Forgiveness and Expectations 2
BONUS! I found this wonderful recording of a real conversation with real people that covers some of the key stuff in the article! Yes! This is part 2 of 2 where Robin and I lead our very first Churchthink at none other than David and Ally Wilton's house last fall. This first part deals mostly with learning to express healthy expectations of one another and building familial language.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Forgiveness and Expectations 1
OK, David Wilton and I tried to record a conversation on our last article posted here which is titled Being A Reconciler, but it was super long and filled with aweful explosions for the iPhone which was in my butt pocket. I have learned this lesson before, but this time it was fatal. BONUS! I found this wonderful recording of a real conversation with real people that covers some of the key stuff in the article! Yes! This is part 1 of 2 where Robin and I lead our very first Churchthink at none other than David and Ally Wilton's house last fall. This first part deals mostly with exercising forgiveness.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Being A Reconciler
Paul had a Wounded Heart
I would like you to read the first seven chapters of 2 Corinthians with this in mind: Paul loved this group of believers in Corinth but something had come between them--and it had broken his heart.
I have always loved this section of Scripture, but I don’t think I saw it as a personal letter until recently. I think many of us read the letters in the New Testament as though the authors put chapters and numbers in them from the beginning like they were teaching manuals. I know I can’t help but seeing them that way sometimes. 2 Corinthians is a book in the Bible, but I submit that it is also a very personal letter from Paul to the Church in Corinth.
Kingdom Forgiveness Podcast 2 of 2
Wow, that took a while to post. July was crazy. Holly and Ben come back together to complete the discussion on the article Kingdom Forgiveness in just under an hour. Enjoy.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Kingdom Forgiveness Podcast 1 of 2
Ben Pasley is joined by Holly Morrell to talk through the first half (almost) of the latest article posted at Churchthink.com. It is an MP3 about 47 minutes long!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Kingdom Forgiveness: The Basics
All About the Heart
In Matthew 16 Peter had a revelation of Jesus as the Son of God. At that moment Peter saw Jesus clearly and the truth fell right out of his mouth: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Jesus enthusiastically commends Peter for his sudden burst of clarity then makes this promise , “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” This promise changed the atmosphere around the disciples. Keys to the Kingdom!? The promise of power excited the disciples so much that Jesus had to warn them to keep it on the down low. He knew they had the promise of power, but they didn’t quite have the heart to understand its use.
How about you?
Forgiveness: The Way of the Kingdom, Part 3
A conversation between Ben Pasley and Todd Berger on the power and necessity of forgiving others, releasing offense, and being about the work of reconciliation. Part 3 of 3.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Forgiveness: The Way of the Kingdom, Part 2
A conversation between Ben Pasley and Todd Berger on the power and necessity of forgiving others, releasing offense, and being about the work of reconciliation. Part 2 of 3.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Forgiveness: The Way of the Kingdom, Part 1
A conversation between Ben Pasley and Todd Berger on the power and necessity of forgiving others, releasing offense, and being about the work of reconciliation. Part 1 of 3.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Forgiveness: The Way of the Kingdom
Scripture Note
Matt. 18:23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants...”
The Kingdom Leads with Forgiveness
This phrase from Matthew 18 begins with a drum roll...“the kingdom of heaven is like!” It is the announcement that what follows will be profoundly impactful in our present journey as kingdom people. It is not a future statement, it is a present statement. Jesus came proclaiming the Kingdom, and so, when we hear “the kingdom of heaven is like” it demands all of our attention and all of our commitment to see and to believe. I often insert some casual phrases like “this is the way it really is,” or “this is how the family works” in order to help the parable come to life in my present walk. Forgiveness is the Way of the Kingdom.