[Weekly Scripture] Psalm 51:1–2 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

Matthew 5:23-24 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

Matthew 6:14-15 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

What is keeping you from forgiving someone who has hurt you?
After reading the above scripture, what is keeping you from forgiving others?

Pray that you will forgive as you have been forgiven.

E-devotion by Will Burnham (Middle School Pastor)
“This is a tough one. How often do I assume I have forgiven someone and yet still harbor resentment in my heart? Often.

I can say it with my lips, maybe even directly to them, but the memory of the hurt will continue in my mind. How do I battle this? How can I truly forgive and go about the process of reconciliation and trying to forget?

First of all, I must remember that anyone who has wronged me I have wronged God all the more… and yet he still loves and forgives me. How amazing is that! In this I have the clearest picture of forgiveness that I should strive for: to remember that I have wronged God more than anyone will ever wrong me. This is a good start.

Next, I must repent before my God of any sin in my life because of the hurt someone has caused me. This is a very humbling aspect of the process… to focus on my sin instead of the wrong someone else committed against me.

Next, from that day forward I must take every thought captive. As the Apostle Paul challenges us in 2 Corinthians 10:5, “… and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” This aspect shows the maturity of a believer. No doubt there will be days and seasons of our lives when we will remember past hurts. Take that thought captive and make it obedient to Christ! You have to “Make” it obedient. This is a verb/action we have to commit to. It will be a process. But we must persevere! Because of our ability to persevere in forgiveness we Christians will shine like light in darkness.

As an example of living this out: In 1956 five missionaries were martyred in their attempt to evangelize the Waorani people of Equador. Among them were Jim Elliot and Nate Saint. In 1958, just two years after the massacre, Jim’s wife Elizabeth and Nate’s sister Rachel returned to the Waorani tribe to continue the work the men had started. Today, the vast majority of Waorani tribesman are followers of Christ! What a great testimony to lives living in constant forgiveness to those around them. Rachel Saint spent the rest of her life living among the very people who killed her brother. Nate Saint’s son was even baptized by one of the very men who killed his father!

Where forgiveness abounds… grace abounds. Where grace abounds… the Gospel is proclaimed.”

[Weekly Scripture] Psalm 51:1–2 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

1 Timothy 4:2 Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.

Colossians 3:9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices

Are you prepared to share the truth of God’s Word with others?
Do you find it easy to lie to people?

Pray that you will be a doer of the Word.

E-devotion by Don Brown (Elder)

When you go to the dentist or to a doctor about a particular ailment that you have, you expect that doctor to be well qualified.  To be qualified, he or she must have studied long and hard,  graduated from a specialized residency or fellowship program, and passed the appropriate board certification exams.  The final exam, however, is when he encounters the patient.

Our final exam may come in an encounter with an unbeliever today.  In the same way, we need to remember that we must be ready in every moment and in every situation that comes our way to show ourselves approved.  We must be able to defend our faith.  This is called apologetics.  We live in a pluralistic society. That is, many people believe that there are many different paths to God.  We should be able to point those people to the cross!  Jesus is the only way to God.  Can you tell an unbeliever why we believe that?  Could you point them to Scripture?

1 Timothy 4:2 tells us to be prepared in season and out of season.  Are you prepared?  Just as a dentist or a doctor needed years of specialized training, we should all daily train ourselves in Bible doctrine and study so that we may show our self approved when the time comes and adequately defend the gospel.

[Weekly Scripture] Psalm 51:1–2 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

Colossians 4:6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each other.

How do you think most people feel after you share about your day or circumstances:  encouraged or dumped on?

Do you have an issue with inappropriate and negative words?

Pray for a thankful heart that expresses itself in uplifting words.

E-devotion by Gary Hughes (Elder)

Scholars and experts in communication study how people speak and communicate with one another through various means.  These folks like to describe what they have observed, and in doing so, they have listed several characteristics of communication that are common to all forms of expression whether oral or written.  One of those characteristics is that “Communication is irreversible.” For good or for bad, once the words have crossed ones lips, once the “Send” button has been clicked, or once the letter has been placed in the mail, one cannot take it back.  We may further explain what we meant, we may try to make amends, or we may even seek forgiveness, but the words will not return to our mouths, or our keyboard, or even our ink pen.  This presents a real problem for those who “speak their minds” without regard to whom might be hurt, for those who speak out of fear before they have considered the consequences, and for those whose language habitually includes vulgarities that offend those in earshot.

How quick Peter was to “rebuke” the Lord Jesus when He shared about how “He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised on the third day” (Matt. 16:21).  Just as quickly, when out of fear of the prospect of possible arrest or even loosing his life for knowing and following Jesus, Peter denied three times even knowing the Lord.  He even went so far on the third time to curse and swear while saying “I do not know the man!” It was at this point that the cock crowed and “Peter remembered the word which Jesus had said, “Before the cock crows, you will deny Me three times.”  And he went out and wept bitterly (Matt. 26:74-75).  It was at this point that Peter recognized that awful truth:  He said the very thing that he said he would never say, and he could not take it back.  What Jesus had said to Peter following his earlier rebuke of Him was true at this point as well: “…you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s” (Matt. 16:23).  Therein lies the source of our problem.  Our problem is not the irreversible nature of our communication.  It is that we do not set our minds on God’s interests and His will first and foremost.  This is one more result of our sinfulness as fallen mankind.

Fortunately, there is a remedy, and that is the grace and forgiveness found in the Lord Jesus Christ.  Upon receiving Him as Lord, our sin is blotted out and remembered no more (Isaiah 43:25).  Our standing before God the Father is made right as the righteousness of the Lord Jesus is placed upon us (2 Corinthians 5:21).  We are reconciled to God.  With regard to those we may have hurt, if they are in the Lord then reconciliation is available as we confess our sin toward them, ask forgiveness, and find forgiveness is granted (Matthew 18:22).  Finally, as a result of our placing our trust and lives in the Lord, He makes us new creatures as the old has passed away and the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:16-17).  We must seek to allow the love of Christ to control us that we no longer view others through the eyes of this flesh (2 Corinthians 5:14 & 16), and that our minds are transformed (Romans 12:2 and Philippians 2:5-11).  When He is in control of ones mind and heart then what crosses the lips, what travels the Internet, and what is delivered by the postal carrier will build up our brothers and sisters in Christ and not tear them down.

[Weekly Scripture] Psalm 51:1–2 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

2 Timothy 1:7-9  For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given to us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time,

1 John 2:15-17 –  Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world— the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

How do you hide the Gospel from others?
What are things in your life that make it look like you love the world more than you love God?

Pray for an undivided heart and for courage to have spiritual conversations.

E-devotion by Cindy Starr
How thankful I am that God has given us a spirit of power, of love and of self discipline! How amazing that His spirit indwells us, seals us, empowers us, convicts us and transforms us to the glory of God. God has rescued us from the despair of the world – we are called to live unencumbered by the world. Our purpose is defined by the grace of God. Let our devotion be pure; our attitude one of delight; our heart undivided as we treasure Christ and live a disciplined life to His glory.

[Weekly Scripture] Psalm 51:1–2 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
Philippians 2:3-4 Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Ephesians 4:2 With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,

Do you put your own needs above others?
Who are some people in your life who are difficult to love?

Pray to have the eyes and heart of Christ.

E-devotion by Mike Wilson (Elder)
Someone cuts us off in traffic.  A co-worker gets the recognition you should have received.  You didn’t get the award you worked so hard for.  Nobody in the house appreciates the hard work you’ve done cleaning the house, washing clothes, & preparing meals.  “Mom always did like you best.”  These are feelings many of us have on a daily basis.  We lack patience, humility & perspective.  We operate from a position of “me first”.  We often fail to recall that Jesus gave up his recognition, glory & praise in heaven to come to this earth to pay a terrible price for our sin.  Yet he was & is still patient, kind, generous & forgiving.  Who do I need to forgive, show mercy, show grace, show patience to today?