UNITED by Pastor Shah, Clearview Church, Henderson Introduction: Have any of ya’ll ever walked into an establishment like a restaurant where the waiters or waitresses didn’t get along? The meal was good but the atmosphere gave you a heartburn! Have any of you ever been to someone’s house where the family members didn’t get along? The house... Continue Reading →
This is the first weekend of the New Year and I want to preach a message titled "Out of the Graveyard." It will both awaken and inspire us. Awaken us out of the graves of regret, bitterness, fear, and doubt. Inspire us to step out into the New Year with Christ.
In this message we will focus on the line – “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” This is by far the most important message in this series. Our world is in desperate need of heavy doses of forgiveness. We need both to receive forgiveness and give forgiveness. Furthermore, human forgiveness is inextricably linked with divine forgiveness. This message is easier preached than practiced! I am not referring to the simplistic “I’m sorry.” I am thinking about deep pains and hurts that cannot be voiced or explained. Such are the ones that deserve to be forgiven. Such are the ones that God in Christ has forgiven in us.
When Jesus raised the bar on divorce, he chastised the men for refusing to give a certificate of divorce to their wives. The reason for failing to do so was not lack of knowledge or forgetfulness but bitterness. They wanted to make the other person suffer. Unfortunately, the same spirit is evident in many marriages today. In this message we will learn how to release resentment and allow God’s grace to flow through our marriages.