Sermon Tone Analysis

Deuteronomy 1:1-46

Lord, You call us with Your challenge.

You call us to make our choice.

We are to put the past behind us.

We are to press on into the future - with You and for You.

We hesitate - and we end up doing nothing.

Help us, Lord, to turn from our self-centred ways.

Help us to walk with You in Your way - the way of faith, the way of obedience.

Deuteronomy 2:1-37

We thank You, Lord, that You are greater than all our problems.

As we look back on the way You've led us, help us to say, "Grace brought me safe this far."

As we look to You to lead us into the future, help us to say, "Grace will lead me home."

Thank You, Lord for Your "amazing grace."

Deuteronomy 3:1-29

Sometimes, Lord, Your blessing seems to be "so near and yet so far."

Help us, Lord, as we seek Your blessing, to remember that it is never our own achievement.

It is always Your gift to us.

We do not achieve victory in our own strength.

You give to us Your victory.

When, Lord, we feel like we are in a barren wilderness, help us to remember that the place of testing can become the place of triumph - when we put our trust in You.

Deuteronomy 4:1-43

Lord, You have saved us.

Help us to serve You.

In all our service, may we never forget Your salvation.

May we always serve You with "the attitude of gratitude."

Deuteronomy 4:44-5:33

We thank You, Lord, for the Scriptures.

They lead us to our Saviour - Jesus.

The Scriptures speak to us of His suffering and our salvation.

When we think of all that Jesus has done for us, may we receive, from You, the spirit of thanksgiving - joyful thanksgiving, heartfelt thanksgiving.

Deuteronomy 6:1-25

Lord, we are called to fear You - and to love You.

We tend to think that fear and love are opposites.

You teach us something else, something very different.

Fear and love belong together.

You are the holy God, the God who cannot look upon our sin (Habakkuk 1:13).

We fear You.

You show us our sin so that we might be brought to Jesus, our Saviour.

We come to Jesus.

We learn how much You love us - and we begin to love You.

Deuteronomy 7:1-26

Lord, living for You is not easy.

We have a fight on our hands.

Satan is a determined enemy.

Help us to remember that He's also a defeated enemy.

When the battle seems to be getting too much for us, help us to remember that we are "kept by the power of God" (1 Peter 1:3-5).

Deuteronomy 8:1-9:21

We thank You, Lord, that "we do not live by bread alone" (Deuteronomy 8:3).

We need bread for the body.

We also need Jesus, the Bread of Life (John 6:35).

Help us, Lord, not to become too easily satisfied by the things of this world.

Help us never to forget that we need Jesus.

Without Him, there will always be something missing.

With Him, there will be a new - eternal - sense of meaning, purpose and direction.

Deuteronomy 9:22-10:22

Help us, Lord, to listen to You and live for You, to speak to You and speak for You.

Help us to receive from You and respond to You.

Help us not to get caught up in the "What do I get out of it?"

way of thinking.

Help us to ask the more important question: "How can I give myself more fully to You, Lord?"

Deuteronomy 11:1-32

Lord, You give us Your promises and Your warnings.

You show us the better way - and You say to us, "Make sure that You don't go back to the old way of living, back to the world's way of living, back to the way of life that will never satisfy."

Deuteronomy 12:1-32

Who chooses what is important to us?

Is it You, Lord? or Are we the ones who are in control?

Help us, Lord, not to pay lip-service to You - without really opening our hearts to You and giving You first place in our lives.

Deuteronomy 13:1-14:21

Lord, You are the God of love.

You are also the God of holiness.

We like to hear about Your love.

It makes us feel good.

We're not so keen on hearing about Your holiness.

You are the holy God.

You are the God who calls us to be holy.

Help us, Lord, not to be content with the half-truth, contained in the words, "All you need is love."

We do need love - but we also need holiness.

Help us to "strive ... for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord" (Hebrews 12:14).

Deuteronomy 14:22-15:23

Lord, You call us to belong to You.

This is wonderful.

It makes our hearts glad.

You also call us to serve You.

We're not to remain what we were before we became Your redeemed people.

We're to be renewed - "beholding the glory of the Lord, we are being changed into His likeness from one degree of glory to another" (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Deuteronomy 16:1-17:13

Lord, we celebrate Your love.

We rejoice in Your salvation.

Your love is a dying love.

We see Your love in the death of Jesus, our Saviour.

It's also an undying love.

It's the only love that never dies.

It never comes to an end.

It's eternal love, shown to us in the sacrificial death of "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29).

Deuteronomy 17:14-18:22

Help us, Lord, to be obedient to Your Word.

Help us, in our obedience, to remain humble.

How can we possibly bring glory yo You if we're thinking about how obedient we are when we should be rejoicing in the great love by which You have saved us and the great power by which You keep us walking in the way of faith?

Even when we're pressing on to a closer walk with You, help us never to forget this: "Who is a God like You, forgiving sin ... " (Micah 7:18-20).

Deuteronomy 19:1-20:9