Sermon Tone Analysis

MOSES, WHOSE ARE YOU?

Who’s Your Daddy?

A seminary professor was vacationing with his wife in Gatlinburg, TN.

One morning, they were eating breakfast at little restaurant, hoping to enjoy a quiet, family meal.

While they were waiting for their food, they noticed a distinguished looking, white-haired man moving from table to table, visiting with the guests.

The professor leaned over and whispered to his wife, “I hope he doesn’t come over here.”

But sure enough, the man did come over to their table.

“Where are you folks from?” he asked in a friendly voice.

“Oklahoma,” they answered.

“Great to have you here in Tennessee.”

the stranger said.

“What do you do for a living?”

“I teach at a seminary,” he replied.

“Oh, so you teach preachers how to preach, do you?

Well, I’ve got a really great story for you.”

And with that, the gentleman pulled up a chair and sat down at the table with the couple.

The professor groaned and thought to himself, “Great… Just what I need another preacher story!”

The man started, “See that mountain over there pointing out the restaurant window.

Not far from the base of that mountain, there was a boy born to an unwed mother.

He had a hard time growing up, because every place he went, he was always asked the same question, ‘Hey boy, Who’s your daddy?’ “Whether he was at school, in the grocery store or drug store, people would ask the same question, ‘Who’s your daddy?’

He would hide at recess and lunch time from other students.

He would avoid going in to stores because that question hurt him so bad.

“When he was about 12 years old, a new preacher came to his church.

He would always go in late and slip out early to avoid hearing the question, ‘Who’s your

daddy?’.

But one day, the new preacher said the benediction so fast he got caught and had to walk out with the crowd.

“Just about the time he got to the back door, the new preacher, not knowing anything about him, put his

hand on his shoulder and asked him, ‘Son, who’s your daddy?'”

The whole church got deathly quiet.

He could feel every eye in the church looking at him.

Now everyone would finally know the answer to the

question, ‘Who’s your daddy’.

This new preacher, though, sensed the situation around him and using discernment that only the Holy Spirit could give, said the following to that scared little boy

“‘Wait a minute!’ he said.

‘I know who you are.

I see the family resemblance now.

You are a child of God.

With that he patted the boy on his shoulder and said, ‘Boy, you’ve got a great inheritance.

Go and claim it.’

INSERT PICTURES OF HOOPER AND BOOK

With that, the boy smiled for the first time in a long time and walked out the door a changed person.

He was never the same again.

Whenever anybody asked him, ‘Who’s your Daddy?’ he’d just tell them, ‘I’m a Child of God’.”

The distinguished gentleman got up from the table and said, “Isn’t that a great story?”

The professor responded that it really was a great story!

As the man turned to leave, he said, “You know, if that new preacher hadn’t told me that I was one of God’s children, I probably never would have amounted to anything!”

And he walked away.

The seminary professor and his wife were stunned.

He called the waitress over and asked her, “Do you know who that man was who just left that was sitting at our table?”

The waitress grinned and said, “Of course.

Everybody here knows him.

That’s Ben Hooper.

He’s the former governor of Tennessee!”

Someone in your life today needs a reminder that they’re one of God’s children!

Exodus

THE BLESSINGS OF THE FATHER UPON MOSES:

YOU MATTER BECAUSE GOD HAS ENTRUSTED YOU WITH HIS NAME.

(Moses felt like a nobody: “Who am I?”

THE LORD KNOWS YOU PERSONALLY.

THE LORD CALLS YOU TO LIVE ABOVE YOUR FEELINGS BECAUSE YOUR BEST LIFE OCCURS WHEN YOU LIVE ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE FOR YOU.

God did not say trust your feelings like OBI WAN did for look.

The Lord did not say Moses, let’s work on your self-esteem lets work more on self-determination so you are one person today and another tomorrow… But lets work on your identity in Me.

INSERT PICTURE OF LESLIE LUDY

SELF-ESTEEM VS.

CHRIST-ESTEEM

by Leslie Ludy | April 14, 2014

by Leslie Ludy | April 14, 2014

The message “love yourself” seems to be everywhere in modern culture - even in the church.

It’s a message that especially appeals to us as women.

Today’s beauty and fashion industries promote a truly impossible standard for feminine beauty (i.e.

“If you don’t look like a swimsuit model, you aren’t good enough!”), and consequently many of us are left feeling more insecure than ever.

To combat the rampant problem of female insecurity, the self-esteem message often seems like a perfect solution.

After all, if little girls can learn to “love themselves” regardless of whether society applauds them, they won’t struggle with low self esteem (and the poor choices that result from this attitude) as they grow older.

And if women can learn to “feel good about themselves” regardless of their appearance of personal failures, they won’t wallow in self-condemnation and bring their marriages and families down in the process.

But learning how to love and feel good about ourselves is not the true solution to overcoming insecurity.

Yes, it is important for us to understand how precious we are in God’s sight - so valuable, in fact, that He gave His only Son to rescue us.

We should value our lives because we are made in the image of God; we are His creation.

His love for us is truly unfathomable.

And as Christian women, we are daughters of the King; redeemed and made into royalty through the work of the Cross.

But when we make “feeling good about ourselves” a focal point, we quickly take our eyes off Christ and become wrapped up in self.

Scripture tells us that we are not to have confidence in ourselves - but in Christ only (see ).

In fact, Paul goes so far as to say that he counts all his personal accomplishments “as rubbish” compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ (see ).

Only in Christ can EVERYONE find value!

Let’s be honest, the world can be brutally competitive.

Not everyone makes the team; not everyone gets promoted; not everyone gets to live in a house.

But Jesus says, in my Father’s house there are many rooms.

And I go prepare a place for you that you may be where I am.

And I’ll come back for you.

Anyone can make God’s team.

Not all play the same position, but everyone has a position and a part to play.

Grow in the competency and in the talents God has given you.

Then when He calls don’t worry about having it all together or having all the abilities.

Don’t make excuses.

Make yourself AVAILABLE.

2. THE LORD WILL COACH YOU.

(God: “I am indeed concerned; gather the elders…)

Isaiah 30:21

Posted on June 5, 2013 by Melanie

I am always fascinated…….

…….by the fact that I am teaching my daughters the very same things that we are teaching our clients on a daily basis.