Something to Remember

Forgiveness is as much for you as it is for the one you are forgiving. What you hold on to, you allow to hurt you over and over again. I need this today. Hopefully it will help someone else too. Let it go and forgive.

Grace and Consequences

Today my message will be on David and Bathsheba. It’s a story of grace and it’s a story of consequences. Most people equate grace with the removal of consequences and this is completely and utterly wrong. Science tells us for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. I believe this could be equated with sin and it’s consequences. Sometimes we receive grace from the consequences of our actions, most of the time we don’t.

David sinned with Bathsheba, that was bad enough, but the attempt to cover his actions placed him on a slippery slope to an eventual murder. The prophet Nathan confronted David with a parable, a symbolic story to show David what he’d done. David not realizing he was hearing a parable, pronounced his own judgment declaring what should be done to a man who did such a thing. “The man deserves to die,” David said. That was in fact what David’s sin deserved at that time in history, maybe even today. Instead David, when he realized he was the man in question, confessed and received grace and was forgiven.

That being said, the consequences still came to call. Everything God said would happen to David, still happened. Consequences are not a sign that God has removed his grace, as a matter of fact it’s just the opposite. God allows us to experience the consequences of our actions by His grace. Consequences are designed to turn us back to him, to bring us to a place of repentance, because it’s in repentance that we turn to Jesus and find grace and forgiveness.

Consequences are not a sign that God has given up on you, they’re a sign that you are on the wrong track and need to turn back to God. Remember sin and God are on opposite ends of a continuum. To turn to one is to turn away from the other. Consequences are designed to turn us back to grace.

Les Miserables Jean Valjean- A Transformation In Christ

From the film, Les Misérables, the story of a heartless convict named Jean Valjean who is transformed by a single act of mercy; a powerful illustration of God’s forgiveness, mercy, desire and power to change the heart of a sinner into a heart like Jesus.

What could you change with a little grace? Who could be changed by a little grace?

Forgive as you have been forgiven.

Video of the Day: Writing in the Dirt

A trap was laid for Jesus. One he supposedly could not beat. A woman caught in the act of adultery was thrown before him, and his enemies demanded he cast judgement. The law of Moses said she was to stoned to death, the law of Rome said only the Romans could hand out capitol punishment. Either way Jesus was in trouble. They thought they had him beat, but Jesus found the third option and in that option is hope for us all.

Responding to Controversial Art Part 2

A few days ago I posted what I thought our response should be to controversial art. This video is the story of a young pastor who lived it out. It”s a little long but watching it til the end will give you a real blessing. Please check this out and spread it around. This is a true image of what it means to speak the truth in love and the impact it can have in a world where love can be hard to find. It’s not my own work so I can ask this without hesitation or fear of self promotion… Please, please, please take this video viral.

We often talk about how to deal with people with whom we disagree. While others protested and attacked, this guy shared the Gospel and it made all the difference.