The Hub of Hope
Powered By: The Holy Spirit
Forgiveness
Why we need to talk about it, what happens when we choose not to forgive, and when we do choose to forgive.
"Justice" what I want for others when I am wronged
"Mercy" what I want from others when I do them wrong. The past cannot be changed, but our present and future are set in place by our choices. Forgiveness is not about being nice; it is about not letting the past control our present and future.
When we decide not to forgive, our future is pretty fixed. It will narrow our possibilities and will be followed by bitterness and destruction.
When forgiveness is relevant: The more intimate the relationship, the more risk that is involved, and the more likelihood that forgiveness is going to be part of the picture. A pivotal concept is that pain and anger are not the message, just the messenger. When our lives develop cracks, the light of God is able to shine in a heal us. A powerful example is a tennis ball. It is relatively small, but when we bounce it around the room it takes up alot of space. Likewise, when we rumninate about the past, when we reherarse the hurts, they take up bigger and bigger areas of our lives, and the past was never meant to be in charge of our lives.
The emotion process of hurtful events: When we are hurt, the anger rises. This is okay; anger is just the messenger that there is danger, it is an internal emotion and not the outward behavior. But what we need to do is step away from the event, calm down, and then deal with the actual event and the real issues. Painful things want to distract us, but they aren’t suppose to be in charge of your life. Rather, we should not blast off but rather manage our emotions. We walk in the same direction, day after day, and eventually we will reach our destination.
Once we have experienced pain, we have to get the intensity down and then come back and handle the event. Here is a sample set of questions. (1) Tell the person what it was like for you. (2) Then ask the other person what the event was like for them. Remember, the behavior is the messenger, not the message. The message is what you need to get to.
The process of forgiveness: The process of forgiving someone follows a specific format, depending on whether they repent or not. But regardless of what the other person does, you can still forgive. But it may not mean the restoration of the relationship.
Tithes | Offerings | Stewardship
Tithe vs. Offering: A tithe is an amount (a percentage of your income) and an offering is anything given beyond that, but not in place of the tithe. In the Old Testament the Bible commands 10%.
Stewardship: "Utilizing and managing all resources God provides for the glory of God and the betterment of His creation." ... "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it." -Psalm 24:1
Ten Commandments
The major function of the Ten Commandments is to reveal who God is. Who someone is can best be understood by knowing what matters most to him. Obeying these commands from God, or not, is always a matter of response to who he is more than a matter of morality.
1
You Shall Have No Other Gods Before Me
God will not be second.
Exodus 20:1–3; 1 Samuel 5:1–6; John 14:6–7; Revelation 2:1–6
2
You Shall Not Make for Yourself an Idol
God refuses to be reduced.
Exodus 20:4–6; Acts 17:16–29
3
You Shall Not Misuse the Name of the LORD
God is never to be taken lightly
Exodus 3:13–15, 20:7; Matthew 5:33–37; Acts 5:1–11, 8:9–24
4
Keep the Sabbath Holy
God can be trusted and enjoyed.
Exodus 20:8–11; Matthew 11:28–30; Colossians 2:16–17
5
Honor Your Father and Mother
God cares about your parents.
Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 6:4– 9; Matthew 22:36–40; Ephesians 6:1–4
6
You Shall Not Murder
God places great value on human beings.
Genesis 4:1–16; Matthew 5:21–24
7
You Shall Not Commit Adultery
Marriage is sacred to God.
2 Samuel 11:1–5, 14–17, 12:1–10
8
You Shall Not Steal
Everything belongs to God.
Psalm 50; Malachi 3:8–10
9
You Shall Not Give False Testimony
Our relationships with others should be based on truth, honesty, and trustworthiness.
Psalm 26:3, 31:5; Isaiah 65:16; John 8:31–32; Ephesians 4:1–3, 15
10
You Shall Not Covet
God alone is our satisfaction.
Exodus 20:17; 1 Kings 3:16–28; Job 22:21–30; James 4:1–3, 6–8
When God commands us not to covet what we don't have, He is telling us that what we truly need most is always Him, and that nothing else can truly satisfy us, no matter how good someone else's things or life looks to us.
Serving
Who | What | When | Where | How
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