Sermon Tone Analysis

For many, the start of a new year is a time to start new habits.

Resolutions will be made to save more money or perhaps to exercise more often.

How about taking the opportunity a new year offers to deepen your relationship with Christ?

For the next four weeks, we will focus on four spiritual disciplines that will deepen our relationship with God and further our walk with Him.

Today we begin a sermon series "Spiritual Habits" and discover how the disciplines of the Spirit practiced in the context of community can grow our experience with Christ.

1.

We can support Scripture’s legitimacy with historical data, its effectiveness and wisdom with proof from historical events and our own experiences.

But its holiness as God’s breathed-out message for humanity—that belief is by faith and is confirmed by the internal witness of the Holy Spirit.

As soon as someone rejects the holiness and the authority, of the Bible, they will soon wander from the true message of the gospel, as history has proven time and again.

Traditionally, Lectio Divina has four separate steps: read; meditate; pray; contemplate.

First a passage of Scripture is read, then its meaning is reflected upon.

This is followed by prayer and contemplation on the Word of God.

1.

We can support Scripture’s legitimacy with historical data, its effectiveness and wisdom with proof from historical events and our own experiences.

But its holiness as God’s breathed-out message for humanity—that belief is by faith and is confirmed by the internal witness of the Holy Spirit.

As soon as someone rejects the holiness and the authority, of the Bible, they will soon wander from the true message of the gospel, as history has proven time and again.

2. Hold up a compass for everyone to see.

Before showing them what the compass says, ask everyone to point to true north without using a tool.

Then show them where true north actually is.

A ship can start out in the right direction but inevitably gets tossed by the waves and wind, requiring regular checks with the compass in order to get to the final destination.

Even with good intentions, we can lose our bearings and need to continually and regularly be reminded of what God’s Word says about him and about us in order to live the life God desires for us.

3. Talk about and demonstrate a simple Bible reading plan for people to use at home.

In Christianity, Lectio Divina (Latin for "Divine Reading") is a traditional Benedictine practice of scriptural reading, meditation and prayer intended to promote communion with God and to increase the knowledge of God's Word.

It does not treat Scripture as texts to be studied, but as the Living Word.

Traditionally, Lectio Divina has four separate steps: read; meditate; pray; contemplate.

First a passage of Scripture is read, then its meaning is reflected upon.

This is followed by prayer and contemplation on the Word of God.

reading - attentive reading

meditate - better word to understand this is “to ponder”

meditate - better word to understand this is “to ponder”

pray - contemplate

4. Harperville - I was a young preacher boy and I had just received news that a church member’s very young grandchild had died from brain cancer.

Struggled with how I could be a pastor

Why did this happen?

Faced my own mortality and what the loss of a family member might mean, Miriam was about the same age.

I was using a guide I have called “A Guide for Prayer for Ministers and Other Servants”

The Psalm reading that day was .

I remember after praying through that Psalm that God was saying to me very clearly…”It is not for you to know WHY these things happen but know that I am the one that created this child and nothing happened that I wasn’t right there with them.

I created them, I loved them, and now they are with me forever.”