WEBVTT 00:00:13.339 --> 00:00:16.019 Welcome to Hub City Vineyard. To get connected 00:00:16.019 --> 00:00:20.059 or to give online, go to connect .hcv .church 00:00:20.059 --> 00:00:23.839 or give .hcv .church. If at any point during 00:00:23.839 --> 00:00:26.000 this message you feel called to make a change 00:00:26.000 --> 00:00:30.920 in your life, text CHANGEME to 9700. Thank you 00:00:30.920 --> 00:00:32.859 and enjoy the message. Hey, good morning everyone. 00:00:33.939 --> 00:00:37.240 So good to hear you laughing at Frank and all 00:00:37.240 --> 00:00:40.009 of our announcements. I just want to encourage 00:00:40.009 --> 00:00:42.549 you. We do do announcements to inform you of 00:00:42.549 --> 00:00:44.090 everything that is happening in our community 00:00:44.090 --> 00:00:47.450 of faith. So be sure to check them out and read 00:00:47.450 --> 00:00:50.070 all the things that are happening. So before 00:00:50.070 --> 00:00:53.630 we get started, May happens to be National Teachers 00:00:53.630 --> 00:00:56.890 and Nurses Month in the United States. And we 00:00:56.890 --> 00:00:58.990 want to honor you and recognize you. If you are 00:00:58.990 --> 00:01:02.210 a teacher or a nurse or have something to do 00:01:02.210 --> 00:01:04.010 in the medical profession, would you please stand? 00:01:05.109 --> 00:01:09.099 Please. And guess what? We have a gift for you. 00:01:09.599 --> 00:01:14.299 Please stay standing. We honor you. Thank you 00:01:14.299 --> 00:01:17.989 for serving. Thank you for serving our local 00:01:17.989 --> 00:01:20.150 community. Thank you for serving our children. 00:01:20.370 --> 00:01:24.170 Thank you for all that you do in terms of making 00:01:24.170 --> 00:01:27.730 this world a better place. Also, an additional 00:01:27.730 --> 00:01:31.269 announcement that wasn't in on our tie -dye news 00:01:31.269 --> 00:01:35.310 network. Bob and Dodie feel called to launch 00:01:35.310 --> 00:01:38.219 a singles group. So if you happen to be single, 00:01:38.319 --> 00:01:42.060 unmarried, you can visit the Welcome Hub. And 00:01:42.060 --> 00:01:45.219 please notice what I said, a singles group. Everyone 00:01:45.219 --> 00:01:48.599 say singles. That has nothing to do with dating. 00:01:48.819 --> 00:01:50.980 All right. So just to get that out there on the 00:01:50.980 --> 00:01:54.120 forefront. Not that they don't ever want to be 00:01:54.120 --> 00:01:55.780 in a relationship and be married, but this group 00:01:55.780 --> 00:01:58.319 is strictly for singles that are looking to further 00:01:58.319 --> 00:02:00.519 a relationship with Jesus and to talk about God 00:02:00.519 --> 00:02:02.120 and all that he's doing in their life. So if 00:02:02.120 --> 00:02:04.239 you're interested in that group, they'll be launching 00:02:04.239 --> 00:02:07.019 it soon. Stop by the Welcome Hub, get your name 00:02:07.019 --> 00:02:09.819 down, and they will be sure to reach out. So 00:02:09.819 --> 00:02:12.979 before we jump into our final talk of our series 00:02:12.979 --> 00:02:16.599 called Inked and be discussing different tattoos 00:02:16.599 --> 00:02:18.680 from our partners, I just felt inclined that 00:02:18.680 --> 00:02:21.930 we open in prayer and ask God to come. Come and 00:02:21.930 --> 00:02:25.129 search our hearts. So Holy Spirit, come. God, 00:02:25.189 --> 00:02:27.969 we're just thankful for this day. We're thankful 00:02:27.969 --> 00:02:30.030 for Memorial Day weekend to kick off the summer, 00:02:30.129 --> 00:02:33.150 God. We just ask that your hand would be upon 00:02:33.150 --> 00:02:36.150 every word that I speak, God. May they be your 00:02:36.150 --> 00:02:38.789 words, not mine. And more importantly, open our 00:02:38.789 --> 00:02:41.129 hearts and our minds to receive all that you 00:02:41.129 --> 00:02:44.689 have for us, God. May we leave this place changed. 00:02:44.909 --> 00:02:47.550 May we leave this place better than when we came 00:02:47.550 --> 00:02:52.439 in. In Jesus' name, amen. All right, so about 00:02:52.439 --> 00:02:56.400 a year and a half ago, while doing laundry, that's 00:02:56.400 --> 00:02:58.639 right, laundry, like a normal Monday morning, 00:02:58.819 --> 00:03:02.039 I was switching the wet clothes from the washer 00:03:02.039 --> 00:03:05.400 to the dryer so that they could dry. And suddenly, 00:03:05.439 --> 00:03:08.680 in doing so, my back locked up, and I found myself 00:03:08.680 --> 00:03:10.919 on my hands and knees for about 10 minutes in 00:03:10.919 --> 00:03:14.770 excruciating pain. As I slowly began to sit up, 00:03:14.810 --> 00:03:17.550 trying to figure out what I did that would have 00:03:17.550 --> 00:03:21.530 caused so much pain and discomfort, I never figured 00:03:21.530 --> 00:03:24.610 it out. But just like Chris, I went on about 00:03:24.610 --> 00:03:27.229 my day and just pushed through. I approached 00:03:27.229 --> 00:03:29.849 this back injury like I do most everything in 00:03:29.849 --> 00:03:32.889 my life. I can handle the pain, and eventually, 00:03:32.949 --> 00:03:35.650 you know something? It's just going to get better. 00:03:35.789 --> 00:03:39.639 The problem is, it never got better. The discomfort 00:03:39.639 --> 00:03:42.539 moved from my back, down my leg, into my foot, 00:03:42.680 --> 00:03:45.879 and to this day still affects my everyday life. 00:03:46.319 --> 00:03:49.560 Eight months after the injury, yes, I'm hard 00:03:49.560 --> 00:03:52.819 -headed, I finally went to the doctor because 00:03:52.819 --> 00:03:56.120 I tried physical therapy, a chiropractor, and 00:03:56.120 --> 00:04:00.699 stretch after stretch after stretch. An MRI soon 00:04:00.699 --> 00:04:03.719 revealed that I had a disc bulge that hit up 00:04:03.719 --> 00:04:07.560 against nerves down in the lower part of my back. 00:04:08.169 --> 00:04:11.229 I'm happy to report that the disc seems to have 00:04:11.229 --> 00:04:14.270 returned to normal and my back is strong, but 00:04:14.270 --> 00:04:17.910 nerves can take up to two years to fully heal 00:04:17.910 --> 00:04:23.750 if they ever heal at all. Now, I find myself 00:04:23.750 --> 00:04:27.370 struggling with a past hurt that still hurts. 00:04:28.490 --> 00:04:33.009 I find myself struggling with a past hurt that 00:04:33.009 --> 00:04:35.899 still hurts. And I can't walk in the freedom 00:04:35.899 --> 00:04:38.160 to do everything that I want to do every single 00:04:38.160 --> 00:04:41.639 day. Before the injury, I ran my first half marathon. 00:04:42.279 --> 00:04:44.519 Since the injury, I've only been able to walk 00:04:44.519 --> 00:04:47.339 because jogging or running is very difficult 00:04:47.339 --> 00:04:51.120 when your right foot is partially numb. You don't 00:04:51.120 --> 00:04:53.300 know exactly where it's going to hit or where 00:04:53.300 --> 00:04:55.759 it's going to land. I don't have the freedom 00:04:55.759 --> 00:04:58.860 to do everything that I want to do because I 00:04:58.860 --> 00:05:02.300 am struggling with a past hurt that still hurts. 00:05:03.149 --> 00:05:06.670 Well, here's the reality, HTV. Our minds and 00:05:06.670 --> 00:05:09.990 our souls are very similar to this injury. See, 00:05:10.050 --> 00:05:13.529 we can experience all of this while having one 00:05:13.529 --> 00:05:17.569 of the best days of our life. Picture it. Everything's 00:05:17.569 --> 00:05:20.649 going right. We're smiling. We're happy. We're 00:05:20.649 --> 00:05:23.889 full of energy. And then suddenly, out of nowhere, 00:05:24.129 --> 00:05:27.250 we hear something. And we go from being real 00:05:27.250 --> 00:05:31.990 happy to real sad in the split second. We can 00:05:31.990 --> 00:05:34.430 hear someone's name mentioned and our day is 00:05:34.430 --> 00:05:37.389 ruined. We can see a post on social media or 00:05:37.389 --> 00:05:40.769 read a comment and our memory is triggered. We 00:05:40.769 --> 00:05:43.410 hear about an event, we drive by a place, we 00:05:43.410 --> 00:05:46.569 listen to a song, and all of a sudden we go from 00:05:46.569 --> 00:05:50.810 real happy to real sad. And we're left wondering, 00:05:50.990 --> 00:05:55.670 what just happened? Well, those instances are 00:05:55.670 --> 00:05:59.389 called triggers. And those triggers remind us 00:05:59.389 --> 00:06:03.449 that we have a past hurt, That still hurts. And 00:06:03.449 --> 00:06:06.790 that pain hasn't been dealt with correctly because 00:06:06.790 --> 00:06:11.170 it still hurts. The song we listened to, it wasn't 00:06:11.170 --> 00:06:14.870 that big of a deal. What that person said to 00:06:14.870 --> 00:06:17.329 us was not worth ruining in our day or our week. 00:06:17.810 --> 00:06:21.470 See, these instances were not where the injury 00:06:21.470 --> 00:06:24.810 happened. They just triggered the emotion that 00:06:24.810 --> 00:06:28.730 reminded us that a past hurt that is still hurting 00:06:28.730 --> 00:06:32.899 today. And if that past hurt is hurting, we can't 00:06:32.899 --> 00:06:34.860 walk in the freedom that God wants us to walk 00:06:34.860 --> 00:06:39.160 in. And this is where we find ourselves as I 00:06:39.160 --> 00:06:43.040 share our first tattoo. Let's take a look. Amber 00:06:43.040 --> 00:06:46.060 writes, I got this tattoo to cover up the one 00:06:46.060 --> 00:06:48.759 I originally got for my oldest daughter who was 00:06:48.759 --> 00:06:51.779 adopted. It was done by a street artist and I 00:06:51.779 --> 00:06:53.779 chose to cover it with flowers that represent 00:06:53.779 --> 00:06:57.199 multiple loved ones. The forget -me -nots are 00:06:57.199 --> 00:06:59.579 for my daughter but also my foster mother who 00:06:59.579 --> 00:07:02.399 never forgot me even when I made it very hard 00:07:02.399 --> 00:07:05.519 to love me. The roses are for my grandmother 00:07:05.519 --> 00:07:08.540 that I never got to see after I went into the 00:07:08.540 --> 00:07:12.699 system. See, she called CPS on my mother. Her 00:07:12.699 --> 00:07:15.439 actions both saved me and caused me terrible 00:07:15.439 --> 00:07:19.079 heartache. Her favorite song was The Rose. The 00:07:19.079 --> 00:07:21.620 roses are also for my mom whose favorite color 00:07:21.620 --> 00:07:24.819 is purple. I loved her and forgave her a long 00:07:24.819 --> 00:07:27.600 time ago. She did the best she could and has 00:07:27.600 --> 00:07:30.639 overcome many hardships. The sunflowers are for 00:07:30.639 --> 00:07:33.740 my great -grandmother. I miss her dearly. She 00:07:33.740 --> 00:07:36.180 and my grandmother created the best memories 00:07:36.180 --> 00:07:40.379 I have before going into the system. This tattoo 00:07:40.379 --> 00:07:43.860 is a reminder of people I not only love, but 00:07:43.860 --> 00:07:46.579 whose stories are important. Those stories are 00:07:46.579 --> 00:07:49.540 a part of where I've been and what God's brought 00:07:49.540 --> 00:07:52.899 me through. So as I was reading that testimony 00:07:52.899 --> 00:07:57.199 from Amber, I began to reflect on the pain and 00:07:57.199 --> 00:07:59.639 the experiences that all of us have as we walk 00:07:59.639 --> 00:08:02.879 through this journey called life. We are a broken 00:08:02.879 --> 00:08:06.540 people living in a broken world. And as we interact 00:08:06.540 --> 00:08:10.439 with one another, chances are hurts and pains 00:08:10.439 --> 00:08:13.980 are going to result. But quite often what happens 00:08:13.980 --> 00:08:18.100 is we get hurt and we don't deal with it. Because 00:08:18.100 --> 00:08:20.959 it's too painful or we don't know what to do. 00:08:21.560 --> 00:08:24.220 Then that hurt, unfortunately, turns to anger. 00:08:24.319 --> 00:08:26.560 Then that anger over time turns to bitterness. 00:08:26.860 --> 00:08:29.199 And then bitterness turns into what the Bible 00:08:29.199 --> 00:08:33.120 refers to as a hardened heart. And this hardened 00:08:33.120 --> 00:08:36.179 heart changes the way we live. It changes our 00:08:36.179 --> 00:08:39.080 insecurities, how we interact with people. It 00:08:39.080 --> 00:08:42.379 changes who we let into our life. And it changes 00:08:42.379 --> 00:08:46.919 who we trust and how we treat others. Have you 00:08:46.919 --> 00:08:49.799 ever lost it and snapped on someone and then 00:08:49.799 --> 00:08:52.879 24 hours later you're like, that was completely 00:08:52.879 --> 00:08:57.139 an overreaction. Then as we reflect, we realize, 00:08:57.480 --> 00:08:59.639 well, they didn't show us the respect that we 00:08:59.639 --> 00:09:03.580 deserved or we didn't feel valued. And they touched 00:09:03.580 --> 00:09:06.340 on something or triggered something from our 00:09:06.340 --> 00:09:09.740 past causing this sharp response over a hurt 00:09:09.740 --> 00:09:14.000 that we experienced years ago. It's that hurt. 00:09:14.620 --> 00:09:17.000 that still hurts, and it changes who we are as 00:09:17.000 --> 00:09:19.080 people. And God says, I don't want you to live 00:09:19.080 --> 00:09:21.360 that way anymore. I don't want you to explode 00:09:21.360 --> 00:09:24.799 on people. See, those past hurts keep us from 00:09:24.799 --> 00:09:28.320 responding to the call that God has on our lives. 00:09:28.600 --> 00:09:31.720 He keeps us from walking in the peace, the love, 00:09:31.779 --> 00:09:34.240 the joy, and the confidence that God wants us 00:09:34.240 --> 00:09:38.480 to walk in. See, God has a prescription for our 00:09:38.480 --> 00:09:40.759 past hurts, which leads us to our first thought. 00:09:41.200 --> 00:09:46.700 See, forgiveness is... freedom. Forgiveness equals 00:09:46.700 --> 00:09:51.299 freedom. Let's read Ephesians 4, 31 to 32. Get 00:09:51.299 --> 00:09:54.740 rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, 00:09:54.799 --> 00:09:57.360 and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 00:09:57.799 --> 00:10:01.419 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, 00:10:01.639 --> 00:10:05.779 and here it is, forgiving one another, just as 00:10:05.779 --> 00:10:09.340 God through Christ has forgiven you. See, the 00:10:09.340 --> 00:10:13.429 great physician says, if you want To go through 00:10:13.429 --> 00:10:16.350 the process of healing wounds, I have the answer 00:10:16.350 --> 00:10:20.789 for you. It's called forgiveness. See, we know 00:10:20.789 --> 00:10:23.149 that just trying to walk out forgiveness, it's 00:10:23.149 --> 00:10:26.269 a painful process. But I believe it's a process 00:10:26.269 --> 00:10:29.070 that is worth it. And not only that, it's one 00:10:29.070 --> 00:10:31.570 that's commanded. Look at Colossians 3, 12 to 00:10:31.570 --> 00:10:35.570 13. Since God chose you to be the holy people 00:10:35.570 --> 00:10:38.789 he loves, you must close yourselves with a tenderhearted 00:10:38.789 --> 00:10:41.789 mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 00:10:42.620 --> 00:10:45.639 Make allowance for each other's faults and forgive 00:10:45.639 --> 00:10:50.620 anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave 00:10:50.620 --> 00:10:55.580 you, so you must forgive others. And I get it. 00:10:55.679 --> 00:10:57.840 This is a difficult subject. Some of you are 00:10:57.840 --> 00:10:59.539 thinking, Chris, it's the kickoff of summer. 00:10:59.980 --> 00:11:04.639 Forgiveness? Really? Because I know as soon as 00:11:04.639 --> 00:11:08.720 I mention that whole word, some of us get defensive. 00:11:09.639 --> 00:11:12.620 Emotions can even... In fact, some of you are 00:11:12.620 --> 00:11:16.340 so wounded, you know, so hurt that when someone 00:11:16.340 --> 00:11:18.120 even mentions the word forgiveness, you want 00:11:18.120 --> 00:11:20.799 to throw it out and fight. You're like, I'm not 00:11:20.799 --> 00:11:23.320 going there. I've tried. It's too hard. It's 00:11:23.320 --> 00:11:27.179 too painful. You don't know what I've been through. 00:11:27.340 --> 00:11:29.799 And I don't. I don't know all the pain you've 00:11:29.799 --> 00:11:32.580 experienced in this life. I understand that you've 00:11:32.580 --> 00:11:34.620 been through painful and traumatic circumstances. 00:11:34.820 --> 00:11:37.759 And I want to acknowledge that. In fact, just 00:11:37.759 --> 00:11:41.350 this week. I was accused in an email to Little 00:11:41.350 --> 00:11:43.909 League International that I don't care about 00:11:43.909 --> 00:11:47.850 children. I only care about winning. And this 00:11:47.850 --> 00:11:51.029 is a direct quote from that email that was sent 00:11:51.029 --> 00:11:53.710 to Little League International. He should be 00:11:53.710 --> 00:11:56.690 in jail with how he runs that Little League. 00:11:56.809 --> 00:12:03.850 It's disgusting, despicable behavior. So when 00:12:03.850 --> 00:12:07.389 receiving that email from Little League International, 00:12:08.350 --> 00:12:12.110 I understand that situations happen to everyone. 00:12:12.549 --> 00:12:15.830 In fact, I was attacked for simply serving our 00:12:15.830 --> 00:12:18.610 community and making it a better place. And you 00:12:18.610 --> 00:12:21.190 know what happened in my heart? I became angry. 00:12:21.570 --> 00:12:25.070 I became upset because all those claims are unjustified 00:12:25.070 --> 00:12:28.029 because little Johnny wasn't batting second and 00:12:28.029 --> 00:12:30.750 playing every inning. And because little Johnny 00:12:30.750 --> 00:12:32.710 wasn't batting second or playing every inning, 00:12:32.929 --> 00:12:37.090 mom got upset. I get it, but I'm human. I became 00:12:37.090 --> 00:12:40.110 angry. By Wednesday morning, my workout routine 00:12:40.110 --> 00:12:42.750 was not normal. It was actually full of rage. 00:12:43.190 --> 00:12:45.289 Probably one of the best workouts I've had all 00:12:45.289 --> 00:12:51.590 year. Because my character had been attacked 00:12:51.590 --> 00:12:55.470 for no good reason. But I am coming out the other 00:12:55.470 --> 00:12:58.110 end realizing that this was a simple lesson that 00:12:58.110 --> 00:13:01.149 God was trying to teach me about forgiveness. 00:13:01.710 --> 00:13:04.950 And he wanted me to walk right through it. And 00:13:04.950 --> 00:13:07.230 I believe that God wants all of us to do the 00:13:07.230 --> 00:13:10.490 same this morning. I believe that's not an accident 00:13:10.490 --> 00:13:12.950 that you're here. I believe that God wants to 00:13:12.950 --> 00:13:16.450 highlight different areas of your life where 00:13:16.450 --> 00:13:19.850 unforgiveness reigns so that you can walk out 00:13:19.850 --> 00:13:24.690 of this place free and whole. Why? Because God 00:13:24.690 --> 00:13:27.490 has a better life for us. He wants for us to 00:13:27.490 --> 00:13:29.610 walk in freedom and forgiveness. And that only 00:13:29.610 --> 00:13:32.389 happens when we deal with the bitterness, rage, 00:13:32.470 --> 00:13:35.710 anger, harsh words. And slander. Which leads 00:13:35.710 --> 00:13:38.370 us to our action steps. The forgiveness process. 00:13:39.129 --> 00:13:42.789 And notice I said it's a process. Because there 00:13:42.789 --> 00:13:46.190 are times. When things happen to us. When situations 00:13:46.190 --> 00:13:49.990 happen to us. And we respond. And it's not a 00:13:49.990 --> 00:13:53.409 big deal. We forgive. It was an event. It happened. 00:13:53.470 --> 00:13:57.669 We move on. But for those deep wounds. Like when 00:13:57.669 --> 00:13:59.919 someone leaves and we're abandoned. or someone 00:13:59.919 --> 00:14:03.279 abuses or neglects or hurts us to the point where 00:14:03.279 --> 00:14:06.620 there's trauma, forgiving those wounds is not 00:14:06.620 --> 00:14:10.000 an event, it's a process. A process of working 00:14:10.000 --> 00:14:13.600 through the pain, and we have to allow God in 00:14:13.600 --> 00:14:17.139 to do the work which leads to freedom. We have 00:14:17.139 --> 00:14:20.159 our first step, and that's we have to acknowledge 00:14:20.159 --> 00:14:23.759 the pain. See, acknowledging the pain is essential 00:14:23.759 --> 00:14:27.039 to the healing process. Because when we hold 00:14:27.039 --> 00:14:29.000 on to unforgiveness, you know what's produced? 00:14:29.840 --> 00:14:33.820 Anxiety. Upon anxiety, upon anxiety. See, the 00:14:33.820 --> 00:14:37.419 pain from those experiences fester and they begin 00:14:37.419 --> 00:14:40.799 to come out from the inside out. Meaning the 00:14:40.799 --> 00:14:43.379 pain of the unforgiveness that we feel on the 00:14:43.379 --> 00:14:45.700 inside works its way into our everyday lives. 00:14:45.860 --> 00:14:52.200 In other words, stress. Worry. Anxiety. And that's 00:14:52.200 --> 00:14:54.919 why it's so important to list the different pain 00:14:54.919 --> 00:14:57.559 and grievances that we've experienced when God 00:14:57.559 --> 00:14:59.879 brings them to light. We have to acknowledge 00:14:59.879 --> 00:15:01.700 the different people that have hurt us over the 00:15:01.700 --> 00:15:04.200 years. And I want to encourage you, this is a 00:15:04.200 --> 00:15:08.639 process. And it happens as God highlights the 00:15:08.639 --> 00:15:11.200 different aspects of pain that we struggle with 00:15:11.200 --> 00:15:14.879 through the years. Until we acknowledge and face 00:15:14.879 --> 00:15:17.139 the pain in our life, listen, you're not going 00:15:17.139 --> 00:15:19.840 to be able to forgive it. We can't pretend there 00:15:19.840 --> 00:15:22.909 isn't pain there. For some of us, we just put 00:15:22.909 --> 00:15:25.889 our head down, we move on. And I get it. That's 00:15:25.889 --> 00:15:28.710 quite often what I do. I deal with the pain, 00:15:28.769 --> 00:15:31.549 it will go away. But to experience freedom, we 00:15:31.549 --> 00:15:33.889 have to acknowledge the pain, face it, feel it, 00:15:33.950 --> 00:15:37.289 and then forgive it. And the best example that 00:15:37.289 --> 00:15:39.230 I've found in the Bible of acknowledging pain 00:15:39.230 --> 00:15:43.090 in our life is the story of Joseph. Joseph is 00:15:43.090 --> 00:15:47.710 a story where we could find a person that would 00:15:47.710 --> 00:15:51.299 struggle with this forgiveness process. The people 00:15:51.299 --> 00:15:53.820 who were supposed to protect Joseph, his older 00:15:53.820 --> 00:15:56.799 brothers, they abused him. They were jealous 00:15:56.799 --> 00:15:59.580 because they thought he was dad's favorite. So 00:15:59.580 --> 00:16:01.980 one day they just sold him into slavery. They 00:16:01.980 --> 00:16:03.340 were going to kill him, but they thought, no, 00:16:03.440 --> 00:16:05.799 that's too much. We'll just sell him and allow 00:16:05.799 --> 00:16:08.460 him to be a slave. He was taken as a slave to 00:16:08.460 --> 00:16:11.080 a foreign country as a kid and would spend year 00:16:11.080 --> 00:16:14.759 after year after year of his life in slavery 00:16:14.759 --> 00:16:18.120 or in prison. While the brothers went home and 00:16:18.120 --> 00:16:21.259 told dad, oh, he died. An animal killed him. 00:16:21.759 --> 00:16:24.679 So this would be a person that has every reason 00:16:24.679 --> 00:16:28.440 to hold on to bitterness and unforgiveness. Now, 00:16:28.480 --> 00:16:30.159 I can't get into the whole story. I'm going to 00:16:30.159 --> 00:16:33.299 encourage you to read it this week in the book 00:16:33.299 --> 00:16:35.960 of Genesis. But God does this miraculous work 00:16:35.960 --> 00:16:39.220 in Joseph's life. And while he was a slave, while 00:16:39.220 --> 00:16:41.799 he was in prison, he suddenly became the second 00:16:41.799 --> 00:16:44.620 most powerful man in all of Egypt. And then many 00:16:44.620 --> 00:16:47.720 years later, there's a famine everywhere. So 00:16:47.720 --> 00:16:50.820 the people have to go to Egypt to get food to 00:16:50.820 --> 00:16:53.919 stay alive. And Pharaoh puts Joseph in charge 00:16:53.919 --> 00:16:56.860 of all that food. So Joseph's brothers, the very 00:16:56.860 --> 00:16:59.980 ones who sold him into slavery, now have to come 00:16:59.980 --> 00:17:03.019 and beg for food for their families to remain 00:17:03.019 --> 00:17:06.619 alive. With this background, we're about to watch 00:17:06.619 --> 00:17:10.480 Joseph enter into the forgiveness process. Now 00:17:10.480 --> 00:17:13.349 remember, Joseph, he's been holding it all together. 00:17:13.829 --> 00:17:17.490 He's now a powerful individual. He's running 00:17:17.490 --> 00:17:20.190 the entire country of Egypt. He's got a large 00:17:20.190 --> 00:17:23.670 staff. He can't be weak. He can't allow the past 00:17:23.670 --> 00:17:27.049 to haunt him, to take him down. Thinking he's 00:17:27.049 --> 00:17:30.670 past that pain, we read this in Genesis 45, 1 00:17:30.670 --> 00:17:34.250 through 2 and 4. Joseph could stand it no longer. 00:17:35.009 --> 00:17:37.490 There were many people in the room, and he said 00:17:37.490 --> 00:17:40.799 to his attendants, out, all of you. So he was 00:17:40.799 --> 00:17:43.039 alone with his brothers when he told them who 00:17:43.039 --> 00:17:47.980 he was. Then he broke down and wept. He wept 00:17:47.980 --> 00:17:51.420 so loudly the Egyptians could hear him, and word 00:17:51.420 --> 00:17:54.440 of it quickly carried to Pharaoh's palace. Please, 00:17:54.440 --> 00:17:58.099 come closer, he said to them. So they came closer, 00:17:58.200 --> 00:18:00.440 and he said again, I am Joseph, your brother, 00:18:00.559 --> 00:18:04.910 whom you sold into slavery in Egypt. Now, quite 00:18:04.910 --> 00:18:07.609 often, those verses are quickly moved past to 00:18:07.609 --> 00:18:09.750 one of the more famous verses in the Bible, Genesis 00:18:09.750 --> 00:18:12.650 50, 20, that reads, you intended to harm me, 00:18:12.710 --> 00:18:15.369 but God intended it all for good. He brought 00:18:15.369 --> 00:18:17.750 me to this position so I could save the lives 00:18:17.750 --> 00:18:22.130 of many people. Hopeful, meaningful. And as people, 00:18:22.150 --> 00:18:25.690 we want to gravitate to that verse. But just 00:18:25.690 --> 00:18:29.470 five chapters before, this is the first time 00:18:29.470 --> 00:18:31.650 we find Joseph acknowledging the pain in his 00:18:31.650 --> 00:18:35.509 life. Joseph was weeping and wailing so loud 00:18:35.509 --> 00:18:38.950 as he enters this first step of the forgiveness 00:18:38.950 --> 00:18:43.670 process that it was heard houses away. The word 00:18:43.670 --> 00:18:46.509 traveled all the way to Pharaoh that his second 00:18:46.509 --> 00:18:50.309 in charge was in pain. And see, Joseph began 00:18:50.309 --> 00:18:54.289 to face it. He began to feel it. Why? So he could 00:18:54.289 --> 00:18:57.970 forgive it. We can't forgive what we don't acknowledge, 00:18:58.109 --> 00:19:01.849 which leads us to our next tattoo. Let's take 00:19:01.849 --> 00:19:06.710 a look. Tina writes, In the quiet moments of 00:19:06.710 --> 00:19:09.130 reflection, I often find myself drawn to the 00:19:09.130 --> 00:19:12.509 tattoo that adorns my arm, a vivid emblem of 00:19:12.509 --> 00:19:14.710 my journey through darkness, pain and ultimately 00:19:14.710 --> 00:19:18.089 profound healing. This tattoo is more than just 00:19:18.089 --> 00:19:20.970 ink on skin. It is a powerful symbol of survival, 00:19:21.250 --> 00:19:23.930 love and the enduring light that has guided me 00:19:23.930 --> 00:19:26.400 through the shadows of my past. Twenty years 00:19:26.400 --> 00:19:29.279 ago, I made the courageous decision to uproot 00:19:29.279 --> 00:19:31.880 my life and my children from a world filled with 00:19:31.880 --> 00:19:36.859 fear and violence. On February 14, 2005, armed 00:19:36.859 --> 00:19:39.640 with nothing but hefty trash bags and a small 00:19:39.640 --> 00:19:42.839 U -Haul truck, I embarked on a journey from Albuquerque 00:19:42.839 --> 00:19:45.900 to Hagerstown, seeking refuge from the trauma 00:19:45.900 --> 00:19:49.279 that had consumed us for nearly a decade. Each 00:19:49.279 --> 00:19:52.200 mile we traveled was an act of defiance against 00:19:52.200 --> 00:19:55.000 the darkness that had once defined our lives. 00:19:55.579 --> 00:19:58.640 My tattoo serves as a constant reminder of that 00:19:58.640 --> 00:20:01.359 journey. It features a heart beautifully drawn 00:20:01.359 --> 00:20:04.779 and anchored by intricate Celtic knots, signifying 00:20:04.779 --> 00:20:07.720 the unconditional love that surrounds us. At 00:20:07.720 --> 00:20:10.059 its center lies an infinite knot representing 00:20:10.059 --> 00:20:13.039 the boundless love that we all deserve, yet often 00:20:13.039 --> 00:20:16.279 forget to extend to ourselves. Underneath it, 00:20:16.299 --> 00:20:18.839 three simple words resonate with my spirit, I 00:20:18.839 --> 00:20:22.900 am here. This phrase holds deep significance, 00:20:22.980 --> 00:20:26.019 echoing my journey from a place of despair to 00:20:26.019 --> 00:20:29.279 one of gratitude and purpose. After leaving this 00:20:29.279 --> 00:20:32.140 abusive relationship, I find myself in a dark 00:20:32.140 --> 00:20:35.400 pit of sorrow. Just six months after I escaped, 00:20:35.619 --> 00:20:38.460 overwhelmed with pain and despair, I sought not 00:20:38.460 --> 00:20:41.099 death, but a way to feel something other than 00:20:41.099 --> 00:20:43.599 the anguish that echoed in my heart. In that 00:20:43.599 --> 00:20:46.680 moment of desperation, I slashed my wrist, not 00:20:46.680 --> 00:20:49.480 to end my life. but to cry out for repentance, 00:20:49.599 --> 00:20:51.900 forgiveness, and the ability to reconnect with 00:20:51.900 --> 00:20:55.299 my own humanity. Through the pain, I was met 00:20:55.299 --> 00:20:58.839 with a revelation. I was still here, alive and 00:20:58.839 --> 00:21:01.180 deserving of love. The act of tattooing over 00:21:01.180 --> 00:21:03.420 those scars not only transformed my narrative, 00:21:03.519 --> 00:21:05.920 but also marked the beginning of a new chapter. 00:21:06.259 --> 00:21:08.940 The heart and knots symbolize the love I have 00:21:08.940 --> 00:21:11.339 cultivated for myself, my children, and my husband, 00:21:11.500 --> 00:21:14.099 who has stood by me as an angel through the journey. 00:21:14.640 --> 00:21:18.019 This tattoo is a celebration of survival, a testament 00:21:18.019 --> 00:21:20.460 to the angels who have walked alongside me, and 00:21:20.460 --> 00:21:23.799 a reminder that healing is a journey, one that 00:21:23.799 --> 00:21:26.579 continues to unfold. In embracing this light, 00:21:26.660 --> 00:21:28.779 I have learned to see myself through a lens of 00:21:28.779 --> 00:21:31.480 love and acceptance. The scars of my past no 00:21:31.480 --> 00:21:34.519 longer haunt me. Instead, they serve as markers 00:21:34.519 --> 00:21:37.500 of resilience, strength, and beauty that can 00:21:37.500 --> 00:21:41.759 emerge from the darkness. Friends, we have to 00:21:41.759 --> 00:21:47.269 acknowledge Our pain. Which leads us to our next 00:21:47.269 --> 00:21:49.890 step. We have to surrender our right to punish. 00:21:50.509 --> 00:21:53.849 And I get it. This is a difficult step. This 00:21:53.849 --> 00:21:56.630 is a painful step. In fact, after receiving that 00:21:56.630 --> 00:21:58.970 email this week, my first response, of course, 00:21:58.990 --> 00:22:02.769 was anger. Then rage. Then I chose to forgive. 00:22:03.289 --> 00:22:05.230 But then the very next day, which would have 00:22:05.230 --> 00:22:07.589 been Thursday, I began to think, how do I make 00:22:07.589 --> 00:22:12.069 them pay for those lies? And I believe that's 00:22:12.069 --> 00:22:15.170 just how the human heart works. We want to get 00:22:15.170 --> 00:22:17.809 made up for, but then God leads me to Romans 00:22:17.809 --> 00:22:21.269 chapter 12, verses 17 through 20. Never pay back 00:22:21.269 --> 00:22:24.910 evil with more evil. Do things in such a way 00:22:24.910 --> 00:22:28.269 that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all 00:22:28.269 --> 00:22:30.549 that you can to live in peace with everyone. 00:22:30.869 --> 00:22:34.150 Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that 00:22:34.150 --> 00:22:36.549 to the righteous anger of God. For the scriptures 00:22:36.549 --> 00:22:39.509 say, I will take revenge. I will pay them back, 00:22:39.589 --> 00:22:42.650 says the Lord. Instead, if your enemies are hungry, 00:22:42.750 --> 00:22:45.490 feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something 00:22:45.490 --> 00:22:48.529 to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning 00:22:48.529 --> 00:22:52.630 coals of shame on their heads. See, in real life, 00:22:52.710 --> 00:22:56.589 the forgiveness process... is a process because 00:22:56.589 --> 00:22:59.829 true forgiveness means we forgive, we release 00:22:59.829 --> 00:23:02.470 the offender or the person that hurt us from 00:23:02.470 --> 00:23:05.990 that situation. And that means we can't continue 00:23:05.990 --> 00:23:09.470 to bring it up over and over and over again, 00:23:09.589 --> 00:23:12.650 those of you that are married. We can't use it 00:23:12.650 --> 00:23:14.950 as a crutch to punish the offender or others 00:23:14.950 --> 00:23:17.269 that hurt us. We must remember that forgiveness 00:23:17.269 --> 00:23:21.170 is about freedom for us first and then for others. 00:23:21.799 --> 00:23:24.299 Now please understand, forgiveness is not justifying 00:23:24.299 --> 00:23:27.759 their actions. Forgiveness is not saying what 00:23:27.759 --> 00:23:31.900 a person did to us is okay. It's not okay that 00:23:31.900 --> 00:23:34.420 you abandoned us. It's not okay that you hurt 00:23:34.420 --> 00:23:36.539 me. It's not okay that you lied. It's not okay 00:23:36.539 --> 00:23:41.119 that you abused. My forgiving you doesn't justify 00:23:41.119 --> 00:23:44.680 those actions. Forgiveness is not letting someone 00:23:44.680 --> 00:23:47.900 off the hook. In fact, forgiveness is not a guarantee 00:23:47.900 --> 00:23:51.359 for reconciliation. Forgiveness... It's for us. 00:23:51.740 --> 00:23:55.579 It's about us. It's God working in us to release 00:23:55.579 --> 00:24:01.160 us, free us from the pain of the past, which 00:24:01.160 --> 00:24:03.740 leads us to our next step, our third step. Then 00:24:03.740 --> 00:24:08.039 we begin to pray for the offender. And we all 00:24:08.039 --> 00:24:10.559 can laugh because this is probably the hardest 00:24:10.559 --> 00:24:12.619 step along the process. And please understand, 00:24:12.799 --> 00:24:17.480 it's a process. We pray for them. We pray for 00:24:17.480 --> 00:24:19.799 the person that hurt us. And now some of you 00:24:19.799 --> 00:24:21.160 are thinking, well, where is that in the Bible, 00:24:21.240 --> 00:24:25.039 Chris? It's from Jesus, Matthew 5. You have heard 00:24:25.039 --> 00:24:28.059 the law that says, love your neighbor and hate 00:24:28.059 --> 00:24:31.960 your enemy. But I say, love your enemies. Pray 00:24:31.960 --> 00:24:35.559 for those who persecute you. It's a process. 00:24:36.059 --> 00:24:39.099 And it starts with God. God, would you bless? 00:24:39.660 --> 00:24:42.450 You may not even be able to say their name. It 00:24:42.450 --> 00:24:44.329 may take weeks before you can even say their 00:24:44.329 --> 00:24:46.869 name. And then when you can say their name, you 00:24:46.869 --> 00:24:50.829 may say, God bless John. You know what he needs. 00:24:50.849 --> 00:24:54.730 And that's it. But then you may say, God, you 00:24:54.730 --> 00:24:57.509 know what he did. And of course, remember, it's 00:24:57.509 --> 00:25:01.789 a process. Right? It's a process. Forgiveness 00:25:01.789 --> 00:25:05.059 is for me. Right? Because why? What happens in 00:25:05.059 --> 00:25:08.279 our hearts when we hold on to unforgiveness, 00:25:08.339 --> 00:25:10.759 hurt turns to anger, anger turns to bitterness, 00:25:10.940 --> 00:25:14.140 bitterness turns to a hardened heart. And that 00:25:14.140 --> 00:25:16.599 changes the way we live, changes who we are as 00:25:16.599 --> 00:25:19.819 a person, how we feel about others. Every time 00:25:19.819 --> 00:25:22.700 we can humble our hearts and pray that God would 00:25:22.700 --> 00:25:25.160 bless those that have hurt us and extend grace 00:25:25.160 --> 00:25:27.299 to them, you know what happens to our hearts? 00:25:27.440 --> 00:25:32.220 They soften. They allow love to come in. We allow 00:25:32.220 --> 00:25:34.460 God to break into our hearts every time we pray 00:25:34.460 --> 00:25:38.160 for that person that hurt us one layer at a time. 00:25:38.220 --> 00:25:41.700 Romans 12, 14. Bless those who persecute you. 00:25:42.319 --> 00:25:45.960 Don't curse them. Pray that God will bless them. 00:25:46.200 --> 00:25:49.059 And see, when our heart is free from unforgiveness, 00:25:49.299 --> 00:25:51.420 then we can experience the peace and the joy 00:25:51.420 --> 00:25:55.599 that God promises. It's painful. I get it. But 00:25:55.599 --> 00:25:58.359 it produces freedom, which moves us to our fourth 00:25:58.359 --> 00:26:02.240 step. Be open to reconciliation. Again, back 00:26:02.240 --> 00:26:05.839 to Romans 12, 17 through 19. Never pay back evil 00:26:05.839 --> 00:26:08.299 with more evil. Do things in such a way that 00:26:08.299 --> 00:26:11.519 everyone can see you're honorable. Do all that 00:26:11.519 --> 00:26:15.500 you can to live at peace with everyone. Dear 00:26:15.500 --> 00:26:19.559 friends, never take revenge. And this is a challenging 00:26:19.559 --> 00:26:22.539 step. Because, again, of the pain we experienced 00:26:22.539 --> 00:26:25.660 in the past. So let me say, there's a big difference 00:26:25.660 --> 00:26:29.779 between forgiveness and fellowship. They're not 00:26:29.779 --> 00:26:33.220 the same thing. Forgiveness, it's something that 00:26:33.220 --> 00:26:38.099 I do. It's something that we do. I decide to 00:26:38.099 --> 00:26:41.400 acknowledge what happened. I decide to go to 00:26:41.400 --> 00:26:45.660 God and to ask that God would allow me to forgive 00:26:45.660 --> 00:26:49.619 them and not punish them. I decide to pray for 00:26:49.619 --> 00:26:52.960 the people that have hurt me. I decide, choose 00:26:52.960 --> 00:26:56.480 to forgive. Fellowship, on the other hand, takes 00:26:56.480 --> 00:27:00.509 two people. Fellowship happens if and only if 00:27:00.509 --> 00:27:04.150 true repentance comes from the offender, not 00:27:04.150 --> 00:27:06.630 fake repentance. And some of you are like, well, 00:27:06.630 --> 00:27:09.869 Chris, what's fake repentance? Fake repentance 00:27:09.869 --> 00:27:14.549 is, well, I am sorry if that hurt you. Fake repentance 00:27:14.549 --> 00:27:17.390 is, I am sorry if my words were misunderstood. 00:27:18.329 --> 00:27:22.349 Fake repentance is, I am sorry if my actions 00:27:22.349 --> 00:27:25.410 happened because of a substance. They're excuses. 00:27:26.380 --> 00:27:29.920 That's not repentance. True repentance looks 00:27:29.920 --> 00:27:34.519 like this. Genesis chapter 50 back to Joseph's 00:27:34.519 --> 00:27:38.599 story, verses 16 and 19. So they sent this message 00:27:38.599 --> 00:27:41.640 to Joseph. Before your father died, he instructed 00:27:41.640 --> 00:27:43.779 us to say to you, please forgive your brothers 00:27:43.779 --> 00:27:46.119 for the great wrong they did to you, for their 00:27:46.119 --> 00:27:50.079 sin in treating you so cruelly. So we, the servants 00:27:50.079 --> 00:27:53.059 of the God of your father, beg you to forgive 00:27:53.059 --> 00:27:56.319 our sin. When Joseph received the message, he 00:27:56.319 --> 00:27:59.960 broke down and wept. Then his brothers came and 00:27:59.960 --> 00:28:03.240 threw themselves down before Joseph. Look, we 00:28:03.240 --> 00:28:05.920 are your slaves, they said. But as Joseph replied, 00:28:06.220 --> 00:28:09.859 don't be afraid of me. Am I God that I can punish 00:28:09.859 --> 00:28:12.980 you? Notice the brothers' response. They said 00:28:12.980 --> 00:28:15.480 they were wrong. They asked for forgiveness, 00:28:15.720 --> 00:28:18.839 said they were sorry, and then threw themselves 00:28:18.839 --> 00:28:23.970 at his feet. That is true repentance. But even 00:28:23.970 --> 00:28:26.309 if there's true repentance, hear me out, it does 00:28:26.309 --> 00:28:28.309 not mean there will ever be fellowship because 00:28:28.309 --> 00:28:30.809 sometimes it's just not possible. Fellowship 00:28:30.809 --> 00:28:35.009 can't happen because of the past hurts that have 00:28:35.009 --> 00:28:38.450 been done to us. Paul tells Timothy in 2 Timothy 00:28:38.450 --> 00:28:41.710 2, 23 to 25, again, I say to you, don't get involved 00:28:41.710 --> 00:28:43.990 in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start 00:28:43.990 --> 00:28:46.809 fights. A servant of the Lord must not quarrel, 00:28:46.829 --> 00:28:50.250 but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, 00:28:50.369 --> 00:28:53.400 and be patient with difficult people. Gently 00:28:53.400 --> 00:28:56.099 instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps 00:28:56.099 --> 00:28:59.839 God will change those whose people's hearts they 00:28:59.839 --> 00:29:02.759 will learn from the truth. So we gently, Paul 00:29:02.759 --> 00:29:06.619 tells us, tell others that they hurt us and allow 00:29:06.619 --> 00:29:09.680 the truth to win out. And if God changes their 00:29:09.680 --> 00:29:13.119 heart, maybe fellowship can happen. But then 00:29:13.119 --> 00:29:16.440 Paul also uses a baseball analogy with Titus, 00:29:16.440 --> 00:29:18.539 the three strike rule in Titus 3, 9 through 11. 00:29:19.440 --> 00:29:21.819 Do not get involved in foolish discussions about 00:29:21.819 --> 00:29:24.220 spiritual pedigrees or in quarrels and fights 00:29:24.220 --> 00:29:26.880 about obedience to Jewish laws. These things 00:29:26.880 --> 00:29:30.039 are useless and a waste of time. If people are 00:29:30.039 --> 00:29:32.779 causing divisions among you, give a first and 00:29:32.779 --> 00:29:35.720 second warning. After that, have nothing more 00:29:35.720 --> 00:29:37.740 to do with them, for people like that have turned 00:29:37.740 --> 00:29:40.180 away from the truth and their own sins condemn 00:29:40.180 --> 00:29:43.900 them. See, God wants us to work toward reconciliation. 00:29:45.039 --> 00:29:49.079 But there's cases when this is difficult. Like 00:29:49.079 --> 00:29:51.619 when addiction is involved or abuse is involved 00:29:51.619 --> 00:29:57.319 or mental health is involved. Not all situations 00:29:57.319 --> 00:30:01.539 are going to end in fellowship. We forgive, yes, 00:30:01.640 --> 00:30:05.579 but that does not mean that fellowship is always 00:30:05.579 --> 00:30:08.160 going to happen, which leads us to our final 00:30:08.160 --> 00:30:12.059 step. We pray for divine strength, healing, and 00:30:12.059 --> 00:30:15.940 freedom. We have to get involved in the process 00:30:15.940 --> 00:30:20.180 of inviting God into this forgiveness. We need 00:30:20.180 --> 00:30:22.140 the Holy Spirit's power to empower us to walk 00:30:22.140 --> 00:30:24.880 through these steps. Because quite often we want 00:30:24.880 --> 00:30:28.039 freedom. We don't want the pain in our hearts 00:30:28.039 --> 00:30:30.200 anymore, but we just simply don't have the power 00:30:30.200 --> 00:30:32.240 to walk it out in our own strength. It hurts 00:30:32.240 --> 00:30:34.900 too bad. I mean, there's a reason that Jesus 00:30:34.900 --> 00:30:38.779 added these words to an everyday prayer that 00:30:38.779 --> 00:30:40.980 he was teaching his disciples, Matthew 6, 11 00:30:40.980 --> 00:30:44.250 through 12. Give us today the food we need and 00:30:44.250 --> 00:30:48.069 forgive us our sins as we have forgiven those 00:30:48.069 --> 00:30:50.670 who sinned against us. It's an everyday prayer. 00:30:51.430 --> 00:30:55.089 Jesus understands the pain, the suffering that 00:30:55.089 --> 00:30:57.349 we walk through because he walked through it 00:30:57.349 --> 00:31:00.910 himself. And he desires that we forgive, what? 00:31:01.150 --> 00:31:08.079 Every single day. 2 Corinthians 13, 11. Dear 00:31:08.079 --> 00:31:10.240 brothers and sisters, I close my letter with 00:31:10.240 --> 00:31:14.319 these last words. Be joyful. Grow to maturity. 00:31:14.839 --> 00:31:17.759 Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. 00:31:18.400 --> 00:31:21.599 Then the God of love and peace will be with you. 00:31:22.140 --> 00:31:25.099 See, when we walk through this forgiveness process, 00:31:25.759 --> 00:31:28.980 he promises there's freedom on the other side. 00:31:29.279 --> 00:31:33.019 It's painful, yes, but there's freedom on the 00:31:33.019 --> 00:31:35.819 other side. And that freedom comes when we read 00:31:35.819 --> 00:31:39.180 2 Corinthians 12, 9. Each time he said, my grace 00:31:39.180 --> 00:31:41.859 is all you need. My power works best in weakness. 00:31:42.299 --> 00:31:44.920 So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses. 00:31:44.920 --> 00:31:49.019 Why? So that the power of Christ can work through 00:31:49.019 --> 00:31:52.460 me. God works through our weakness, works through 00:31:52.460 --> 00:31:54.680 our pain, works through our suffering, works 00:31:54.680 --> 00:31:58.240 through our hurts so that we don't have to do 00:31:58.240 --> 00:32:00.160 it on our own. If you feel like you don't have 00:32:00.160 --> 00:32:02.640 the power to forgive, that's when you pray and 00:32:02.640 --> 00:32:04.680 you invite the Holy Spirit. God, I need to forgive. 00:32:05.359 --> 00:32:09.339 I want my heart free from the pain. Fill my heart 00:32:09.339 --> 00:32:11.740 with your love and your grace so that I choose 00:32:11.740 --> 00:32:16.779 to forgive the person that hurt me, Matthew 19, 00:32:16.920 --> 00:32:21.000 26. Jesus looked at them intently and said, humanly 00:32:21.000 --> 00:32:24.500 speaking, it's impossible. But with God, everything 00:32:24.500 --> 00:32:28.460 is possible. See, God can walk us through the 00:32:28.460 --> 00:32:31.299 pain that we feel that we may be experiencing 00:32:31.299 --> 00:32:35.000 right now because there's power. In the name 00:32:35.000 --> 00:32:38.599 of Jesus. As we walk through that pain, as we 00:32:38.599 --> 00:32:41.059 extend that forgiveness to others, and we declare 00:32:41.059 --> 00:32:46.259 the power of Jesus' name, there is freedom. And 00:32:46.259 --> 00:32:48.259 we must remind ourselves that forgiveness is 00:32:48.259 --> 00:32:51.000 a process, much like the pain and numbness that 00:32:51.000 --> 00:32:53.160 I've been experiencing for the last year and 00:32:53.160 --> 00:32:56.039 a half from an injury that I thought was pointless. 00:32:56.539 --> 00:33:02.319 I was doing laundry, God! When in reality, God 00:33:02.319 --> 00:33:05.710 wanted to teach me, about the power of forgiveness. 00:33:06.529 --> 00:33:09.490 God wants us to leave the pain of the past in 00:33:09.490 --> 00:33:13.769 the past and to walk in the freedom and the power 00:33:13.769 --> 00:33:21.509 of forgiveness. Will you stand with me? So as 00:33:21.509 --> 00:33:24.049 I was praying about how to close this talk, this 00:33:24.049 --> 00:33:26.730 series, I felt like God highlighted to me that 00:33:26.730 --> 00:33:31.630 all of us, if we're honest, have past hurts and 00:33:31.630 --> 00:33:34.500 pains. And for many of us, we've buried them, 00:33:34.599 --> 00:33:37.079 we've moved on, we've kept working, we work hard, 00:33:37.119 --> 00:33:40.019 we go back to school, we study, we read the Bible, 00:33:40.160 --> 00:33:43.099 but every time there's a trigger, that pain comes 00:33:43.099 --> 00:33:46.819 back. And I want to encourage you, as I was sharing 00:33:46.819 --> 00:33:48.839 this morning, maybe God highlighted different 00:33:48.839 --> 00:33:51.960 areas of your heart where that pain and that 00:33:51.960 --> 00:33:55.819 emptiness comes. Well, I looked up and jotted 00:33:55.819 --> 00:33:59.140 down a forgiveness prayer that I'm going to invite 00:33:59.140 --> 00:34:03.309 all of us to pray together. as we lay down this 00:34:03.309 --> 00:34:05.750 unforgiveness, as we lay down this hurt, and 00:34:05.750 --> 00:34:09.889 we move on free, redeemed people of God. Amen? 00:34:10.949 --> 00:34:12.809 So if you'll turn your attention to our screen, 00:34:13.010 --> 00:34:17.909 I've put it on the screen for you. On the next 00:34:17.909 --> 00:34:20.050 page, there's blanks for the person that's hurt 00:34:20.050 --> 00:34:23.769 you and what has taken place. And I want to invite 00:34:23.769 --> 00:34:26.670 you to pray this with me as we move towards freedom. 00:34:28.289 --> 00:34:34.780 God, I am ready. To stop pretending the pain 00:34:34.780 --> 00:34:40.579 in my past is not affecting my present. Today, 00:34:40.579 --> 00:34:46.440 I declare I am getting rid of this hurt, anger, 00:34:46.639 --> 00:34:52.739 and unforgiveness. I choose as an act of my will 00:34:52.739 --> 00:35:04.800 to forgive for In Jesus' name. God, I thank you 00:35:04.800 --> 00:35:10.559 for making me whole and setting me free. God, 00:35:10.639 --> 00:35:14.780 I completely forgive and place it in your hands. 00:35:15.619 --> 00:35:22.679 In Jesus' name. Amen. Now, I believe that that's 00:35:22.679 --> 00:35:25.400 a prayer we should pray every time God highlights 00:35:25.400 --> 00:35:27.869 an area of your heart that's hurting. That we 00:35:27.869 --> 00:35:30.110 release those people, we release that pain, and 00:35:30.110 --> 00:35:32.630 we give them back to God, and we allow that freedom 00:35:32.630 --> 00:35:35.190 to reign in our life so that we can truly be 00:35:35.190 --> 00:35:39.170 an example of Jesus to this world. It's a process, 00:35:39.409 --> 00:35:43.050 but it's a process that's worth it because Paul 00:35:43.050 --> 00:35:47.250 challenges us to end the race, to win and to 00:35:47.250 --> 00:35:51.190 cross that line whole, healed, and delivered. 00:35:52.909 --> 00:35:54.869 Now, for some of you, you're in this place and 00:35:54.869 --> 00:35:57.110 you can extend forgiveness because you're not 00:35:57.110 --> 00:35:59.469 in a relationship with Jesus. We believe there's 00:35:59.469 --> 00:36:01.570 individuals that come into our midst each and 00:36:01.570 --> 00:36:04.010 every one of our gatherings where they're distant, 00:36:04.130 --> 00:36:05.989 far from God, or have never started that journey. 00:36:06.050 --> 00:36:08.829 And we pray this prayer every Sunday at each 00:36:08.829 --> 00:36:11.409 of our gatherings because we believe God wants 00:36:11.409 --> 00:36:14.929 people to come home. So as we pray it together, 00:36:15.130 --> 00:36:18.170 search your heart. If you're running from God, 00:36:18.230 --> 00:36:20.590 mad at God, distant from God, or never began 00:36:20.590 --> 00:36:23.460 that relationship, Today's your day to pray it 00:36:23.460 --> 00:36:28.460 with us. Let's pray. Jesus, I'm broken. I'm full 00:36:28.460 --> 00:36:34.940 of doubt, shame, regret, sin. Change me. I believe 00:36:34.940 --> 00:36:39.619 you're God's son. I believe you died for me. 00:36:40.300 --> 00:36:45.159 Make me new. Set me free. Fill me with your spirit. 00:36:46.119 --> 00:36:50.300 Help me, God, to serve others and further your 00:36:50.300 --> 00:36:55.530 kingdom. In Jesus' name, amen. So if you prayed 00:36:55.530 --> 00:36:57.030 that prayer, let me know so I can give you some 00:36:57.030 --> 00:36:59.829 next steps. We have a baptism coming up this 00:36:59.829 --> 00:37:01.670 summer. There are several words of knowledge 00:37:01.670 --> 00:37:04.269 I need to share with you. Our prayer team is 00:37:04.269 --> 00:37:06.730 here on the right and would meet you and pray 00:37:06.730 --> 00:37:08.670 with you because we believe God wants to heal 00:37:08.670 --> 00:37:11.489 you. You have left ear pain or pressure in the 00:37:11.489 --> 00:37:15.070 ear. Your left ankle on the inside is causing 00:37:15.070 --> 00:37:18.449 you discomfort. In your left arm, you have muscle 00:37:18.449 --> 00:37:20.730 or nerve pain from your shoulder to your elbow. 00:37:21.449 --> 00:37:24.750 You have pain in the outside part of your right 00:37:24.750 --> 00:37:28.829 foot near the sole. You have left shoulder pain 00:37:28.829 --> 00:37:32.329 on the outside, pain in the inner thigh of your 00:37:32.329 --> 00:37:39.409 left leg. Your big right toe is pounding. That's 00:37:39.409 --> 00:37:43.409 pretty self -explanatory. There's a person here 00:37:43.409 --> 00:37:47.309 who has back and hip pain and you had an operation 00:37:47.309 --> 00:37:50.460 that wasn't successful. So if any of those are 00:37:50.460 --> 00:37:51.940 you, our prayer team would be here on the right 00:37:51.940 --> 00:37:54.199 to pray for those needs or any other need that 00:37:54.199 --> 00:37:56.599 you have. Doesn't just have to be those because 00:37:56.599 --> 00:37:59.079 we believe God wants to meet you, heal you and 00:37:59.079 --> 00:38:02.250 set you free. Amen. Next week, we kick off our 00:38:02.250 --> 00:38:04.670 new series in June called Come Holy Spirit. We're 00:38:04.670 --> 00:38:06.730 going to be discussing the Holy Spirit for five 00:38:06.730 --> 00:38:09.489 weeks in June, who he is, what he does, how he 00:38:09.489 --> 00:38:12.269 empowers us, and how he radically changes lives. 00:38:12.409 --> 00:38:14.849 It's going to be a great series of learning about 00:38:14.849 --> 00:38:17.769 the power of walking in the miraculous. Thank 00:38:17.769 --> 00:38:21.130 you for joining us online. I am going to my left. 00:38:21.610 --> 00:38:23.829 So that door will remain closed. Just relax. 00:38:23.869 --> 00:38:25.829 If you need to run out, go to my right and give 00:38:25.829 --> 00:38:28.269 my wife a hug. It'll probably actually be longer 00:38:28.269 --> 00:38:29.789 than mine because she's going to hug everybody 00:38:29.789 --> 00:38:32.110 who goes out that door. So, you know, it's probably 00:38:32.110 --> 00:38:33.969 better to go left. Love you guys.