Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
This automated analysis scores the text on the likely presence of emotional, language, and social tones. There are no right or wrong scores; this is just an indication of tones readers or listeners may pick up from the text.
A score of 0.5 or higher indicates the tone is likely present.
Emotion Tone
Anger
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Disgust
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Fear
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Joy
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Sadness
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Language Tone
Analytical
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Confident
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Tentative
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Social Tone
Openness
0.55LIKELY
Conscientiousness
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Extraversion
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Agreeableness
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Emotional Range
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Tone of specific sentences
Tones
Emotion
Language
Social Tendencies
Anger
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YouVersion
Candle Lighting
Hope (Prophets)
Peace (Bethlehem)
Today is Gaudete (Gow-day-tay) Sunday!
Latin for “rejoice!”
Today is the rose (not pink) candle
Not a mistake
Rose means joy
Today is joy
Also called the “Shepherd’s Candle”
Joy
Illustration - Story that teaches about greed
Little boy with marbles, girl with candy
They trade but the boy keeps one
She sleeps happily, he tosses and turns
Not for guilt, but wondering about more candy!
But let’s ignore the greed, and look at happiness
Boy’s happiness requires knowledge
Taken away, he’s miserable
Girl’s happiness requires ignorance
Taken away, she’s miserable
Happiness is mentioned 22x
Always conditional
Happy is the man who abc, be happy because xyz
Happiness isn’t bad, but it’s not enough
When your conditions change, your happiness changes
So we chase things that make us happy
That’s why we want cars, money, trophy spouses...
Only be enough for awhile, then you want more
Illustration - Trucky!
I was thrilled to get that truck!
Today, not so much
Maybe nostalgia...
Not really.
Why?
I got used to it, now I want more
That’s why people get in debt with their cars
I can afford $20k
But that $25k one is so cool!
Get it!
After a year, it’s not exciting
Let me trade it in to get that happy feeling!
This new one is $30k, I still owe $10k
Buy it for $40k!
But a year later… and on and on it goes!
Why?
That car brings temporary, conditional happiness
But we’re about joy today, not happiness
Joy mentioned 192x and it is not conditional on your present circumstances
Instead, joy is connected to the spirit
Our spirit and our flesh are in battle
Our joy and our happiness/unhappiness are in battle
But joy itself is dependent on the Lord
Shauna Niequist paints a picture of someone living with joy
“…I want my everyday to make God belly laugh, glad that He gave life to someone who loves the gift.”
It’s being content to live a life for God regardless of your circumstances
This joy, is part of the meaning of Christmas
Better said, the meaning of Christmas brings us joy
For the meaning of Christmas, let’s turn things over to one of the greatest theologians of all time, Linus from Charlie Brown
PLAY VIDEO
is one of the best Christmas passages
Let’s look at what that means
Last week, Bethlehem’s water = grass for sheep
Hills were covered
The Life of a Shepherd
Shepherd’s worked all day
Slept in the fields, protecting sheep
No days off, not even a Sabbath
Jobs that no one wants - Ew! The poo poo man!
Shepherd’s were the poo poo men of their day
Shepherd’s worked all day
Slept in the fields, protecting sheep
No days off, not even a Sabbath
When I worked graveyard, I felt like an outcast
Sleep during the day, work one day, leave next day, wake up same day, block out windows...
You become an outcast
Shepherd’s were outcasted for their lifestyle’s as well
Only one notch above a leper
If touched, had to ceremonially wash
If you had a great message, who would you bring it to?
President?
CNN/Fox News?
Tom Hanks?
Here’s who God chooses:
luke 2:9
The joy of the Lord knows no class/status
Tradition teaches that they tended the Temple flock
Flock that was literally being replaced by Jesus
Notice the glory of the Lord shown...
In Scripture, literally turns night into day
Imagine how dark (campfire and moon/stars maybe?)
Bam! Daylight!
Scares the mess out of them
“Filled with great fear”
That’s an understatement!
Illustration - Tammy? Ronnie?
Tasha?
Father/Jesus/angels are always scaring people in Scripture
- Woe is me!
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