Sunday Recap
How do you forgive "life altering hurts"?
First, remember that God is with you.  Psalm 34:18.
I come back to Jesus' prayer on the cross, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do."  For your freedom, you need to settle the issue in your heart as to what you're going to do with your offender.

1. Bitter or Better.  Forgiveness, I believe, means choosing to release your offender to The Lord, choosing to move on with God's help and choosing not to let this event define you negatively, but to make you stronger.  "...we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope". (Romans 5:3, 4 NIV).  Are you going to allow your situation to make you bitter or better?

2. Actions Have Consequences.  We keep both the following principles in mind from scripture.  Isaiah 1:17, "Learn to do right; seek justice.  Defend the oppressed.  Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow."  Romans 13:1, "Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established.  The authorities that exist have been established by God."

3. God Still Changes Hearts.  Remember that forgiveness is about your freedom.  It is possible as you walk this path and allow God to change your heart, your heart for your offender will change as well.  It could even be possible that you start to see them as a sinner in need of salvation.  The change that only God can bring.  "Therefore if anyone is in Christ the new creation has come the old has gone the new is here." 2Cor.5:17.

4. Forgiveness Is The Only Path to Freedom.  This is such a deep reaching issue and I know there may be some who still have questions, like "do you forgive something like this right away?  How can you if the hurt is so fresh?  How do you balance these issues of grace and justice?  What if it's too painful or impossible to extend forgiveness to my offender?"  These are all valid questions.  However, this I do know.  Forgiveness brings freedom.  You must walk this path or you will not be free.

"Show me how to love the unlovable
Show me how to reach the unreachable
Help me now to do the impossible
Forgiveness."
"Forgiveness" by Matthew West
Click here to listen on YouTube>>

Question for Reflection
What are ways we keep hurts fresh and in turn allow bitterness to grow?  How can we change our ways?

I welcome your comments.  I certainly acknowledge that the points above peer into a big issue in many people's lives and my desire isn't to diminish your experience, but to point you to Christ, the author of real freedom.

In Christ,
Jason

I hope you're all having a great day.  I'm writing this at Twiggs downtown, looking out at a big radio tower beside "The Nugget" building with the Pro Cathedral in the background.  It used to be that church steeples were the tallest structures in a community, but slowly buildings and towers are overtaking them in many places.  I think the Pro Cathedral steeple probably still is the tallest structure in North Bay, lifting high the cross on top.  There are many in our culture who say the church's time is past and they welcome the church steeple being replaced by towers of metal, glass and concrete.  "The church has become irrelevant" they say.  The best answer to this statement that you and I can give?  "Christ is certainly not irrelevant to me".  As Christians, we are the temple!  Christ's light shines through our lives and has much more impact than a church steeple anyway.  Let your light shine!

Sunday Recap:
Series: The Greatest and Hardest Thing: Forgiveness.  Part 3.

Main Scripture: Matthew 18:15-17

But do you really want to, at the end, look back at a life spent in the revenge business, filled with incidents that fill your heart with hurt, bitterness and even anger?
There is a better way.

Three Kinds of Hurts (two this week, the final one next week).
1. Don't Sweat the Small Stuff (1 Corinthians 13:5).
2. When Trust Is Broken (Matthew 18:15-17).
i. What has been done is not ok.
ii.  Reconciliation is the goal, not revenge.
iii. Privacy and discretion are hallmarks of this approach.
iv. Don't get hung-up on procedure.
v. You can only control yourself.
vi. Treat people with love and respect no matter who they are.
vii. Do it today (Matthew 5:23-24).

“Not forgiving is like drinking rat poison and then waiting for the rat to die.” 
― Anne Lamott, Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith

Why not extend the undeserved forgiveness from the Father to others?  We have received grace, why not spread it round?

Question for Reflection
How can I help make our church a safe & secure place where friendships are deep, healthy and honest?

I welcome your comments.
-Jason

Key Verse from Sunday:
"But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed."
Isaiah 53:5, NIV
Read all of Isaiah 53 by clicking here.

Recap
1. Jesus was a humble servant.
The cost of forgiveness is often our pride.
2. Jesus walked a difficult road.
The cost of forgiveness often means taking a difficult road.
3. Jesus paid our penalty.
4. Jesus' goal was peace and healing.
5. Only Jesus' Way Leads to Life.

Question for Reflection
How does the cost Jesus paid for our forgiveness help us pay the cost of forgiving others who have hurt us?

I welcome your comments.
-Jason

Key Verse from Sunday:
"Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone.  Forgive as The Lord forgave you."  -Colossians 3:13, NIV

Recap
Why forgive?
1. Because God commands us to.
2. Because your spiritual and physical health are at stake.
3. Because God will help us do it.
4. Because when we choose to forgive, God smiles.

We talked about Corrie Ten Boom's story.  It is told in the movie, "The Hiding Place".
If you're interested, you can watch the whole movie for free by clicking here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-aOC0ul_JE

Have you received God's forgiveness?
Do you need to forgive someone else?

Question for Reflection
Have you heard a person say to you, "I forgive you"?  How did this affect you?


I welcome your questions and comments.
-Jason