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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Fear
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Joy
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Sadness
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Analytical
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Openness
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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
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Anger
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Intro/Recap
A Way to Begin - Repentance
A Way In
>>> Repentance is the way to begin and is the key to unlocking the door to your new life IN Christ.
Last week we learned that being IN Christ means we are wrapped in His righteousness, a co-heir of the Kingdom, and sin no longer has power over us.
This morning we are going to discover a way up!
How many of you are ready for more?
Geico Commercial —> Clark Griswold, amateur
Christmas is about God doing infinitely more
God wants to do more in your life
He wants your life to shine/radiate His goodness/glory/etc.
“God loves you just as you are, but He loves you too much to leave you that way.”
Higher Ground - Johnson Oatman, Jr (1898)
I’m pressing on the upward way,
New heights I’m gaining every day;
Still praying as I’m onward bound,
“Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.”
Lord, lift me up and let me stand,
By faith, on Heaven’s tableland,
A higher plane than I have found;
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.My heart has no desire to stay
Where doubts arise and fears dismay;
Though some may dwell where those abound,
My prayer, my aim, is higher ground.I want to live above the world,
Though Satan’s darts at me are hurled;
For faith has caught the joyful sound,
The song of saints on higher ground.I want to scale the utmost height
And catch a gleam of glory bright;
But still I’ll pray till heav’n I’ve found,
“Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.”
Lord, lift me up and let me stand,
By faith, on Heaven’s tableland,
A higher plane than I have found;
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.
My heart has no desire to stay
Where doubts arise and fears dismay;
Though some may dwell where those abound,
My prayer, my aim, is higher ground.
I want to live above the world,
Though Satan’s darts at me are hurled;
For faith has caught the joyful sound,
The song of saints on higher ground.
I want to scale the utmost height
And catch a gleam of glory bright;
But still I’ll pray till heav’n I’ve found,
“Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.”
Are you ready to move up to higher ground?
I hope so, because the stories are true
Higher ground
Dad teaching me to drive — We naturally drive where our focus is
Headlights, cellphone, screaming at kids —> Veer off course
Reason so many don’t experience the power we talked about last week is that our focus is on the wrong things
Our sin
What others have that we don’t
We’ve driven off course
col3.3-5
Last week — Sin has no power over us
No longer part of this world
Where is your real life?
Hidden with Christ
col3.
Now is the time to move up to higher ground
Have to get rid of some things to move up
ILLUS: Hot Air Balloon
- Everything we need to live a life of godliness
- Power and desire to do what pleases Him
- We are in Christ
col3.11-17
We allow sin, disobedience, complacency/apathy, greed, pride, unforgiveness to hold us down.
Paul says, instead, we must clothe ourselves in:
Mercy - MRC
Kindness - KND
Humility - HML
Gentleness - GNTLN
Patience - PTNC
Grace - GRC
Forgiveness - FGVN
Love - LV
Peace - PCE
Thankfulness - TKFL
Wisdom - WSDM
Cut Weights
col2.6-7;
13-14
col
Cut Weights
- You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away.
Cut Weights
- Then God made you alive with Christ, [CUT WEIGHTS] for he forgave all our sins.
14 He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.
God has cut away the weights, the sin that holds you down.
He’s ready to take you higher.
>>> Are you ready for a way up?
It sounds easy right?
Cut the weight and away we go.
Reality… not always that simple to live it out.
Paul told the Colossians that accepting Christ is not enough.
We must continue to follow Him.
What does this mean?
That we have to let our roots grow down into Him and let our lives be built on Him.
Then we will grow strong in truth, Paul says.
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