Sermon Tone Analysis

Change the way you define yourself

Introduction

Name

Job

Husband

Father

Mistakes

Sports

Class teacher

Good introduction?

Problem: The world has ingrained in us that we are who we are as defined by the things of this world.

Because, subconsciously, if we define ourselves by these things, then these things will be our priorities.

It is human nature.

Our Job

Our Family Role

Our Mistakes

The things we like to do

If these are the things that define us, then these will be our priorities in life.

Better Introduction

My name is Jeremy Turnage

I am a child of God

A Christian

A redeemed sinner

A servant of my Lord Jesus Christ and His foot soldier in the war to save lost souls

God has blessed me with the privilege of uniting with my wife, Donna, and shepherding 5 children in His name.

He has given me a job as Operations Manager of Sunpak Logistics that has trained me to break out of my introvert shell, to lead, engage and connect with people.

The Lord has laid it on my heart to share His truth and grow in His grace with you through this 13 week class.

That introduction was better?

Now you REALLY now who I am, what I stand for, and how I serve Christ.

My first Challenge to you is to change the way you define yourself.

Change how you introduce yourself to people, how you respond when someone asks who you are.

By correcting your definition of yourself to be inline with God’s definition of who you are, you will also begin to bring your priorities more inline with God’s.

But this cannot stay in your thoughts and in your heart, it must be practiced, it must be spoken.

Be honest with yourself

The book will direct you to verses to reflect on each week and will ask you self-reflection questions based on the points those verses provide.

It sounds easy to do, but I challenge you to be truly honest with yourself about the meanings of the verses and the implications they have on your life.

Challenge yourself with the answers that challenge how you are living, don’t just jot down the answer that makes things as they are ok.

Be honest with yourself about your current shortcomings, things that you have let slip, and things you have never done at all.

I am in my second round with this book and I still have a multitude of things to improve on.

Christianity is a lifelong journey but each day should be a new and improved step towards heaven.

The Bible uplifts and nurtures us, but it also convicts and corrects us.

All too often we skim right past those parts.

You will never find the narrow gate if you spend your life on the wrong path, convincing yourself you are on the right one.

The Bible is the best interpreter of The Bible

Context is KING

Never read a verse by itself.

Always read, at minimum, 11 verses.

5 verses before your target verse, and 5 verses after your target verse.

This will help you establish the context in which this verse applies to better understand whether or not you are getting God’s truth out of the verse.

If, after you read 5 verses before and 5 verses after, you still aren’t sure of the meaning of a verse; read the entire periscope.

If, after reading the entire periscope, you still have questions; read the entire book.

One of the most commonly mis-used verses in the Bible

This verse does not mean that my 42 year-old, out of shape body can go climb a mountain or win an olympic event if I just pray, recite this verse continuously and believe in Christ with all my heart.

In fact, it has NOTHING to do with God granting us victory of any sort.

In biblical context, this verse tells those who a persecuted, those who are suffering, the poor and the weary, those who are LOSING at life in this world; that, if they have Christ, they can take comfort that their situation is only temporary (as such is our life on earth) and that there is strength in the knowledge of His plans for them in His kingdom for eternity.

Two very different meanings of the same words, but only one is true.

The Old Testament explains the New Testament and visa versa

Christians often skim past the Old Testament with the thought that it is the New Testament that really applies to us.

But we end up mis-understanding much of the New Testament by doing this.

The New Testament was entirely founded on the Old Testament.

Jesus’ life, what He did during it, and the words He spoke were all ripped right out of the pages of the Old Testament.

What do you think Jesus was going through at that moment?

What if I told you in actuality, this verse was Jesus’ celebration of victory?

Possibly, His happiest moment on Earth?

During Jesus’ time, they did not have books and numbers in their Bibles like we do today.

Today, if we want to direct someone to a section of the Bible, we say: “Read Mark 16:1-20”.

But in Jesus’ time, they would quote a verse from the passage in order to refer to it.

By speaking these words, Jesus was directing everyone within ear-shot to look up this passage and realize what is happening.

Let’s read the passage Jesus is quoting with His dying breath:

That sheds some interesting light on both Jesus’ final moments on the cross AND the meaning of Psalm 22, doesn’t it?

Let the Bible speak for itself

We should come to the Bible, seek it’s truth and use it to influence our lifestyle, our actions, and our feelings about the world around us.

However, more often than not, we come to the Bible with our actions and our feelings and seek to fit the Bible into our lifestyle.

This attitude will inevitably twist (even if just so slightly) God’s absolute, infallible truth into a human’s situational excuse.

Our Class

13 weeks through “A Follow-up Guide for New Christians”

Self-work and reflection through a chapter in the book each week prior to class

Usually takes about an hour or two throughout the entire week to complete

Biblical teaching on the topic covered in that weeks chapter

Approximately 15 - 20 minutes

Q & A / Discussion for as long as needed

My intention is to teach God’s truth completely.

By human nature we do not like to be told that we wrong or doing something sinful.

My intention is not to hurt anyone’s feelings or make anyone uncomfortable, I have the highest regard and love for every one of you.

However, I will not skirt-around, bend, or sugar-coat God’s truth in order to avoid hurting feelings.

My stance is that if you are offended by what the Bible says; your issue is with God, not me; and if you don’t agree with the Bible, you’re wrong.

I reserve the right to say “I don’t know”

Though I am well familiar with the Bible and it’s teachings, I try to be very intentional about citing the Bible in the proper context and intended application.

If I am unsure, I may tell you “I don’t know”.

But I will follow-up with you during the week.

I teach out of the English Standard Version

I am not suggesting you change your preferred translation, but for those interested in a different translation or who have electronic Bible’s and don’t want to wonder why my quote’s are different than their Bible; I have come to prefer the ESV.

The goal of “A Guide for Christians” is to give you an opportunity to self-reflect on what the Bible says it means to be a Christian as well as arm you with the knowledge, equipment, and training to live victoriously in Christ.