When We Don't Measure Up

This message was not a "warm and fuzzy" message. First of all, the story of Cain and Abel is not a heartwarming story. Pastor Dennis was very clear in his sermon that -"There but by the grace of God go I"- Maybe the saga of Cain and Abel is an extreme case of reacting to an offense but Jesus tells us when we are angry it's like murder (Mathew 5:21&22). We are all capable of reacting in kind to folks that hurt us. It is sobering to think that forgiveness is the only way of really stopping that cycle. Two things come to my mind in light of this and the message-one-after hearing the story of the Croatian women and her beating...forgiveness can be hard if not impossible without the Holy Spirit in such cases and-two- because of that story...most of the things I have to forgive are nothing...I shouldn't even have to think about it. I am grateful that God has patience to work with me on forgiveness. I am thankful for these messages. I have said this before...Forgiveness is important to God and I want to have His perspective.
On to the reflection questions:
#2...why do you think we often can't see all of the consequences of our actions before we act? My personal opinion is that we don't think, we just react...we react using our feelings as fuel...often using those feelings as justification for our actions. We need to let God "rewire" us and yield to God's responses for EVERY situation. Even when it doesn't feel fair. We can't do that alone. Only with God can we do this... with His amazing grace...
He has forgiven us much!

Experiencing Forgiveness

One of the questions I ask myself when I am spending time with God reading the Bible and praying is: How will what I have read (in the Bible) change my life. Because reading and learning about God is not about how much I know in my mind but about how much I allow God to transform my life to a life more like Jesus'. Of course that applies when we sit in Church listening to a sermon as well. And with these past few sermons, how important it is to let God shape my life in regards to forgiveness. FORGIVENESS is important to God...as Dennis keeps saying...it's His idea.

So, I am reading Luke 7:36-50 (from Sunday's handout) and Dennis' third question prompted my "what needs to change in my life?"

3)"This Is a story about receiving forgiveness and Not a story about earning forgiveness...The Pharisee did not understand what a forgiven person looked or acted like..."

Well, I struggle with Pharisaical tendencies (thankfully not as much as in my youth) but I recognized the Pharisee in me with the thought of earning forgiveness...not my earning forgiveness from God...really don't have a problem with that...but- requiring people closest to me to earn my forgiveness. eeeewww, I don't say it like that out loud, but I hold them responsible for their offense until they prove they are sorry. So how is my life going to change because of what I have read/heard this week...I want to be more like Jesus...Forgive like He forgives(recognizing that this does NOT mean I have to sanction the wrong) -- Forgive First (remembering people are valuable), Ask Questions Later (with the purpose of restoring relationships), type forgiveness.

What's going to change in your life?

Embodying Forgiveness

What a great message...I wish that I had "embodied forgiveness" years ago, the way Pastor Dennis presented it yesterday . When he stood on the pew as the "On High" Jesus, I was so convicted. How often have I forgiven that way. When instead, Jesus opens His arms to us with forgiveness! I want to be a forgiven forgiver!

On to the homework-

My answer for question 3- if you go by the event of Luke 5:17, we should bring our friends to Jesus to help them have forgiveness in their lives. But we want them to come to the "open arms Jesus", not the "On High Jesus." I think that means we have to love and not judge our friends. Show them our open arms. Listen with our hearts and ears to their hurts...but be careful to not take on their offenses. Gently ask questions that help direct them to our Lord.

No Future Without Forgiveness

I think we forget how important forgiveness is to Jesus. As Pastor Dennis said, it is a Christ mandated subject. This past year as I have read through the gospels, I was reminded of that...over and over Jesus spoke about forgiveness...forgiveness from God, forgiveness for each other. When people would come for healing...Jesus brought forgiveness first. He wants us to live like it's important to us!

Well, for the rest of this Sunday on Monday, Let's do the homework. Get out those worksheets from Sunday.

After reading the Parable of the Good Samaritan- answer the questions.

I will respond to question 1 here--My opinion is that the teacher of the Law was more outraged by the depiction of a Samaritan being kind because it went against his opinion of the Samaritans. He could feel superior to the Samaritans by believing they are all basically evil. I think the outrage would come because not only was the Samaritan depicted as kind but it was in comparison to the priest and Levite depicted as uncaring. What do you think?

Go ahead finish your homework!