Sermon Tone Analysis

intro

Intro- re: sea legs?

Ever heard the phrase “getting your sea legs?”

“Illusion of self-motion—vestibular illusion—subjective vertigo—

** Cf Virtual Reality rollwer coaster

Explanation—no one just starts to live by faith.

We grow into it.

Much like getting used to sea legs or similar

*** We start small and grow into it—because it’s like getting used to operating in a new terrain or with new awareness.

Imperfect Prayer Still Received An Answer

notice limits—

- vague approach (crazy”)

- low expectations (“amazed”)

(Cf how • extreme we will go in doubt—easier to believe ghost at door than God did miracle), and also high emotions

Uncertain Obedience Still Led to Results

—cf how real visions are—cf memory from rooftop— sleepy / drowsy seems to create image of how Peter was the entire time

Each step continued God’s activity while it contributed to the believers’ faith

*** Reinforced the faith AND the way faith gets worked out

Cf James—hearers / doers

clarifies what the Truth means

• Clarifies what believing / understanding is (not just knowing

• Some know more than do—that’s deceptive

◦ Caused pendulum reaction discounting knowledge

◦ God’s will—“All SCR...that the man of God...”

◦

***

Exploration

Knowing isn’t believing until it becomes living

(process turns knowledge into faith—even as faith is required for it to begin—it goes from a general faith in God to faith in God for this / in this)

*** What happens when they follow faith impulse in the general?

It turns into practical faith in the particulars

** whoever is FAITHFUL in few things... she progression, but also activating faith to be persistent

Cf slave who becomes king—using someone else’s tools

Cf David putting on Saul’s armor

Gideon- strength that is yours

three impulses to follow—

Impulse to pray

Impulse to obey

Impulse to gather (operate in concert)

Exhortation—

When you act it out you build it in

** Reinforcement from the details (cf details of Peter’s journey—every one gets retold to church— every one becomes fodder for their faith—and ours—every one critical for Luke to retell many years later (didn’t even know Peter then—but details carry meaning)

Cf Jordan crossing—12 stones—real crossing—one for me in that stack!!

Events communicate meaning—THIS IS GOD

Stick inside us

John Mark—imagine how his mind saturated

• Consider first gospel writer

• Cf

• *** Even after failure and missing out, he still had these things in his heart