Sermon Tone Analysis

Luke 1:1-38

Lord, we need Your Word and Your Spirit.

Your Word shows us how we are to live.

Your Spirit gives us strength - for living Your way.

May "the Word of Christ dwell in us richly" (Colossians 3:16) - prompting us to walk with You in the way of faith.

May we "be filled with Your Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18) - empowering us to walk with You in the way of obedience.

Luke 1:39-80

When, Lord, You touch our lives with Your love, everything changes.

Nothing remains the same.

Every part of of life is changed by Your love.

We have been saved by Your love.

May our life be shaped by Your love.

Luke 2:1-20

We thank You, Lord, that Jesus has "come to us."

He has been born as "one of us."

We thank You that He was "led out to die on Calvary."

He has "cleansed our souls from sin."

We thank You that He has "risen from death to set us free."

He has "poured Your love and goodness in."

May "Your power break through into our lives."

Help us, Lord to "live for You" (Patrick Appleford).

Sometimes, we wonder, "What's the world coming to?" When, Lord, our minds are filled with many questions, help us to hear Your answer: Christ is coming to the world.

Sometimes, it seems to us that everything's hopeless.

We try - and we fail.

Show us, Lord, that there's something else.

There's something more than "Always look on the bright side of life."

There's something that keeps on going when we feel like giving up.

Thank You, Lord, for Your love - it never comes to an end.

Luke 2:21-52

Lord, we come to Your House - but what's going on in our hearts?

Do we come to Your House with Grudge-Giving: "I have to"?

Is it "Duty-Giving": "I ought to"?

Do we come to You with "Thanksgiving": "I want to"?

Help us, Lord, to get beyond our religion - our "Grudge-Giving" and our "Duty-Giving"?

Help us to find Jesus in Your House.

Help us to say, "Thank You, Lord."

Give us a new spirit - a spirit of thanksgiving.

Help us to really feel it.

Help us to really mean it.

Fill our hearts with gratitude.

Fill our lives with generosity.

Luke 3:1-38

Lord, there are things that we don't like to hear about.

We don't like to hear about sin.

We don't like to hear about death.

There are some things that we do like to hear about.

We like to hear that "the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

What are to make of this kind of thinking: "We like this - but we don't like that"?

How can we really appreciate the Good News - "eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" - if we refuse to listen to the bad news: "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23)?

Help us to see how great our sin is - so that we can appreciate how great our Saviour is!

Luke 4:1-30

Lord, we are often tempted.

Satan attacks us.

He drags us down.

He draws us away from You.

What are we to do about this?

We look at ourselves - and we get downhearted.

We feel like we're getting nowhere.

We seem to be making some progress - and, then, we lose our way again.

We take our eyes off Jesus - and we fall down.

We get down-in-the-dumps.

We feel like we're no use - but that's not the whole story.

Satan is only part of the story.

There's Someone who is stronger than Satan: Jesus, our Saviour.

We're "on the victory side - With Christ within, the fight we'll win."

When the going gets tough, help us, Lord, to remember that we're not alone.

Jesus is fighting for us - and He is Lord!

Luke 4:31-5:11

Lord, we need Your Word - and we need Your power!

We need the written Word - and the living Word! Speak to us Your Word.

Speak to us in the power of the Holy Spirit.

May we know, in our hearts, that Your Word is more than "the word of men."

It's "the Word of God which is at work in us who believe" (1 Thessalonians 2:13) - the Word of God which brings us to "faith" in Christ (Romans 10:17), the Word of God which brings to us new life in Christ (1 Peter 1:23-24; James 1:18), the Word of God which leads us to "grow" in Christ (1 Peter 2:2).

Thank You, Lord, for Your Word.

May it always be to us more than the written Word.

Help us to hear Your living Word - the Word which changes us (Hebrews 4:12).

Luke 5:12-6:11

We thank You, Lord, for the new life in the Spirit.

Your way is not the way of empty religion - paying lip-service to You without being changed by Your Word and Your Spirit.

Lead us in Your way.

Lead us out of our weakness and into Your strength.

Give us Your joy.

May we know that "the joy of the Lord is our strength" (Nehemiah 8:10).

Luke 6:12-49

So often, Lord, we're too easily satisfied.

You want to give us so much more - but we get stuck in a rut.

We do not hunger for more of You, for more of Your blessing.

Help us, Lord, to appreciate Your love for us, to grow in our love for You, to share Your love with the people we meet.

Luke 7:1-35

We hear Your Word, Lord - but do we believe it?

We hear Your Word - but do we live in obedience to Your Word?

We hear Your Word - but are we afraid to speak Your Word to others?

Lord, You're always challenging us.

Hearing Your Word is good - but it's not enough!

You're calling us to do more.

Help us, Lord, to believe Your Word, to obey Your Word, to be Your witnesses.

Luke 7:36-8:21

Lord, You do not come to us because we are good.

You come to us because You are love.

We thank You, Lord, that Your love is greater than our sin.