Getting Fed The Word
Most Sundays I get to feed the Word of God to folks. Today was one of those rare times when I got to be fed by others. It is always a joy whether it is Steve Smith at NHBC, or it is in another church fellowship. I love to listen to the speaker and to the Holy Spirit.
Our Bible study lesson this morning was on forgiveness. We had a good leader, and we watched a video, too. One of the good quotes was very memorable to me. The speaker on the video said, "Resentment and bitterness draw demons the way garbage draws flies." That is kind of a gross mental picture, but it makes the point well. We are all damaged when we allow anger to grow in our lives until it becomes bitterness and a grudge against another person. Our desire to hurt the other person does not hurt them, but it hurts us. Our leader said when we want vengeance, "It is like drinking poison and expecting it to harm the other person. The only solution is to ask the Lord to help us release others from anything they owe us and forgive them.
Then, the message in the worship service was on loving our enemies. This is a unique message of Jesus to us, as His disciples. He is trying to get us to be like Him. The pastor asked us to consider who are our enemies or people we do not like very much and pray for them. Then, we can ask God to show us how to serve them, so we can be reconciled. I believe he hit the nail on the head. We ought to be different from the world by loving those who don't love us, because Jesus loves everyone. We should love everyone, too.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Luke 24 and John 1-2.
Our Bible study lesson this morning was on forgiveness. We had a good leader, and we watched a video, too. One of the good quotes was very memorable to me. The speaker on the video said, "Resentment and bitterness draw demons the way garbage draws flies." That is kind of a gross mental picture, but it makes the point well. We are all damaged when we allow anger to grow in our lives until it becomes bitterness and a grudge against another person. Our desire to hurt the other person does not hurt them, but it hurts us. Our leader said when we want vengeance, "It is like drinking poison and expecting it to harm the other person. The only solution is to ask the Lord to help us release others from anything they owe us and forgive them.
Then, the message in the worship service was on loving our enemies. This is a unique message of Jesus to us, as His disciples. He is trying to get us to be like Him. The pastor asked us to consider who are our enemies or people we do not like very much and pray for them. Then, we can ask God to show us how to serve them, so we can be reconciled. I believe he hit the nail on the head. We ought to be different from the world by loving those who don't love us, because Jesus loves everyone. We should love everyone, too.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Luke 24 and John 1-2.