Getting Past Your Past, Week 2, Forgiving Those Who Hurt You

We all have been hurt by some one or some thing, we try to push it away and we forget about it. But one day something sparks us to remember it and we get so angry. This shows that we still haven't dealt with those hurts Biblically.

Mark 11:25
When you pray, if you hold anything against anyone forgive him, so that God may forgive your sins.

Sometimes its easy to forgive if the hurt is towards us, but when it is towards some one we love then it is so hard to forgive.

Who Has Hurt You?

Why Should I Forgive?

1. Because Unforgiveness Hurts Me.
Hebrews 12:15
See to it... that no bitter root grows... cause trouble and defile many.

Unforgiveness is like drinking rat poison hoping it kills the other person.

2. Because I'll Need Forgiveness Again.
Matthew 6:14-15
If you forgive men who sin against you, God will forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, God will not forgive yours.

Matthew 18, the Parable of the Master and Servant
Matthew 18:32-35
If you do not forgive, you will be in a bad state until you forgive from the bottom of your heart.

Jesus could forgive others, while they were hurting him on the cross.

How Can I Forgive Someone Who Hurts Me?

1. Pray For Those Who Hurt You

Matthew 5:43-44
Love your enemies and pray for those who hurt you.

The prayer you have for others might not change them but it will change you. God will start to work on your heart.
Start with prayer.

2. Forgive As You've Been Forgiven.
Colossians 3:13
Bear with each other... forgive whatever grieves you have... forgive as the Lord forgave you.

If your in an abusive relationship, and the guy is hurting you, don't stay in the house and forgive him, but go to some where safe and forgive him. Your safety is important then comes forgiveness.

As we forgive others, God sets a prisoner free and that prisoner is not those who hurt us, but ourselves that gain freedom.

Pray for healing, forgiveness, a change of heart, then move on in your life forgiving others. Get help, stand together with believers to hold each other up.

posted from Bloggeroid

Getting Past Your Past, Week 1, Breaking the Labels that Bind

Usually we can't forgive ourselves for our past even though God has forgiven us.

In life people would label us, like Winnie the Pooh, Attilla the Hun, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, etc..

WHAT NEGATIVE LABEL FOLLOWS YOUR NAME?
_ the
(Your Name) (Label)

God's power is greater than your past.
God's truth is greater than your label.

Today you will get,
A NEW GOD-CENTERED VIEW OF YOU
(2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT)
Become a new person, old gone, new begun...

3 thoughts on our new life :

1. God Will Give You A New (Name).
Isaiah 62:2
Called... a new name... the mouth of the Lord will bestow.

Abram & Sarai to Abraham & Sarah.
We all have new names that God has given or will give.
We might feel that we don't deserve the new name because we're the exact opposite of our new name,
But we will grow into our new names.
Though we won't feel it, we will grow into it.

2. God Will Give You A New (Purpose).
Like Peter who was a fisherman but became the fisher of men.
Matthew 16:17-18
Simon was renamed as Peter, the rock, on which Christ's church will be built and the gates of Hell cannot overcome it.

We all know that Peter messed up so many times, moreover, denying Jesus three times.
But Peter worked on it, and grew into his name.
On Pentacost because of him many were saved.
He didn't start of as a rock but he grew into it and died as one.

You will receive a new name, and from that new name you will be given a new purpose.

3. God Will Give You A New (Future).

Jeremiah 29:11

We feel like were failures, divorcees/ers, unable to engage with our family, in debt, loveless, wronged.
But God has a plan for us, He plans to prosper us, not harm us, plans to give us hope and a future.

Like in Joshua, Rehab, the prostitute who risked her life to protect the 2 spies and by doing that God changed her heart, and He used her to bring in a important people through, and those important people happened to be David, Solomon, and Jesus. If God can use some one so broken like Rehab, He definitely can use us.

Don't let any label hold us back.

Philippians 3:13-14
Forget your past that is straining our future..
Press on to your goal to win the price which God has for us.

Through Christ you are made new.

posted from Bloggeroid

WEiRD, Week 5 A Weird View of Money

Guest Speaker : Dave Ramsey

We Christians view money is a weird way(bad way) we think that we can't be rich and all our money must go to charity or some missionary.

Anyways, to be wealthy is weird (not bad way)

5 Weird behaviours to get weird ways which takes time:

1. Written Game Plan
People don't and at the end of the month they wonder why they spend so much. Plan a day in the month to budget yourself and plan for the future by learning from past mistakes.

2. Act Your Wage
Live on less than you make. Even if it means to lower your standards of living.

3. Save Money
a. A storage fund/rainy day fund/emergency
b. Pay cash for things
You feel pain/hurts when you pay cash, this causes you to spend less.
c. Invest
Let your money work for you, don't just save but take a percentage of your income and invest it.
d. Debt is stupid
There is not one time in the Bible where it says debt is good. Debt has always been foolish, but it doesn't mean that God loves you less because your in it, even if your in or out of it His still crazy for you. Be free from payments, stress, painful, sleepless nights.
e. Give
God loves a cheerful giver. You can't help other people if your broke. Get control of your life. Tidings is a basic thing.

Weird is weird, to act weird is to be weird, wealth is weird, and to be wealthy is to act weird and thus be weird? :p

posted from Bloggeroid