Hope Community Church
REFUEL Mid- Week Bible Study - December 5th, 2018
A casual, topical bible study to help "fill up your tank" in the middle of the week. Come as you are and dig deeper into the Word! • Hope's Coffee Café - coffee/tea bar in the foyer from 6:30-6:55 PM • Child Care (ages 6wks-5yrs) & Kids "Mid-Week Mania" (grades K-5th) provided
Locations & Times
Hope Community Church
1240 Jay St, Waterford Twp, MI 48327, USA
Wednesday 7:00 PM
Lesson 4:
The Importance of Forgiveness
Paul was asking Philemon to forgive someone very close to him.
Scenarios like this make doing so harder because we've:
1) Trusted them.
2) Invested in them.
3) Exposed ourselves to them.
The Importance of Forgiveness
Paul was asking Philemon to forgive someone very close to him.
Scenarios like this make doing so harder because we've:
1) Trusted them.
2) Invested in them.
3) Exposed ourselves to them.
Why forgive anyway?
1. Our spiritual growth depends on it.
A. At that time Philemon had a solid testimony.
1. Our spiritual growth depends on it.
A. At that time Philemon had a solid testimony.
Why forgive anyway?
1. Our spiritual growth depends on it.
A. At that time Philemon had a solid testimony.
B. Like his, our reputation is always a moving target.
1. Our spiritual growth depends on it.
A. At that time Philemon had a solid testimony.
B. Like his, our reputation is always a moving target.
Why forgive anyway?
2. It reveals the condition of our heart.
2. It reveals the condition of our heart.
Why forgive anyway?
2. It reveals the condition of our heart.
A. Compassion is not a detached emotion.
B. Compassion addresses the human experience of being moved by and toward someone else.
» The verbal form of this word was used by Jesus in two of the most profound parables in the New Testament.
• The Good Samaritan (Love for outsiders.)
2. It reveals the condition of our heart.
A. Compassion is not a detached emotion.
B. Compassion addresses the human experience of being moved by and toward someone else.
» The verbal form of this word was used by Jesus in two of the most profound parables in the New Testament.
• The Good Samaritan (Love for outsiders.)
Why forgive anyway?
2. It reveals the condition of our heart.
A. Compassion is not a detached emotion.
B. Compassion addresses the human experience of being moved by and toward someone else.
» The verbal form of this word was used by Jesus in two of the most profound parables in the New Testament.
• The Good Samaritan (Love for outsiders.)
• The Prodigal Son (Love for insiders.)
2. It reveals the condition of our heart.
A. Compassion is not a detached emotion.
B. Compassion addresses the human experience of being moved by and toward someone else.
» The verbal form of this word was used by Jesus in two of the most profound parables in the New Testament.
• The Good Samaritan (Love for outsiders.)
• The Prodigal Son (Love for insiders.)
Why forgive anyway?
3. Because hurt people... hurt people.
3. Because hurt people... hurt people.
Why forgive anyway?
3. Because hurt people... hurt people.
A. Paul was willing to put himself on the line to minimize the fallout.
B. A failure to forgive always makes matters worse, never better.
3. Because hurt people... hurt people.
A. Paul was willing to put himself on the line to minimize the fallout.
B. A failure to forgive always makes matters worse, never better.
Why forgive anyway?
4. It makes us more like Jesus.
4. It makes us more like Jesus.
Why forgive anyway?
4. It makes us more like Jesus.
A. We find the moral courage to forgive by focusing on Christ, not the offender.
B. We forgive by faith out of a desire to be obedient to Christ.
4. It makes us more like Jesus.
A. We find the moral courage to forgive by focusing on Christ, not the offender.
B. We forgive by faith out of a desire to be obedient to Christ.
In Conclusion:
“True Christ likeness comes at the point where it is hard not to respond as He would.”
—Dallas Willard (The Spirit of Disciplines)
“True Christ likeness comes at the point where it is hard not to respond as He would.”
—Dallas Willard (The Spirit of Disciplines)