Practicing Forgiveness
This morning in our chapel service for our North Henry Academy elementary school students, I spoke on being kind, tender-hearted, and forgiving like Jesus. We always have a great service. Our Associate Pastor, Steve Smith, leads us in 3 songs and the focus verse, then, I speak for about 12 minutes. At the end the students have the chance to come speak with Steve or me about receiving Christ or their questions. Usually there are about 6 or 7 students for each of us.
As I finished my message a rather tall boy came up to me, and told me about his family. His father used to beat up his mother, and he introduced her to drugs. Now, she is living with someone in another city, and he does not get to see her. He said that he has a hard time forgiving his father, and he asked me how to do it. I started to tell him, and he interrupted me to tell me that his father was dead now. I took a deep breath, and I looked at this boy. He was probably a 4th or 5th grader. He had no father, and he did not get to see his mom. My heart went out to him. What a mountain to overcome in life.
I drew him up a little closer to me, and I assured him that God wanted him to forgive his father, because it would hurt him inside if he didn't. I also assured him that God would help him to forgive, if he would just talk with him about it, and I was there for him. I told him I would talk to him any time he needed to talk. He said "thank you" and went back to class.
That is why we have a school and a church. The world is dying in sin, and there are so many who are being affected by it. It is up to us to do whatever we can to rescue those who Satan is trying to destroy. I know you will want to join me in praying for this young man and our other students as well as our staff at the academy.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalms 89-90 and Romans 14.
As I finished my message a rather tall boy came up to me, and told me about his family. His father used to beat up his mother, and he introduced her to drugs. Now, she is living with someone in another city, and he does not get to see her. He said that he has a hard time forgiving his father, and he asked me how to do it. I started to tell him, and he interrupted me to tell me that his father was dead now. I took a deep breath, and I looked at this boy. He was probably a 4th or 5th grader. He had no father, and he did not get to see his mom. My heart went out to him. What a mountain to overcome in life.
I drew him up a little closer to me, and I assured him that God wanted him to forgive his father, because it would hurt him inside if he didn't. I also assured him that God would help him to forgive, if he would just talk with him about it, and I was there for him. I told him I would talk to him any time he needed to talk. He said "thank you" and went back to class.
That is why we have a school and a church. The world is dying in sin, and there are so many who are being affected by it. It is up to us to do whatever we can to rescue those who Satan is trying to destroy. I know you will want to join me in praying for this young man and our other students as well as our staff at the academy.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalms 89-90 and Romans 14.