Everyone says forgiveness is a lovely idea until they have something to forgive

-C. S. Lewis

The Myth of a forgetful God

No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord ,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the Lord . “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

Jeremiah 31:34

For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

Hebrews 8:12

But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded.

Genesis 8:1

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’ “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened. “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

Matthew 18:21‭-‬35

What we learn from the parable of the unmerciful servant:

1.  God specializes in unfair trade

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 

2/Corinthians 5:21

God does not treat us as our sins deserve

Psalm 103:12

2. Forgiven people forgive people

Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’

Matthew 18:33

3.  Forgiveness does not mean forgetting

I can choose to forgive people when I:

1.  Remember how much I’ve been forgiven

When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,

Colossians 2:13

2. Release the individual

3. Refocus on God’s Grace. 

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Hebrews 4:16

Memory Verse

Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Colossians 3:13

Today I got the official confirmation email that said I’m no longer a Beachbody coach.  When I began my time with them in late 2014 and becoming a coach in February 2015, I was looking for something that would keep the health and fitness momentum going that I had built with the team atmosphere of Live Big with Ali Vincent. At first, because it was a “shiny new object in my life.  I loved going to the events that were called super Saturday and meeting the celebrity trainers. Eventually, the new happy feelings wore off, and I began to feel like I had to be pushy about what I had to tell people about the products, and  I wasn’t very good about telling people what they had to do, for example, drinking shakeology daily.  I had stopped drinking it myself because frankly, I got bored with having a shake every day and I missed eating.  Recently we looked in my closet and found five unopened boxes of shakeology. A bag that has 30 servings costs $130 in the United States.  I forgot what they cost in Canada and the United Kingdom.  Once I found out the financial toll purchasing products can have on people, I began to serve my community of friends for free. Checking in with them as they did their workouts. I found that I loved that so much more.

I also began to feel that the #GirlBoss mentality was way to young for me. I had began to want to change myself image in terms of the language I used about myself and I began to call myself a woman. So needless to say the image did not gel with what I wanted. I’m excited for the next chapter of my life. I’m not fearful because I know God has got me.

My dream is to continue speaking God’s truth on my social media outlets and maybe one day in person at churches and hospitals. I want to yell people what is possible if you trust God and allow him to work in your life.

I’ve heard a lot in the past three weeks about identity and giving up one thing that you feel overwhelmed by because we feel like we are so many things.

  If we know Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, then we only have one identity. We are a child of God

Every title we have or tasks we do are only tools that we serve him with.

Aren’t all religions the same?

• It’s one

Memory Verse

There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”

Acts of the Apostles 4:12

So many voices, so many choices.

Aren’t all religions the same?

• It’s one thing to say all Religions are similar
• It’s another to say all religions are the same

what’s the difference?

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!”

John 14:6‭-‬7

• Jesus is God’s choice

Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 

Philippians 2:9-11

“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.

Matthew 7:13‭-‬14

Isn’t it Elitist to say their is only one way?

It would be if it wasn’t available to all

For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

Matthew 7:8

For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Romans 10:13

A verse speaking to the people who already follow Jesus

Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ.

1 Peter 3:15‭-‬16