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<div style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;"><font face="arial, helvetica">-----Original Message-----</font><br>
<font face="arial, helvetica">From: Judy <judy_boli@ecunet.org></font><br>
<font face="arial, helvetica">To: propertalk.topic <propertalk.topic@ecunet.org></font><br>
<font face="arial, helvetica">Sent: Fri, Feb 20, 2015 10:50 pm</font><br>
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<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica; margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font color="#000000">This Sunday’s sermon is entitled “Temptation” or “Temptation Produces ‘Live’ Spelled Backward” and deals with the gospel (Mark 1: 9-13).</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font color="#000000">Here it is: </font></font></span></div>
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<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica; margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"> </font></span><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">Do you know that old gospel song: “Yield Not to Temptation”?</font><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">That’s our subject- temptation.</font><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000"> </font></span><font style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">While I was preparing for today’s sermon, I came upon a list of truths about life that we can learn from small children (James W. Moore):</font></div>
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<div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: normal; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">When your mom is mad at your dad, don’t let her brush your hair.</span></div>
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<div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: normal; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Never ask your 3-year-old brother to hold a tomato… or an egg.</span></div>
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<div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: normal; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">You can’t trust dogs to watch your food for you.</span></div>
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<div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: normal; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Don’t sneeze when somebody is cutting your hair.</span></div>
<div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: normal; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Actually, we’re not focusing on cute truths about life, we’re thinking about truths concerning temptation, because Lent is the season in which we practice- in the words of the old hymn- “Yield Not to Temptation.”</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">You’ll notice, I’m re-using two stories, because they explain the truths of temptation better than I can any other way.</span></div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">WE ARE DRAWN TOWARD ANYTHING WE’RE TOLD WE CAN’T DO.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’re like moths drawn toward a flame.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we can’t do it/ have it- we want it.</span></div>
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<div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: normal; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">THE DEVIL CANNOT FORCE US.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>ALL HE CAN DO IS SIMPLY TRY TO CONVINCE US.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">When we’re under huge assault, it’s so easy to forget that Jesus has overcome, so the power to overcome is in our hands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The devil cannot force us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All he can do is simply try to convince us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The trouble is- we get convinced all too easily.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: normal; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">OVERCOMING TEMPTATION IS NOT A MATTER OF EDUCATION.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>INSTEAD IT’S A MATTER OF WILL.</span></div>
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<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: normal; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">BELIEVING THAT “I CAN GET AWAY WITH IT.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>NO ONE WILL CATCH ME.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I CAN OUTSMART GOD AND EVERYBODY ELSE!”…not true!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: normal; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><font face="Times New Roman"> </font><font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif">L</font></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">ent is for serious Christians like spring training is for serious baseball players.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">It’s our chance to learn to play the game- the game of life to the best of our ability.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">Let’s look at each of the truths about temptation.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: normal; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">FIRST- WE ARE DRAWN TOWARD ANYTHING WE’RE TOLD WE CAN’T DO.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">We’re like moths drawn toward a flame.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">All that’s necessary is for us to know there is something we should do, and we don’t want to do it (or something we shouldn’t do, and we want to do it).</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Sounds like Adam and Eve all over again.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">What did you give up for Lent?</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">If it’s doughnuts, I know your car just happens to drive by the doughnut shop.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">If it’s smoking, I know you look at those cigarettes when you pay for your gas.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">It’s no accident that Jesus taught us to pray: “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,” better translated: “Save us from the time of trial, and deliver us from evil.”</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Jesus came to give us life, allow us to live our lives to the fullest.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">(“I am the way, the truth, and the LIFE.”)</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">What is “live’ spelled backward?</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Sure, “E-V-I-L”- what the devil wants to trick us into choosing.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: normal; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">SECOND- THE DEVIL CANNOT FORCE US.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">ALL HE CAN DO IS SIMPLY TRY TO CONVINCE US.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">The trouble is- we get convinced all too easily.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Remember the story I told you last year of the lady who just loved to shop?</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">The problem was- both of their credit cards were maxed out, and she had promised her husband that she would not buy anything that was not absolutely necessary.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Well, Lent came soon after she made the promise, and her Lenten commitment was that she would exercise every day.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Since it was pouring rain, she couldn’t walk outside; so she decided to go to the mall to walk and get her exercise.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">“Don’t worry, dear,” she told her husband before leaving.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">“I won’t buy anything- I promise you.”</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Her walk in the mall started out just fine, but then, as she strode past one of her favorite stores, she saw this beautiful dress in the window.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">You know what she did- stopped walking to look at it.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">She noticed that it was in her favorite color and would match the shoes she purchased the week before.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">“It won’t hurt if I just go in the store to look.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">They probably won’t have my size anyway.”</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">When she checked out the rack, there was that gorgeous dress; and it was in her perfect color and correct size.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">“Wow!” she thought.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">“It won’t hurt to just try it on.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Trying it on is not the same thing as buying it.”</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">You know what she did- took it into the dressing room to try it on.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">After it was on, she looked at her image in the mirror, and she really did look good.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">All of a sudden, she came to her senses and remembered her promise to her husband.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">“Get thee behind me, Satan!” she ordered.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">“I’m not buying this dress!”</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">From behind her came a soft voice that said- “Gee, that’s a shame.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">It looks really good back here too!”</span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: normal; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">THIRD- OVERCOMING TEMPTATION IS NOT SIMPLY A MATTER OF EDUCATION.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">ALTHOUGH WE DO NEED OUR FACTS, THE REAL PROBLEM IS ONE OF THE WILL- CHOOSING LONG-TERM WELL-BEING OVER SHORT-TERM HAPPINESS. Do you recall the Old Testament story of the temptation and sin of Adam and Eve?</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">It’s a good example of this fact about temptation.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Their problem was not education.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">They knew the facts- don’t eat the fruit.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">If they did, they would die.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">They understood what God wanted them to do.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Their problem was not education- it was choice.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">They WANTED to eat the fruit.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">It looked good, so they did what they wanted and went against God’s teaching.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: normal; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">FOURTH- BELIEVING THAT “I CAN GET AWAY WITH IT.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">NO ONE WILL CATCH ME.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">I CAN OUTSMART GOD AND EVERYBODY ELSE!”…not true!</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">The Bible (Numbers 32:23) reminds us: “Be sure your sin will find you out.”</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Do you remember the old story of the two lovers?</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">It was Valentine’s Day, and the young couple was in love.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">The problem was- they were college students, and they had an important test scheduled for that morning.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">They decided to forget about the class just this once, make a good excuse, and hope the instructor would let them make up the test; so they took a long drive.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">When they went to class the next day, they told the instructor that they had a flat tire, so they couldn’t get to class.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">She replied with sympathy and said they could take the test right then.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">As soon as they were ready to write, she said, “Now the first question: which tire was flat?”</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">(i.e. short term happiness over long term well-being.)</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">The Rev. Dr. Anthony Evans reminds us: “Used improperly, credit cards operate a lot like sin: enjoy now, pay later.”</span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: normal; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">So- truths about temptation:</span></div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list .25in; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">From a moth drawn to a flame: WE ARE DRAWN TOWARD ANYTHING WE’RE TOLD WE CAN’T DO.</span></div>
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<div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: normal; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list .25in; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">From the wife trying to overcome the temptation to buy the dress: THE DEVIL CAN’T FORCE US.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>ALL HE CAN DO IS TRY TO CONVINCE US.”</span></div>
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<div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: normal; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list .25in; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">From Adam and Eve and the first sin: THE OVERCOMING TEMPTATION IS NOT SIMPLY A MATTER OF EDUCATION.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>ALTHOUGH WE DO NEED OUR FACTS, THE REAL PROBLEM IS ONE OF THE WILL- CHOOSING LONG-TERM WELL-BEING OVER SHORT-TERM HAPPINESS.</span></div>
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<div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: normal; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list .25in; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">From the lovers trying to out-smart their teacher: BE SURE YOUR SIN WILL FIND YOU OUT.</span></div>
<div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: normal; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">May God bless us as we keep a holy Lent full of life-giving spiritual growth.</span></div>
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<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica; margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal;"><font face="Times New Roman" style="font-size: 11pt;">For anyone who is interested, this sermon and updated African-American wisdom statements are posted on our parish’s web site under “Sermons & Stuff”. The address is: </font><a target="_blank" href="http://www.stpaulsepisag.org/" style="font-size: 11pt;"><u><font color="#0000ff" face="Times New Roman"></font></u></a><u style="font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#0000ff" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.stpaulsepisag.org" target="_blank">http://www.stpaulsepisag.org</a></font></u><font face="Times New Roman" style="font-size: 11pt;"> .</font></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"> </font></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">Blessed preaching,</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif"> </font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">Judy Boli</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif">, </font></span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica; font-size: 11pt;">St. Paul's Episcopal Church, </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">Saginaw, Michigan</span></div>
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