lighter Love Better; Twelve Biblical Decisions for a meaningful life by Cary Schmidt.

These lessons are prepared for the High School LifeGroup

“Right now” is pretty special

Weather / Seasons

What is your favorite?

There is always something to complain about

Lady said “I love every season”

Every Season has its burdens

We build unrealistic expectations, which make mattes worse

We expect God to be our cruise guide, always showing us where the fun will be.

John 16:33 “33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace.

In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

The same God who said Jer 33:3 “3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”

Also said “Buckle up, you’re in for some rough days, but don’t despair, I’ve overcome all of that.

I will hold you together.”

In our opening passage you see Solomon bounce from good to bad

Expect and embrace the burdens that come with every season of life.

I wan’t to grow up and be a dad but I do not want to attend the funeral of those older than me

Every season has its beauty

There is a unique beauty and joy in this season of life that will not be found in the next

Rest in God’s good plan of grace Romans 8:28 “28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

Every season has a better path

Ecc 3:11-14 “11 He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.

12 I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.

13 And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God. 14 I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.”

Later Solomon addresses eternity

Ecc 3:20-22 “20 All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.

21 Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?

22 Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?”

What is the better path?

Trust Jesus as Saviour and Lord of my life.

Cherish now -choose to embrace the burdens and beauty of this season

You can either resist and waste this season of life or you can enjoy it to its fullest

What is the source of my discontentment?

Discontent flows from a scrambling heart, attempting to fulfill our desires our way, rather than trusting God’s way.

This always involved rebelling against this season and attempting to rob from another.

Satan offers a “short cut” to where I want to be.

Contentment is a choice.

Phil 4:11 “11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.”

Every Soul Has Its Saviour

Ecc 3:16-18 “16 And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there.

17 I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.

18 I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.”

Everybody has a belief system and every belief system is built upon faith.

Who or what do you look to as a saviour?

David Wallace Foster at Kenyon College

Because here’s something else that’s weird but true: in the day-to-day trenches of adult life, there is actually no such thing as atheism.

There is no such thing as not worshipping.

Everybody worships.

The only choice we get is what to worship.

And the compelling reason for maybe choosing some sort of god or spiritual-type thing to worship–be it JC or Allah, be it YHWH or the Wiccan Mother Goddess, or the Four Noble Truths, or some inviolable set of ethical principles–is that pretty much anything else you worship will eat you alive.

If you worship money and things, if they are where you tap real meaning in life, then you will never have enough, never feel you have enough.

It’s the truth.

Worship your body and beauty and sexual allure and you will always feel ugly.

And when time and age start showing, you will die a million deaths before they finally grieve you.

On one level, we all know this stuff already.

It’s been codified as myths, proverbs, clichés, epigrams, parables; the skeleton of every great story.

The whole trick is keeping the truth up front in daily consciousness.

DECISION 2

Jesus, I choose to cherish now by your grace.