TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
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
Read: Colossians 3:12-17
Listen: Colossians 3
TODAY’S MESSAGE
The New Testament authors emphasize that God’s forgiveness should lead us to forgive. When we realize God forgives us and what it cost God to do that, we should aspire to forgive like God. These two things go together. Jesus knew this wouldn’t be easy for us and reminds us to pray about it. He wants it at the forefront of our minds. He links our forgiveness by God with forgiving others. That way, each time we go to God saying we messed up, we’re reminded that God’s forgiveness inspires us to forgive.
Forgiveness is one of the significant character traits to make Christians stand out in the world. Imagine a community of people who were kind to each other and forgave each other. That’s what Paul instructs the Jesus-community in Ephesus to do (Ephesians 4:32), and it is what we want for our church community too. Think of the magnetic pull of a community like that. A place where people don’t ignore or gossip about it behind your back when you mess up—but instead forgive you. That’s the type of person Jesus wants us to pray about becoming.
IN YOUR CHAIR TIME TODAY
Ask God to help you want to get better at forgiving as you pray The Lord’s Prayer today. Jesus tells us to pray about it because it’s something we need God’s help for. Jesus gives us a model of a prayer that includes a desire to forgive. Pray something like, “God, I know I mess up, please forgive me. I want to be the kind of person who forgives others when they hurt me. It’s not easy, but I know you did it. You forgave me, so help me forgive them.”
40 DAYS OF PRAYER
Join us for 40 DAYS OF PRAYER where all of us will find a quiet space and slowly read The Lord’s Prayer. May forty days of praying like Jesus prayed, and desiring what Jesus wanted, make a big difference in our hearts and our communities.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For yours is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
forever. Amen.
NEW TESTAMENT READING PLAN
Join us this year as we read through the New Testament.
Today’s reading is Acts 6.
Download a printable PDF of the BTW week here.
