Sermon Tone Analysis

How People Change

A. “Nothing is more obvious than the need for change.

Nothing is less obvious that what needs to change and how that change happens!”

“Nothing is more obvious than the need for change.

Nothing is less obvious than what needs to change and how that change happens!”

1. Caveat: mental, physical problems are just that

2. Nevertheless, we need to look at the spiritual side as well.

We are psycho-somatic people, so our bodies influence our minds, but our minds influence our bodies.

II.

Stories

A. Craig—the guy whose life goes wrong in every way, and he wonders what he can do to make things go right.

B. Cindy and John—they are working well together, but they don’t love one another.

They are both silent about their differences and frustrations.

Now they are coming to a surface and they don’t know how to change.

III.

The World’s False Alternatives

A. : “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.”

B. Do not be abducted

1.

In Colossians, Paul speaks of not being “taken captive.”

The language here refers to being abducted or kidnapped

2. When are people abducted?

Usually when they are least expecting it.

3. The authors warn that usually we are cautious in the big areas—which church should we go to, how do I handle this recent diagnosis of cancer?

4. But we must watch out in the small areas of life—how do I navigate this marriage?

How do we handle the fighting between our children?

How can my spouse and I maintain and reignite our relationship?

“Our culture abounds with hollow and deceptive theories of change that masquerade as biblical wisdom, often because they borrow some aspect of biblical truth.”

1. “Our culture abounds with hollow and deceptive theories of change that masquerade as biblical wisdom, often because they borrow some aspect of biblical truth.”

The False Philosophies Wrongly Target What Needs to Change

IV.

The False Philosophy Wrongly Target What Needs to Change

A. My Circumstances

B. My Behavior

C. My Thinking

D. My Self-Concept

E. My Trust in Jesus

True Hope

A. : “9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and in Christ you have been brought to fullness.

He is the head over every power and authority.

11 In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands.

Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.

13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ.

He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.

15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”

New Record and New Power1.

Our sins have been washed away2.

We have been granted new life in Christ

C. New Record and New Power

1.

Our sins have been washed away

1.

Our sins have been washed away

2. We have been granted new life in Christ

Set Free in Christ (the triumphal procession)

Change in The Real World

Change is Possible

VII.

Change is Possible

A. Craig may be depressed, but he is not a depressed Christian, he is a Christian who is depressed!

Cindy and John must run to Jesus and ask him to change themselves as well as their spouse