<font color='black' size='4' face='Times New Roman, Times, serif'><font size="4"><font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif">To see the beginning of the sermon go here: <br>
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<a href="http://www.sermonsuite.com/content.php?i=788031528&key=yn6fBrppzLp1ceuk">http://www.sermonsuite.com/content.php?i=788031528&key=yn6fBrppzLp1ceuk</a><br>
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</font></font>Jesus' confrontation of his friend, Peter, in the harshest terms was an
invitation to know the truth. Jesus' challenge to Peter was that Peter
could name the elephant in the living room of his own life. Peter still
had not surrendered his will to the Lord. Peter continued to believe his
vision for the Messiah was better than the Messiah's vision. And until
Peter could surrender completely his vision and his will to his Lord and
Savior he could not be free. Jesus' challenge is to Peter and to us
all. Our Lord's challenge to surrender our life and our will, all that
we have and all that we are, our emotions, our ideas, and our wills is
for our own salvation.<br>
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As we move deeper into the Lenten season, let us move deeper into the
place of surrender to our Lord. Pray that the Holy Spirit will give us
grace to face the elephants in our living rooms. Pray that, like Jesus,
we will be able to reach out and, at times, even confront one another
with the kind of care that moves us to a greater depth of being and to a
kind of forgiveness that reflects Jesus' own love. Pray that in the
midst of our adulterous and sinful generation, of which we are a part,
that by grace the Son of Man will find us conformed to his will and to
his way. Amen.<font size="4"><font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif"><br>
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