Former Members, Family & Friends Youth Reunion – Join us as we begin our Youth Recognition weekend celebration with this special event. We’re excited to invite and have former youth members of New Berean share, meet and greet with our current youth members.
We are inviting you to join in an afternoon of fun, fellowship and food and an opportunity to “pay-it-forward” by letting our youth know what impact the youth ministry of New Berean has impacted their adult lives.
Myth 7: Forgiveness Means You Can Gossip
Do you know what she said to me today? We need to pray for her! Instead of talking directly to people and engaging in conflict, we talk about people by masking our gossip as a prayer request. But gossiping is wrong, just like the original offense. Jesus gives us a protocol in Matthew 18: 15-17 on addressing sin in others: “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses’. If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to even listen to the church, treat then as you would a pagan or a tax collector.”
Gossiping is not included in that list. Don’t allow your words to sow seeds of dissension.
Biblical forgiveness: The best piece of advice I ever heard about forgiveness is: you know you have forgiven someone when you stop talking about the offense in a negative light.
Myth 6: Forgiveness Means You Wish for Justice
Is it possible the reason why dramas shows involving courts and police officers are still so popular is because we have an innate need for a sinner to receive justice? We want criminals to get a fair jail sentence and stop hurting innocent victims. It is the same in real life. We may have forgiven a person, but when we see that person succeeding in life, do we secretly think life is not fair? Don’t secretly hope that person fails in the future so it balances the fairness scale.
Biblical forgiveness: The prodigal Son parable in Luke 15:11-32 is a prime example of justice and grace. The eldest brother wanted his prodigal brother to pay for all his wrongdoing. Yet the father extended a hand to rejoice and celebrate because the prodigal turned from his evil ways. Pray that the offender gives their life to Christ. Let grace balance out the scales of justice.
Myth 5: Forgiveness Means You Can Forgive Halfheartedly
Forgiveness is often a process. If an offense is particularly heinous, it may take several attempts to actually rid your heart of the pain associated with it and free the offender from their wrongdoing. Merely saying you forgive, but not doing the hard work of surrendering the pain to Jesus does yourself and the offender a great disservice.
Biblical forgiveness: Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any roots of bitterness or resentment that have taken root because of a wrongdoing that was not forgiven fully. If the Holy Spirit reveals nothing, then you know you have forgiven. If the Spirit reveals a picture, word or vision of an offensive way, get rid of it quickly, so it does not take root.
– Sunday Devotional: Psalm 66:1-8, 16-20,There are many thoughts that come to mind when we think of our God. AWESOME comes to the forefront of our minds when we consider the wonders of his wisdom. He has demonstrated his awesomeness throughout time and eternity and has allowed us to witness some of it here in time. Study with us this week as we examine the awesomeness of the Lord God.
The children of Israel we eyewitnesses of God’s awesomeness when He delivered from the hand of Pharaoh (Exodus 15). The power and sheer might of the Lord in utterly destroying the Egyptians was reduced to how able he is to deliver his people from even the darkest of days. God has no limit to his power nor is there any who can rival this power. We are encouraged to rest in the Lord and He will bring us through.
In reading the account of the the three Hebrew youths who refused to bow and worship another god, instead they chose to be faithful and trust the true and living God. God did not deliver them from the fiery condemnation but rather chose to deliver them while they were in the fire. King Nebuchadnezzar was so taken by the awesome display of God he himself blessed the Lord Da. 3:28-29. and is recorded as stating;
Dan. 4:3 “How great are His signs, and how mighty His wonders!
His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and His dominion is from generation to generation”
It is to our advantage that we too recognize and appreciate who God is and give Him the respect he deserves. Great is our God and he is greatly to be praised. Every day we are positioned to experience and witness the simple awesome power, wisdom and grace of our eternal Lord.
Christ Our Example – In today’s society, we are encouraged to mentor or be mentored by someone we admire or would aspire to be like. These mentors are to be people of high esteem, integrity and sure be charismatic and attractive to others. For the Believer, the person we relate most to be like is the Lord Jesus Christ. God is in the business of molding and shaping us into the image of his dear son (Rom. 8:29). In our lesson this week, we will learn of several characters of or Lord that we should mature into
These are attributes that will be exemplified or manifested in our life when we are determined through obedience to be like of Savior. Christ is every way was perfect and had no faults (1 Pet. 2:22, Heb. 4:15). Let study to show ourselves approved of God and grow into being like Christ, our example.