Many people feel stuck in their past even when they respond properly because the still struggle with two questions, Allow me to deal with the first:

1. What should I do if I don’t feel forgiven?

We must remember that our emotions are only reliable to the degree that they reflect biblical truth. After we have confessed our sin to God and to the appropriate people, we need to focus on what God’s Word has instructed us to believe about our status before Him, and what our Lord has done to make that status possible. We do that by remembering three things: 1) God is a forgiving God – Ps 103:12 2) Jesus focused on forgiveness even while dying on the cross – Luke 23:34; 23:43 3) God promises to forgive His children as soon as we come in repentance and faith – 1 John 1:9

On of the purposes of the Lord’s table, is to remind us as believers that our sins are forgiven because of 4 fold work of Christ in His Crucifixion, Resurrection, Ascension, and at Pentecost. We need to choose to live in the promises of God’s forgiveness whether our emotions accept that reality or not. … READ MORE

The question of whether people can and should be expected to make sound moral judgments has a dramatic impact on the way we face the challenges of daily living. Man’s love for truth and willingness to take responsibility fo their choices is essential to understanding what it means to be truly human. Bod, by His grace, has given us principles that can help us handle the grinding affliction that sometimes attends our journey in the sin cursed world. The hard reality is that many of us are stuck in the past, at least in part, because when someone mistreated us, we responded in a sinful way. We have sometimes been so focused on the hurt caused by other’s misdeeds that we have never taken the time to address our Biblical responses to those hurts. It is not easy to acknowledge our failures, especially when someone else sinned against us first. But doing so is an important step to God developing us into the new person He desires us to become. The challenge to this part of the process is developing the ability to honestly admit our past failures and dealing with them humbly. We do this by making a humble … READ MORE

As we go through times of trials and testing we need to process any trial properly before it becomes a destructive or debilitating part of our past. As we consider our response to that suffering, it is wise to get in the habit of asking ourselves, “Do I really want to wear that response, in my heart?” One key essential that will help us practice authentic suffering in coming days is learning to benefit from the sustaining Gospel. The power of the sustaining Gospel enables us because of 4 points: 1. We can be encouraged because we have a crucified Savior – This aspect of the sustaining gospel gives depth, perspective, and meaning to our suffering. His death proves His love for me, and enables us to draw near to God so that we do not have to sin as we suffer. 2. We can be comforted because we have a Sympathetic Savior, The Bible reminds us that He was tempted in every way that we were (Hebrews 4:15) 3. We can be amazed because we have a risen Savior. Because He is alive, His presence fills us through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. 4. We can be … READ MORE