Sermon Tone Analysis

Do-Overs

Ezra and Nehemiah

When God gives you a do-over, what are you going to do with it?

If you get a do-over, it means you (or somebody) messed up.

You made a decision that didn’t turn out too good.

Who did you listen to when you made that bad decision?

Who are you going to listen to this time?

Who do you trust, this time?

This Time?

We live in a culture now where everybody questions everybody else.

It seems, nobody trusts anybody any more.

How do we make important decisions?

How do we collect information, process it, and make a better decision based on it?

There are so many articles and websites masquerading as factual news.

“Can you believe Hillary said this…?!”

“Did you know Trump did that…?!”

“And, Obama is still doing it, too.”

What?!!

We make a lot of decisions.

Some are big, most are not.

When the big ones go bad, we pray for a do-over.

Then, what happens when we get one?

You’re looking for new information.

Who do you trust?

Trust your own instincts?

Now, w/ our own insecurities, we second-guess ourselves.

Would someone just tell me what I need to know.

Do you trust the media?

I get up in the morning and read the news.

I’ve got an app that collects news stories from all over the internet.

First, I read the headline.

Then I read the source.

Washington Post, NY Times, WSJ, CNN, NBC, Fox.

I immediately form an opinion about what I’m about to read, if I even read it.

Used to be Walter Cronkite, Chet Huntley, David Brinkley at 5:30 every evening and my grandparents just trusted the facts w/out any thought of any spin or commentary.

Facts.

Just the facts.

What are the facts?

Can you trust science?

Empirical evidence.

Observations.

Record your findings.

Let others interpret what they mean.

When did science become so emotional?

Are you an XX or an XY?

I understand modern XX’s don’t necessarily feel the same way traditional XX’s used to feel.

Genetically, there are only 2 genders.

Climate change.

Is it?

It depends on which scientists you listen to.

Is the earth warming?

If so, what’s the cause?

What if it isn’t?

There’s no question we need t/b better stewards of the environment.

If we are to blame, we should give up our SUVs and become vegans.

What if God is the cause, using the environment to get our attention?

What does the science say?

Do you trust it?

Do you trust the EPA and what they say about our air and water quality?

Do you trust the FDA and the meds your doctor prescribes?

Do you trust your doctor?

The doctors I know are a whole lot smarter than me.

But, they are only practicing.

Immunizations?

Will the long-term effects of not immunizing children bet better or worse than if all kids are immunized?

Do you trust teachers?

The NEA is one of the most liberal lobbies in Washington.

Does that mean we can’t trust them?

College professors?

Historians?

History is just facts, right?

What are the facts?

Did the moon landings actually happen on the moon?

Was the holocaust real?

What really happened in Roswell, NM?

Everything is so politically charged.

Do you trust politicians?

Seriously.

Lawyers?

Preachers?

A friend, who’s a believer and a democrat, posted a news story on FB quoting a preacher that said everyone who voted democrat in this last election is going to Hell.

Plausible that a preacher would say that.

Since it was on FB it must be true...

My son, who’s moving out and heading to grad school, when he was in high school and not too excited about going to college told me once that he thought that he didn’t need to go to college and that he’d just go into ministry like his dad.

My response was, “Please don’t insult me by thinking you can do what I do w/ only a high school diploma.”

He was serious.

I was mad.

Sara’s SIL has posted on FB more than once, “Please don’t confuse your Google search w/ my medical degree.”

There are certainly people in all these areas that we are right t/b skeptical of.

I’ll tell you one person you can trust.

One person you should listen to, believe what he wrote, and follow his example.

Ezra.

Ezra is a guy you want to follow, by example and on FB, if that were possible.

Read what he wrote, believe what he meant, and do what he said.

B/C, he was devoted to the right thing.

He was all in w/ God.

He studied Gods word diligently, applied it personally, and taught it relevantly.

Yes, I believe you can trust me, but you don’t need to take my word for it.

In fact, you don’t need the degree I have to follow Ezra and lead others like he did.

Pay attention, not to me, but to what God has for you while you’re here.