Monthly Archives: July 2014

Come, Follow Me

Scripture

Matthew 4:18-20 (New International Version)

As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him.

Consider

Peter and his brother, Andrew, knew that Jesus was seeking more than mere traveling companions. At this point the brothers had known Jesus for more than a year. They’d had time to consider his teachings…

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Impossible Peace

Scripture

Romans 12:18 (New International Version)

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

Consider

The apostle Paul urges us to live in peace with one another, yet he also acknowledges that peace is not necessarily within our grasp. A conflict always has two sides to consider, and the other person may not want peace or reconciliation. Even the wisest words have no effect on people who are not willing to listen. Some people view conflict as a contest they must win by seeing the other side defeated.

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Delivered From Darkness

Scripture

Isaiah 61:1 (New International Version)

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.

Consider

How did the people who raised you handle hurts and offenses? If they had difficulty forgiving, chances are that you do, too. The behaviors that were modeled for us become our default reactions that kick in whenever we encounter conflict—unless we learn new habits.

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The Good From the Bad and the Ugly

Scripture

Psalm 50:15 (New Living Translation)

Replace the evil years with good.

Consider

A powerful stumbling block to forgiving is our belief that someone has robbed us of precious time. We may have spent years in an abusive or unhappy relationship feeling angry, afraid, and helpless. We may have survived childhood wounding only to sacrifice adult years to low self-esteem, underachievement, addictions, or poor relationship choices. We may be convinced that until our lost time is restored to us, we can’t consider forgiving the person who cheated us.

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Book Review: Forgiving Our Fathers and Mothers

To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you. —C. S. Lewis

About the Book

Leslie Leyland Fields’s book is a practical and compelling guide to surrendering our painful childhood wounds to the healing work of forgiveness. The author explores the biblical and emotional ramifications of forgiving hurtful parents by offering keen insights and examples from her own struggles to forgive a distant and rejecting father. Her journey can be summed up in the subtitle for her book: “Finding Freedom from Hurt and Hate.”

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