<font color='black' size='4' face='Times New Roman, Times, serif'><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="600" border="0"><tbody><tr><td rowspan="1" colspan="1" width="100%"><table style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff; MARGIN: 5.5px 0px" id="content_LETTER.BLOCK3" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" bgcolor="#ffffff" border="0"><tbody><tr><td style="TEXT-ALIGN: left; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman, Times, serif; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; TEXT-DECORATION: none" rowspan="1" colspan="1" width="380" align="left">Aug 26, 2012</td><td style="color:#FFFFFF;font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif;text-decoration:none;font-size:12pt;TEXT-ALIGN: right; PADDING-RIGHT: 5px" rowspan="1" colspan="1" width="180" align="right"><br>
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<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px">John 6:56-69 <span>- "<strong>Backsliding</strong>"</span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px">Ephesians 6:10-20 <span>- "</span><strong>It's Humble or the Umbles</strong><span>"</span><span> by Leonard Sweet</span></div>
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<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span><font size="4"><font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif"></font></font>John 6<font size="4"><font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif">,</font></font> the sermon title "Backsliding" </span></div>
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<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span>There was once a
term frequently used in the church. In the old days it was used often.
You rarely ever hear it today. Indeed, in all my years in the ministry I
have never preached a sermon on the topic until now. Despite the
infrequency with which it is mentioned, the concept, I think, is still
valid. It is backsliding.<br>
<br>
The term backsliding, I discovered in
my research, was popularized in the 1600's by John Bunyan in his very
famous allegory Pilgrim's Progress. In the story, you may recall, the
character of Christian and Hopeful are on their religious pilgrimage.
While on the journey they begin to discuss an individual by the name of
Temporary. He had started the pilgrimage, but along the way he fell by
the wayside, or, as Bunyan worded it, backslid. That term was picked up,
particularly, but not exclusively by the Methodists in early America
and became a stock phrase. It referred to those once faithful
individuals who had lost interest in their Christian pilgrimage...</span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span> </span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span>The rest of this sermon can be obtained by joining <a __removedlink__1890408573__href="http://www.sermons.com/signup" target="_blank">http://www.sermons.com/signup</a></span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span>_______________________</span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span> </span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span>The full text of the following sermon is available at <a shape="rect"><span>www.Sermons.com</span></a>. Sign up today at: <a shape="rect" target="_blank" __removedlink__1890408573__href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001GSK45Y_EVhd-s0w5p_sRVqdH8ydALgLUf-qZnEJLAoWOTnZwaqfC9s_C8X8eEaSlh9y3V0a3Dq_wsxus9rk0hUusBn0WafQfkqvBH6cvQoJSWKMVWbEdtZ5UueMcj7Uq">http://www.sermons.com/signup</a> Or call: 1-800-777-7731.</span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span> </span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span>Members: Ephesians 6 the sermon titled "It's Humble or the Umbles" by Leonard Sweet </span></div>
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<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span>You know you've
crossed into some new station in your life when you visit the New York
Metropolitan Museum of Art and realize as you are leaving that you
completely skipped all the paintings. That's right, the entire
Renaissance wing just was not on the agenda. Suddenly it hits you: You
are no longer a student, or a tourist, or an art lover. No, you are a
parent of small, squirming children who need to see something big, and
strong, and hard-hitting.</span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span> </span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span>So your museum tour
was through the pyramids. Your museum circuit consisted of huge tombs
and temples, the mummies and the caskets of ancient Egypt. But perhaps
most importantly, you meandered through the mists of the medieval ages.
This means rooms and rooms of ancient, awful-looking weaponry, and the
Met's huge collection of all types of "awesome" armor. There are over
15,000 pieces of ancient armor and weapons in the Metropolitan's
collection-dating from 400 BCE, through the heavily weighted years of
medieval Europe, and including a huge collection of Japanese implements
and armories, from the fifth through the nineteenth centuries.</span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span> </span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span>As you wander around the Museum complete coats of heavy iron armor stand at attention all over the place...<font size="4"><font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif"><br>
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<span><font size="4"><font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif"></font></font></span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span>The rest of this sermon can be obtained by joining <a __removedlink__1890408573__href="http://www.sermons.com/signup" target="_blank">http://www.sermons.com/signup</a></span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span><br>
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<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span>_________________________</span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span> </span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span>Commitment: A Solitary Ember</span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span> </span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span>A church member who
had been devoutly active for many years suddenly was absent. One cold
winter evening the pastor knocked at his door. Actually, the pastor and
the church member had been long-time good friends. </span></div>
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<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span>As they watched the
wood burn in the fireplace, the minister mentioned the parishioner's
absence from church. The man candidly confessed that he had decided he
was just as well off without the church as with it. The minister didn't
say a word. He took the tongs from the rack, reached into the fire,
pulled out a flaming ember, and laid it down by itself on the hearth. He
still said nothing. </span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span> </span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span>Both men sat in
silence and watched the glowing ember lose its glow and turn slowly into
a crusty, black lump. After some moments of thoughtful silence, the man
turned to his pastor and said, "I get the message, my friend, I see
what you mean; I'll be back next Sunday." And he was. </span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span> </span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span>Commitment begins with decision, but commitment is never a once-in-a-lifetime decision. <br>
<br>
Charles R. Leary, Mission Ready! CSS Publishing Company <br>
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<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span> </span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span>Join the Winning Side!<br>
</span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span>Jim Wallis writes
that when the South African government canceled a political rally
against apartheid, Desmond Tutu led a worship service in St. George's
Cathedral. The walls were lined with soldiers and riot police carrying
guns and bayonets, ready to close it down. Bishop Tutu began to speak of
the evils of the apartheid system -- how the rulers and authorities
that propped it up were doomed to fall. He pointed a finger at the
police who were there to record his words: "You may be powerful -- very
powerful -- but you are not God. God cannot be mocked. You have already
lost."<br>
<br>
Then, in a moment of unbearable tension, the bishop seemed
to soften. Coming out from behind the pulpit, he flashed that radiant
Tutu smile and began to bounce up and down with glee. "Therefore, since
you have already lost, we are inviting you to join the winning side."<br>
<br>
The
crowd roared, the police melted away and the people began to dance.
Don't go away, Paul says. Put on your armor and dance. I am inviting you
to join the winning side.<br>
<br>
John Ortberg, "Roll Call," article in The Christian Century, August 9, 2003, p.16. <br>
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