As believers, we are called to offer forgiveness, because we first have been forgiven. Whenever I talk about forgiveness, however, grudges, hurts and past pains seem to surface in people’s lives. I will get emails, Facebook and Twitter direct messages confessing to scars and wounds being opened. In fact, the reaction to the topic of forgiveness is so tender for many, that it draws me to address the issue frequently.
The biggest question has been what we are to do while we wait to respond to this tragedy. Grace Community Church is a doing church. We have serving our community in our DNA. Our people have been anxious to do something tangible. In cooperation with local officials, however, we have been encouraged to wait. In the early stages of a disaster like this, mass numbers of people are not the greatest need. The safety of people, stabilizing the community, and assessing needs of the community is where the community is focusing attention.
I am tired of watching marriages fall apart. What breaks my heart most is when two wonderful people allow temptation to overtake them and fall into the sins such as adultery or pornography. I wish I could say it was rare, but it happens every day. I have seen and believe that marriages can be fully restored from these times and even made model marriages after them, but the goal should be to keep either spouse from reaching this point.
Several months ago, I wrote a blog post about my father. Today I’m re-posting part of that post. Yesterday my father peacefully passed from this earth into the presence of His Savior. His battle with cancer got the best of him and He gave up his fight and entered his eternal rest. I’m thankful he no longer has unbearable pain.
I have been asked numerous times about a seeming contradiction in the Bible. Paul, who wrote much of the New Testament, wrote that we are to “pray about everything” (Philippians 4:6), “pray continually”, (1 Thessalonians 5:17), and “be in constant prayer” (Romans 12:12). Paul seems to have believed that something in us could live in a state of continual prayer and that we should keep talking repeatedly to God.
Perhaps that’s your story today. The journey has gotten much harder than you expected and the days ahead seem unbearable. Some days you would just rather quit trying.
What does it mean to be adopted into the family of God? I believe learning this principle about our God relationship could change the way we live our entire life…
Wow! I love this idea. I need to clarify I had nothing to do with it and didn’t know about it until I read it on one of our staff member’s blog, but I’m so proud of our team!
Today was one of the hardest days in ministry that I’ve had in many months, yet it was a confirming day at the same time. Let me explain.
I wonder about the Queen of Sheba who went to visit King Solomon. She had heard of his great wisdom and when she arrived, she realized that Solomon was far wiser than she had even imagined. I wonder if she was more popular when she went home, because she had been to see the “wise one”. That’s what leaders do, isn’t it? They search out wisdom. They try to find answers. They seek knowledge.
