Sermon Tone Analysis

Opener: Fire is one of the most useful and powerful but also dangerous and destructive reactions that exists.

Igniting a fire can bring warmth, allow for things to be disposed of and food to be cooked.

Igniting a fire unintentionally even with a small spark can burn up things that are important.

states that the tongue is a fire…that can set on “fire the entire course of life.”

We know from Jesus’ words that we speak start with a spark in our hearts.

Those sparks in our hearts are the thoughts that we choose to focus on and give opportunity to catch fire.

Thoughts ignite words and attitudes: What we choose to focus on and think about has a huge impact on what we say and do.

Our thought can ignite our emotions for good or bad, influence our perspectives, and motivate us move forward or not move at all.

What we choose to think about and focus on can determine whether or not we look at life with hope and faith or with doubt, gloom and doom.

The mistake of looking only through the eyes of...One of the mistakes that we can easily make is looking at life through the eyes that only see all that is wrong with the world which inevitably leads to hopelessness.

The reason that we are particularly susceptible to this is because we know from understanding right and wrong and God’s standard that our world and nation are in really bad shape.

While this has been true for a long, long time we see the difference in how it is and how it should be as God’s word shows and we want things to be right.

Satan can use that against us: While it is good to not be totally desensitized by the way things are Satan can use our zeal for good against us in that he can tempt us to hyper focus on all the wrong that is in the world until we are overwhelmed with the negativity that surrounds it all.

Two things can then happen…(1 we can turn from being a christian who is full of hope in God to a christian who is full of the pain and hopelessness of the world without God..2) we can become so engrossed in railing about what is wrong that we make our faith all about that.

Preaching all about the wrong: Please do not understand me.

Evil needs to be preached about and against.

Sin (our greatest problem) needs to be talked about, frequently, people need to be warned about hell.

People need to hear that the sin that the world promotes as good is wrong.

Jesus preached “repent or you will likewise perish.”

Preaching God’s goodness: But that is not all Jesus preached either.

Just look at the sermon on the mount.

As with many of the prophetic books the bible has many warnings and proclamations of the wrongs but it is also full of hope and in scripture there is a balance.

Imagine if every Sunday the preacher talked about the evils of a particular sin.

Every week you knew it was going to be the same.

The evils of a particular sin or wrong in the world, nation and community.

It would be a different sin every week but there was never anything else.

Most likely you would start to dread coming because you were going to leave feeling discouraged.

(I heard one complaint that this was what one preacher did.)

We know that God’s word is ultimately a message of hope...

This is an illustration not of preaching about your thinking and outlook...We can go to far the other way as well and never talk about sin but my point is that we do not need to be a people who are only focused on what is wrong in the world and not focused on what is right with Christ and the goodness He gives and offers in blessings and salvation.

Both/and: We need to be people who are willing to “speak the truth in love” about what is right and wrong and tell others what scripture says…but also we need to be people who are wrapped up in and excited about the goodness of God so much so that He is the one we talk about often.

In my experience many in the church are much better at the pointing out the wrong in the world and in people that talking about what is good and right about God (and specifically the good that He is doing in their lives.)

I say this because I have been one of them…and I realize why as well.

If you are hyper focus on the wrong then you have no vision left to focus on the goodness of God.

Also, I am nowhere near as good as I want to be or should be at talking about the goodness of God in my everyday life to those in my life who I interact with.

TRANS: So how can we allow God’s good and the hope that He has given us become an ingrained part of our outlook so that we naturally talk like a people who have hope and know what a blessing it is to live the abundant life in Christ as God’s children.

It starts with our mindset and what we choose to focus on and remember about God!

One of the reasons that God tells us in and what we need to focus on.

We should notice that it is not this world but greater things.

If we do not remember God’s wonders and works we cannot have a proper outlook on life.

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We may become bitter and seem only like complainers instead of hopeful.

We may lose focus on God’s goodness in our lives because we are so focus on the bad in world.

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We may forget or act as if God in not in control

We may be ineffective witnesses for Christ because we cannot tell others about God’s goodness.

We may have a hard time being people of hope like our Father who is the God of hope.

One of the reasons that God tells us in and what we need to focus on.

We should notice that it is not this world but greater things.

God did not tell them them these things because the world was in such good shape and it would be easy to.

He told them this for the same reason He tells us.

The world is fallen and we are in a spiritual war much of which is fought in our minds and they needed to think on good things and have a hopeful outlook and attitude!

We have to be careful what we allow to influence out thinking and therefore our outlook on the future and life.

The mistake that many people make is that they do not make an effort to filter the information and the contagious attitudes that they encounter.

News and Social media: For example if we are not careful and we let the news, social media, toxic habitually negative people influence our thinking and outlook we may end up hopeless.

This is really important for the Christians because we are called to be different than the world.

We are called to be like God.

This means we have a different outlook on the world and life.

We think and live differently.

God’s word and God’s Spirit should influence our thoughts and outlook more than anyone or anything else.

We serve the God of hope so we should be a people of hope!

Unfortunately that is not always true.

We all know that Christians can be some of the most negative, gloomy people you can meet.

It makes sense as to why this is true.

They see all that is wrong with the world, the church, families, politics, the economy, and a whole lot of other things that we all see.

You know what…they are right about a lot of it.

But the way some talk you would think their hope was in politics, the economy, the president or government, the country, and other things…as if God needed these things to be right to still be in control.

Do not get me wrong there are many things to be upset about, mourn and even be against and try to change but these things cannot become a part of our identity as if God created us to...

BUT…knowing these things and dwelling on them without the hope and truth and victory their is in Christ as His follower is a mistake.

This is true for a number of reasons.

The truth is...

Christians should be characterized and known by how they talk more about how good God is than how bad the world is getting.

We can make the mistake of only focusing so much on what we are against that we forget how to be excited and talk about what we are for.

This is why it is so important that remember God’s greatness while living in a world where so many things are so bad.

Again this is true for a number of reasons.

But the core reason is that we cannot be who God has called us if we forget the greatness of the God who we serve.

Trans: and when we remember God’s greatness it can ignite a fire in our hearts so that we can do what God has called us to…so what can happen if we remember and let God’s greatness be one of the main things we think about?

Remembering God’s Wonders Ignites Praise

Enthusiastic praise is connected to remembering God’s works!

(When as the last time you were so grateful and excited about what God has done that you enthusiastically anticipated worshipping Him?)

It is easy to see the connection between praising and giving thanks to God and His deeds.

Let’s read : Notice the incredible amount of enthusiasm in this Psalm for praising God.

The enthusiasm is directly linked to what God has done.

We have reason to praise God.

In fact there is not time that we will ever not have reason to praise God.

Notice the incredible amount of enthusiasm in this Psalm for praising God.

The enthusiasm is directly linked to what God has done.

We have reason to praise God.

In fact there is not tie that we will ever not have reason to praise God.

It is easy to see the connection between praising and giving thanks to God and His deeds.

When as the last time you were so grateful and ex

This kind of passionate praise can only come from the heart.

As verse 3 says, “let the hearts of those who seek the Lord Rejoice.”

Passionate praise comes only when our hearts are in it.

This kind of passionate praise can only come from the heart.

As verse 3 says, “let the hearts of those who seek the Lord Rejoice.”

Passionate praise comes only when our hearts are in it.

When we remember what God has done, our hearts should be so full of praise that it easily comes out of our mouths when we have the opportunity.

- No matter how much we praise God it will never add up to what He really deserves.

No amount of praise is enough: No matter how much we praise God it will never do justice for what He has done.

We will never fill up the level f praise God deserves.

We will never run out of reasons to praise Him!!