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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message -----
<DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A
title=JoeParrish@compuserve.com href="mailto:JoeParrish@compuserve.com">Joe
Parrish</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>To:</B> <A title=PROPERTALK.topic@ecunet.org
href="mailto:PROPERTALK.topic@ecunet.org">PROPERTALK.topic@ecunet.org</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, March 07, 2010 1:44 AM</DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> Sermon Points - Luke 13:1-9 - Part 6</DIV></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>The ultimate sign of our changing of the mind, our repentance,
our turning in a new direction is the action of our life. It is not words. It is
not sentiment. It is not feelings. It is action, bearing fruit, doing some new
things in our lives. The fulfillment of the call to change and repent is new
action of faith in our living.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>"Repent. Change your mind. Bear fruit." There it is, a
repentance recipe for this season, the ingredients for spiritual renewal during
these 40 days of the Lenten season. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><A
href="http://day1.org/1033-changing_your_mind_bearing_fruit">http://day1.org/1033-changing_your_mind_bearing_fruit</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>James B. Lemler, 2007 </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV><FONT size=4>
<DIV>I love the opera, LES MISERABLES, and the song “One more day, one more
hour.” I love that song by Valjean. I love that opera. I love the story. And I
know the song, “One more day. One more hour” that Jon Valjean sings.</DIV>
<DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<P><EM><STRONG>“VALJEAN</STRONG><BR>Tomorrow we'll be far away,<BR>Tomorrow is
the judgment day<BR><BR><STRONG>ALL</STRONG><BR>Tomorrow we'll
discover<BR>What our God in Heaven has in store!<BR>One more dawn<BR>One more
day<BR>One day more!”</EM></P></BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>The Lord God gives us one day more...to change... grow up...to mature...to do
the right thing...to live as God created us to live...to be people of love for
the Lord God and neighbor. </P>
<P>You may have been drifting along in life, not doing much with the life that
the Lord God has given you. </P></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><A
href="http://www.sermonsfromseattle.com/series_c_wanted_fig_trees_that_produces_figs.htm">http://www.sermonsfromseattle.com/series_c_wanted_fig_trees_that_produces_figs.htm</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Edward F. Markquart</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Garrison Keillor warns us, "You can become a Christian by
going to church just as about easily as you can become an automobile by sleeping
in a garage." What we're speaking of is the danger of presumed spiritual
security. Our parable says that we're not called just to be here. It is a clear
warning against a fruitless existence in the light of God's grace given to
us.</FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>There is a story told of a bishop in England who was traveling
by train to perform a confirmation service. He misplaced his ticket and was
unable to produce it when requested by the conductor. "It's quite all right, my
lord, we know who you are." But the bishop replied, "You don't see. Without the
ticket, I don't know where I'm going."</FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>There are a number of us who creep into the world to eat and
sleep, and, know, not the reason we are born but only to consume the corn,
devour the cattle, flesh, and fish, and leave behind an empty dish. If our
tombstones when we die were not taught to flatter or lie, there's nothing better
to be said than this: "He's eaten all his bread, drunk up his drink and gone to
bed?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><A href="http://day1.org/472-missing_is_not_final"><FONT
size=4>http://day1.org/472-missing_is_not_final</FONT></A></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>B. Wiley Stephens. 2004</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>His passion marked for us by great urgency--don't wait! Look
at your life and dare to ask the hard questions: Am I stingy in my love for
others? Am I withholding forgiveness for old wrongs? Do I refuse to believe that
I can be forgiven, carrying from year to year a growing burden of guilt? Am I so
busy making a living that I've forgotten to make a life?</FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><A
href="http://day1.org/638-could_this_be_the_year_for_figs">http://day1.org/638-could_this_be_the_year_for_figs</A></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Barbara K. Lundblad, 2001</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>You have likely heard about the pastor who really wanted to
get a message through to one of her stubborn deacons that he was a stumbling
block to the diaconate because he was so argumentative in the meetings. The
pastor did a sermon in which she really came down hard on stubborn argumentative
folk. At the conclusion of the sermon, the deacon said, <EM>"That was a
wonderful sermon pastor, too bad there weren't more people in worship to hear
it.</EM> She tried again, with a slightly different slant at a small prayer
group when it was time for the devotion. The deacon called her aside after the
meeting and said, <EM>"That devotion touched my heart pastor, I think the people
could really use more of that. Why don't you preach on the subject some Sunday."
"Just can't win,"</EM> the pastor thought. But finally her chance came. It was a
cold Sunday morning when one of the worst blizzards to ever hit the area
hammered the town. No one was able to get to the worship service -- except for
one person. You got it! It was that stubborn old deacon. <EM>"Thank you Lord,
here's my chance!"</EM> the pastor prayed within as she rushed back to her
office to dig out her notes on the theme of stubborn, argumentative people and
how they harm the church. She delivered her sermon with commanding enthusiasm.
At the close of worship, the deacon came to the pastor with a downhearted look
on his face. A hard won sense of accomplishment began to swell within the pastor
when the deacon said sadly, <EM>"Pastor, that is one of the finest sermons
you've ever preached. It's just a darn shame they weren't here to hear
it!"</EM></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><A
href="http://www.lectionarysermons.com/zun3l.html">http://www.lectionarysermons.com/zun3l.html</A></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>John Jewell, 1998</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>They admitted that they were cutting it close because their
prize ran out on June 1, but they were sure nothing would go wrong. Then the
husband had a gallbladder attack and required surgery. The doctors said he would
be able to travel, oh, by the middle of June.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><A
href="http://www.agreeley.com/hom07/mar11.htm">http://www.agreeley.com/hom07/mar11.htm</A></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Andrew Greeley, 2001</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><FONT
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