forgiveness isn't an option -...
TRANSCRIPT
February 14, 2017 Volume 50 Issue 7
Ministry Team: Jill Crandall
Bruce Daughtry Tammy Frintz
Brian McGonagill Glen Moore
Eleanor Nelson Mark Schinnerer
Charlie Weatherford
DEACONS Travis Crandall
Johny Harris Larry Mitchell Mike Owens Virgil Smith Glenn Wells
SHEPHERDS Barry McDowell
Jimmy Neatherlin J. R. Stroble
Our Door is Open Anyone wanting to meet
with our Shepherds is encouraged to contact any
of the elders to set up a time.
Sunday Services Sunday Bible Class
9:00 am
Morning Worship 10:00 am
Evening Worship
5:00 pm
Wednesday Fellowship
Ladies Bible Class 10:00 am
Bible Class
6:00 pm
Forgiveness Isn't an Option
What we get wrong about it
The idea of traditional forgiveness has always made me uncomfortable. The commonly practiced “I forgive you for
wronging me” hasn’t ever sat well with me, probably because I never really understood it.
Forgiveness was always displayed to me as either the freeing of someone from their transgression—as if they need-
ed me to be saved—or a false show of how gracious I was, that I would let someone off the hook after they’d hurt me.
Both felt disingenuous and as if I were missing the point of forgiveness altogether.
This propelled me on a journey to discover what forgiveness actually is. Is it the act of saving someone from damna-
tion? "They need your forgiveness, so they can receive grace for their wrongs," people would say. Or was it about
elevating my own sense of righteousness, humbly offering them a pass while remaining on my moral high horse.
What we get wrong about forgiveness
The problem with both options was that forgiveness became about setting the other person free, as if I were able to
condemn or imprison them to begin with. It became about seeing someone else as less than myself and offering
them a way to salvation by assuming that I deserved to either give or deny them grace.
This was far from what forgiveness actually is. Although there have been plenty of times when it made my ego feel
great, I always found that granting forgiveness in this way never actually brought me any happiness. So the question
became, what if I am looking at forgiveness all wrong? What if it isn’t about setting someone else free but rather set-
ting myself free? What if, in reality, forgiveness isn’t for the person who wronged me but for myself?
Forgiveness actually means letting go.
Saying that forgiveness is about letting go might sound reductive but it’s the most freeing thing in the world. Letting go
of what? Good question! The first answer is letting go of the wrong done against you. Completely. As if it never hap-
pened. Seeing it no more, forgetting it, and separating it from you as far as the east is from the west. Sound familiar?
But let’s be honest, forgetting that someone hurt you feels impossible because it often is impossible for the ego or
pride in us that tries to blot out our true identity.
As Christians, our identity is sons and daughters of the Father. We have been given seats at His table and have been
clothed with His power. We are His children but we live in a world that constantly tries to erase our belief in that iden-
tity. It feeds us lies of inadequacy. We believe that being a child of the King can be taken from us or that our identity
can be compromised. And the ego needs us to believe in these lies because that’s where it gets all of its power. It
only exists when you put value in an identity that’s outside of the one given to us by our Father.
Freedom is our true inheritance.
If you stand with the Father, then who can come against you? If you are standing with the King, if you are seated at
His table, then who can come against you?
To come against means to harm, threaten or offend. So often, being harmed means we are made to feel less than—
made to feel inadequate. But we are children of the Father, so what mere person has so much power that they can
rewrite the truth of our identity?
Forgiveness means letting go of the false idea that you can be harmed, stolen from, made to feel less than or that
someone else can change your identity in the Father. The truth is, no one can do that and in Christ, nothing is lost. It
may feel like a loss but we are to live above that.
You can see yourself as less than you are and in doing so, give others the power to harm you. We all do this; I am as
guilty of forgetting my true nature as anyone. Thankfully I’ve started practicing remembering who I am. I remind my-
self that I am spirit first, body second; that this world fades, but the soul is limitless; and that the Father of heaven
calls my soul one of His own, and my home is elsewhere. This planet is just a pit stop.
Page 2
Announcements Jill’s Corner
Walk Slowly By Amanda Conquers (Edited for length)
There is an old Indian proverb: Children tie the feet of their mother. And if you are a mom, you might know this to be true.
The slowing down starts with your swollen belly and duck-waddle walk, sleep depriva-tion, and calves that seem to have swallowed ankles. It continues with a labor and delivery that rarely goes as planned. And no matter how that baby comes into this world, it leaves a warrior’s mark on your body. You will be a woman who brought life into this world. And when they lay that fresh-skinned baby on your chest for the first time, you will never be the same.
Mom. Warrior. Sacrifice-Maker. Nourisher. Boo-boo kisser. Taxi-car driver. Expert snuggler. Storybook reader. Silly-song singer. That baby will wrap himself around your heart and your legs, and you will never be the same.
Children tie the feet of their mother.
You will answer baby cries at all hours of the night. You will read up on how to get a baby to sleep through the night, and just about the time you think you’ve got it figured out, they will have a growth spurt or drop a nap, and everything you thought you knew will go out the window. Your arms will develop car seat muscles. Your perfume will be baby spit-up, and your shoulders will seem to always be covered in a mix of snot and drool. You may have a moment where you cry because all you want in life is a shower.
No matter how much you have desired to be a mom, it will grate against your independ-ence and your pride. You will at some point feel like a failure. You will at some point long to have something in your life that you feel like you are good at or an expert on.
Children tie the feet of their mother.
That child will grow older and faster. You will find yourself saying things you never thought would pass your lips in your lifetime: things like, “We don’t strip down naked at the park,” “Please, don’t wipe your boogers on your sister,” or “Ew! Don't lick the dog back.” You will delight in their distinct personality and cringe at their defiance. When you watch your toddler rip the plastic shovel from his playmate’s hands and yell, “Mine!,” you will know beyond a shadow of a doubt, we didn’t learn our sin nature; we were born with it. You will discipline and mold and shape. You will wonder if you are doing it all wrong.
Your days will move slowly--either at work counting the hours till you can get home to your babies or at home counting the hours till your husband comes home to help you. You will pick up toys only to pick them up again a few hours later.
Children tie the feet of their mother.
And then there are those moments when you are making your way towards the McDon-ald’s drive-thru because your day just seems to need an easy button. In that feeling of guilt for not making the pb&j on whole wheat bread, the apple slices and the carrot sticks, your 4 year old glances up at the big blue sky as though he’s seeing it for the first time and asks, “Is that where Jesus lives, Mommy?” If you don’t live slow enough, tied-up enough in the wonder of those small years you could almost miss it.
Holiness. Yes. In that moment. And just like that, in the midst of your mundane, God invades that moment, and it is Holy.
I know a man in the Bible who walked with a limp. Jacob—whose name meant one who fights for his own way—wrestled God one night. God touched his thigh and changed his name. With a limp, Jacob became Israel—God Prevails. Because the only way to live like God prevails is to lean on Him.
Children might tie your feet. You may have to make more sacrifices of your time and your dreams and your way than you thought possible. You may feel inadequate, not-good-enough, like you yell too much and you don’t keep the house clean enough. You might feel like you limp as a mother. But that is the place God prevails. Lean, Momma. Lean on Him at the hospital when confusion clamors, and it’s not going how you envisioned. Lean on Him when that baby is up all hours of the night. Lean on Him when your toddler has peed on the floor for the fifth time in one day. Lean on Him when your little one is screaming because he’s shoved a Tic-Tac up his nose. Lean on Him when you discover things like rashes or ticks or high fevers. Lean.
You might feel tied up, but you are wrapped up in the abundance of God’s Grace.
And that place of spills and kisses? It’s Holy ground. If I could say one thing to the young momma behind me: Your feet are tied up for a reason. Walk slowly. The years are precious and fleeting and littered with the gifts of His grace. Let those babies tie you up with their chubby arms around your neck. Know that your kids don’t need you to be perfect, and they don’t actually need Pinterest-inspired anything.
And, Momma, it’s okay if you limp.
Because if you are leaning on Jesus, your kids don’t see your limp; they see Jesus walking with you.
All ladies are invited to a baby
shower for Nathen and Kendra
Goings on Sunday, February
26th in the Multi-Purpose Room
from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm. They are expecting a
girl and are registered at Wal-Mart, Target, and
Amazon.com. Kendra is the daughter of J.R. and
Georgina Stroble.
Upcoming *Anniversaries & Birthdays:
February 14th-Jan Menoud, *Bill & Darlene Phillips, Brianna Santo, Johny Waldrop, *Randy & Brenda Wilson
February 15th-*Bob & Velma Brown, Jim Franco, Karson Henry, Jimmy Neatherlin, Brittany Veilleux
February 16th-Kenneth Cruz
February 17th-Adelaide Simmons, Rhianna Wilson
February 18th-Parker Hamel
February 19th-Peggy Titus, Terry Wilson
February 20th-Peggy Moore
The office will be closed on Mon-
day, February 20th in ob-
servance of President’s Day.
Coffee and Cars is on Saturday,
March 4th here at the building in
the back parking lot at 9:00 am.
Attention Youth: The next Chill
Time will be Monday, March 6th.
Bruce will have more details soon.
The next Ladies 3D (dinner, devo, and
dessert) will be Monday, March 13th.
Be on the lookout for more details.
The updated directory is ready! If you
have any changes or would like to add
a family picture or update one please
let Tammy know. Also if you would like
a printed version you may pick one up at the
office. The new password is Sunset2017.
Page 3
Prayer Requests Brian’s Corner
To Change How You Act, Change the Way You Think
“Let the Spirit renew your thoughts and atti-tudes” (Ephesians 4:23 NLT, second edition).
Real change requires new thinking. In order to change, we must learn the truth and start making good choic-es, but we also must change the way we think.
The battle for sin starts in your mind, not in your behavior. The way you think determines the way you feel, and the way you feel determines the way you act. If you want to change the way you act, you start by changing the way you think. In addition, if you want to change the way you feel, you must start with changing the way you think.
For instance, I can say, “I need to love my kids more,” but that isn’t going to work. You can’t fight your way into a feeling. You must change the way you think about your kids, about your husband, about your wife, and that will change the way you feel, which will then change the way you act. The Bible says, “Let the Spirit renew your thoughts and atti-tudes” (Ephesians 4:23 NLT, second edition).
Let me sum it up this way: You are not what you think you are. Rather, what you think, you are. The battle to deal with those defects in your life that you don’t like starts in your mind. If you want to change anything in your behavior or any-thing in your emotions, start with your thoughts and your attitude.
The renewal of your mind is related to the word “repentance.” I know repentance is a murky word for a lot of people. They think it means something you don’t really want to do or something painful. They think of a guy standing on a street corner with a sign that says, “Repent! The world’s about to end!”
Repentance has to do with both your thinking and your be-havior. It’s about learning to think differently. “Repent” simply means to make a mental U-turn. It’s something you do in your mind, that will affect your behavior.
When I repent, I turn from guilt to forgiveness. I turn from Hell to Heaven. I turn from purposelessness to purpose in life. I turn from no hope to new hope. I turn from frustration to freedom. I turn from darkness to light!
That’s the kind of change I need to be able to change the rest of my life.
What do you watch or listen to that affects the way you think? Do those things help with the renewal of your mind?
What do you say to God when you repent?
How can you change the way you think about your rela-tionships so that you feel more love toward the people in your life?
Words can never express how we
feel. We are so thankful for each
and everything that you have
showed us. Your prayers have
been so needed and precious to
me and Johny. The Lord heard them and I cer-
tainly felt Him. Oh what a precious Lord and
Savior! Thanks to all who sent cards, and called.
They truly lifted us up. Thanks to the Ladies Bi-
ble Class for the unending cards.
In Him Name
Johny & Linda Harris
Mary Ann Bannister was
flown to Lubbock last week
and is not doing well.
Beth Becker is hoping for a
good report from her doctor and continues to
recover.
Isaac Bell, Marilyn Stade’s cousin, is in ICU in
Virginia.
Mike Harrington had surgery last week and is
now recovering.
Josh Shakra is home from the hospital.
Law Enforcement Officers
Continue to keep the following people in
your prayers: Vallaree Cherry, Alyssa Ferguson,
Amber Groves, Emma Harrington, Aleice Mitch-
ell, Stella, and Terry Wilson.
Shut Ins: Grace Autry, Bob and Velma Brown,
Pauline Crisman, Audrey Fisher, and Vivienne
Garner.
1308 W Blodgett
Carlsbad, NM 88220
Phone: 575-887-1278
Fax: 575-887-8078
www.sunsetchurch.org
Sunset Bulletin Sunset Church of Christ 1308 W. Blodgett St. Carlsbad, NM 88220
PERIODICAL RATE Sunset Bulletin (USPS 913-140) Published weekly, except the last two weeks in December, by the Sunset Church of Christ meeting at 1308 West Blodgett Street, Carlsbad, New Mexico 88220. Periodicals postage
paid at Carlsbad, New Mexico 88220. POSTMASTER SEND CHANGE OF ADDRESS TO: SUNSET BULLETIN, 1308 W. BLODGETT ST, CARLSBAD, NM 88220
Sunday, February 19, 2017- 10:00 a.m.
Speaker:
Charlie Weatherford
Worship Leader:
Mark Schinnerer
Welcome:
Aaron Irving
Scripture:
Travis Crandall
Communion Service:
Dave Oakley
Men To Serve Communion:
Kenneth Cruz
Bruce Daughtry
Caleb Giblin
Johny Harris
Kelly Henry
Jim Huges
Marty Jamieson
Joel Kirkes
Thank you for serving! If unable to serve during
worship, please call: Kelly Henry at 706-3304.
Sunset Church of Christ
Benevolence Ministry
Carlsbad Battered Families Shelter
Carlsbad Community Kitchen
Carlsbad Transitional Housing
Lakeview Chaplain
New Mexico Christian Children’s Home
Sunday Morning Bible Class 122
Sunday Morning 212
Sunday Evening
Small Groups
Wednesday, February 8th
Ladies Bible Class Wednesday Services
Greeters:
Green Team
Welcome Desk:
Lynn Berg
Nursery Attendant:
Martha Huereque
Checks: $7,471.00
Bills: $503.00
Change: $0.65
Online Giving: $1,163.00
Total: $9,137.65
Average: $9,315.86
Weekly Budget: $9,524.00
Weekly + or (-) (208.14)
Communion Service Schedule
February 26th-Orlando Ortiz
March 5th-Roy Peterson
March 12th-Steve Peterson
March 19th-J.R. Stroble
Contribution & Attendance For Sunday, February 12th