Sermon Tone Analysis

Title:                                        Romance, Reason and Religion

 

Text:                                        Ph 3:13-14, II Pt 1:5-7           

 

File Categories:                       Love, Relationship with God, Spirituality

 

Central Thrust:                        Love requires hard work and discipline

 

Ill:                                           Love Songs

 

Hym:                                      

 

Theological Concern:             

 

Point of Immediacy:              

 

Probs in Comm:                     

                                               

Sermon in a Sentence:            

 

Attribute of God:                   

 

Preached:                                c.f.

3302          Basketball and Love Wedding, Walla Walla

                                                060722            Yaak church

                                                060805            Rosario church

                                                070620            WWC, summer Chapel

\\ Romance, Reason and Religion

!

I.             Humans seek love.

!! A.           Welcome to Walla Walla!

!!! 1.

For how many is this the first quarter?

!!! 2.            Are there any for whom this is your last quarter?

!!! 3.

You have high expectations for your time here.

!!!! a.            Might it be that those expectations include Romance, Reason and Religion?

!!!! b.

I won’t ask you to raise your hands, but ask yourself how you would respond if someone were to ask why you came here.

Would it include any or all of these three things?

!!!! c.

Is the order right?

!!!!! 1)            Some would say Reason should be primary, Religion assumed and Romance an option if you have time.

!!!!! 2)            Others would say Religion is paramount, Reason crucial and then Romance a distant third.

!!!!! 3)            Few would admit, I suppose, that Romance was a primary motivator for their coming here.

!! B.            (WWC) Western Wedding College!

!!! 1.

Not new that at least some of you would have love on your minds!

!!! 2.            For generations Adventist parents have invested significant amounts of money in Walla Walla College, hoping as much for a son or daughter-in-law as for an education.

!!! 3.            Quest for an appropriate spouse is not limited to Walla Walla.

!! C.           Google searches express our human quest for love.

(070620)

!!! 1.            c.

168,960,000 listings of “single ad!”

!!! 2.            c.

23,300,000 listings for “want marriage!”

!!! 3.            c.

406,000,000 listings for “want love!”

!!! 4.            c.

580,000,000 listings for “love me!”

!

II.

My premise today is that your success in any one of these three areas will require very similar actions by you.

!

III.

Top ten reasons Romance, Reason and Religion.

You will probably improve on this list, but at least let me give you some ideas to get you started.

For the sake of this comparison, equate love and marriage’s goal of a long-term, productive and happy relationship with religion’s goal of a stable, happy relationship with God.

Ready? 

!! A.           #10 A radical commitment to success is absolutely essential to success.

!!! 1.            You’ll never succeed if you don’t intend to.

!! B.           #9 Sacrifice personal wishes for the sake of your objective.

!!! 1.            Lovers, students and disciples all find this true.

!! C.           #8 Generate a winning attitude or you end up living like a loser.

!!! 1.            Happiness is a choice.

!!! 2.            Ph 4  “I have learned to be content . . .

!!! 3.            “Don’t worry, be happy.”

Bobby McPheran

!! D.           #7 Dwell on strengths and success.

!!! 1.            Related to #8, a positive attitude.

!!! 2.            Choose to be optimistic rather than pessimistic.

!! E.           #6 Mistakes happen.

!!! 1.            Forgive failures.

!!! 2.            Make them opportunities to learn and improve.

!! F.            #5 Helping others helps you.

!!! 1.            Tutors understand better.

!!! 2.            Volunteers feel better about themselves.

!!! 3.            Giving yourself to others increases your self-worth.

!! G.           #4 Constantly guard against the enemy.

!!! 1.

You are your greatest enemy.

!!! 2.            “We have met the enemy and he is us!”

!!!! a.

A message sent from the naval Battle of Lake Erie in the War of 1812, announcing a victory for the United States.

The naval commander, Oliver Hazard Perry, addressed the words to the American land armies.

!!!! b.

The updated version was first used in the comic strip “Pogo,” by Walt Kelly, in the 1960s and referred to the turmoil caused by the Vietnam War.

!!!! c.            Rm 7

!!! 3.            Identify your weaknesses then strategically and persistently overcome them.

!!!! a.            e.g.

Whitman coach with a short team compensated by saying whenever anyone shot, each of his players would block his opponent and wait until the ball came down to the floor, then go pick it up!

!! H.           #3 Fundamentals first and always.

!!! 1.

Some crucial things need to be practiced over and over again until they become instinctive.

!!! 2.            e.g.

Regularity, attentiveness, openness, sharing.

!! I.              #2 Determination can overcome adversity.

Ph 3:13-14 (TNIV)

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.

But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

!! J.            #1 Winning is hard work.

!!! 1.            Read 2 Pt 1:5-7 (TNIV)

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.

!!!! a.            Peter’s description sounds like a lot of work!

!!!! b.            Dreaming won’t make it reality.

!!!! c.            Discipline and hard work are essential to success.

!! K.           True love, academic accomplishments and a healthy religious life result from attention to details, determination, self-sacrifice, discipline, and hard work.

!!! 1.            Welcome to Walla Walla College!

!!! 2.            May God give you success in these three and all your other goals for the summer!