Day 5
I want grace for me … but not for thee.
I want truth for you, and grace for me.
Luke 13:10-16
10 On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, 11 and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all.
12 When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” 13 Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.
14 Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue leader said to the people, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.”
15 The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water?
16 Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?”
They had grace for themselves (and their animals) and ‘truth’ for this vulnerable, suffering woman.
Luke 13:17
17 When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.
Malachi: "For I hate divorce!" says the LORD, the God of Israel.
Religious people wielding ‘scripture’ and yet partnering with evil.
A text without a context is just a pretext for whatever I want to say!
But Onan knew that the child would not be his; so whenever he slept with his brother’s wife, he spilled his semen on the ground to keep from providing offspring for his brother.
For the historic church, any sex that didn’t have procreative potential was seen as sin.
1. The Bible says it, that settles it!
2. This isn’t even a conversation!
3. Well, that’s just ______.
progressive; conservative; liberal; woke; extreme right; extreme left; giving into the culture
Day 4
When Jesus had finished saying all this to the people who were listening, he entered Capernaum.
If you want to know what Jesus meant by what He said, look at what He did!
Luke 7:1-8
1 When Jesus had finished saying all this to the people who were listening, he entered Capernaum.
2 There a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die.
3 The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant.
4 When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this,
5 because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.”
6 So Jesus went with them.
6b He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof.
7 That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word and my servant will be healed.
8 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
The Centurion sees who Jesus is … and is trusting in nothing and no one else.
Luke 7:9-10
9 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.”
10 Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.
Jesus blows up the boundary-based system built on “insiders and outsiders” and rebuilds it around himself.
Jesus completely fails at drawing boundaries for insiders and outsiders.
Who is normally outside my boundaries that God is inviting me towards … to love, serve, and learn from?
Day 3
1. Identify who you are angry with.
2. Determine what they owe.
You cannot forgive what you cannot account for.
3. Cancel the debt just as Jesus canceled our debt.
Heavenly father, _____________________ has taken ___________________________ from me.
I have held this debt for long enough.
I choose to cancel this debt.
__________________________ doesn’t owe me anymore.
Just as you forgave me, I forgive ________________________________.
4. Dismiss the case, and refuse to re-open it.
5. Bless them.
“I will die with no enemies. There are people who don’t like me, but the feeling is not mutual.”
– John Maxwell
Day 2
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
Holding onto anger and bitterness is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
When forgiveness is granted, someone still pays.
Forgiveness = Voluntary Suffering
Forgiven People Forgive People
Forgiveness is a choice to not pursue payment, not a welcome mat for it to be done again.
And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them… (Mark 11:25)
“You can remain bitter towards someone only if you feel superior, if you are sure you would never do anything like that.” – Tim Keller
We do what we can, God does what we can’t!