You Say You Believe | Crossroads Daily

Hi everyone, I'm Kirsten. I'm Miko. I'm Chris. And I'm Devo. And we are going to be looking at Luke 17 today. Jesus is talking a lot about what it looks like to be forgiving to others. So we're going to kick off with this question. Jesus asked us to rebuke and forgive. What's easier for you? I mean, my first thought is rebuke. Yeah, I'd say rebuke. I could probably tell somebody off pretty easily. Yeah. And just be like, you're doing this wrong. Stop being stupid. Yeah. I think in some backward way, forgiveness is easier for me, but like not real forgiveness. Like I can just pretend like I'm okay with something that someone wronged me in a way, or I'm okay with some kind of treatment. And inside I'm super bitter and like distressed. But on the outside, I'm like, well, I don't want to have conflict here. So I'm just going to make them think maybe I've forgiven them or just play it cool. But I'm a mess, you know? Right. I think also it depends on, I mean, naturally what I'm forgiving and who I'm forgiving. You know, I think if that forgiveness also entails me having to continually maybe be around that person, maybe if someone's closer to me and this is just, you know, I'm forgiving you, but then we still, I don't know, have to do life together in some capacity. That's going to be harder than me just forgiving some person who, you know what I mean? They're not as close to my heart. Right. That's really good. I feel like rebuking is definitely easier for me. I just love to call things out. I'm a pretty aggressive person with that. And, but also at the same time, I'm desperate for forgiveness myself. Like I do not have a good, if I feel like I've done something wrong, I am kind of crazy with seeking forgiveness. And I don't know if it's because I feel like I struggle to know when someone needs to be forgiven, unless it like sits really deep in my pit. And so I almost think it's easier for me to forgive at other times, kind of you're saying like, it depends on the season, like the moment in life you're in. But because I'm so desperate for forgiveness, if someone's seeking it, I'm like, yeah, you don't even have to ask for that. Like, that's easy. Like, and I know that that's what Jesus asked us to do. But the balance and the tension is so odd between correcting them and forgiving them for the actions, because it's not very open that you get repented to for things, you know, it's like a rare thing. And sure, at least in my life, I don't know if you guys experienced that at all. But the thought that comes to mind, because also what comes with rebuking is like also like, who am I to do it? You know what I mean? Like, have I removed

the plank from my own eye in this moment? You know what I mean? Like, is this the right judgment call? Or am I being am I operating just out of, you know, my offense? And you know what I'm saying? Whatever. I think I think that's also just, I'm just thinking through that at times, which is probably something that would, for me, anyways, maybe lead me to I don't know if there's an in between forgiveness and rebuke. But if there is whatever that is, man, I could I could play that role easily at times. Yeah. And like, both is needed. I think something I really need to do more is write down what I judge people for. Because I find myself being very guilty of the same things. Yeah, yeah. And I feel like that makes it easy not only to rebuke because you're like, trust me, you're gonna want to correct this. Like be out of love, but then also makes it easier for to forgive because the more you check yourself off of your of your high pedestal or whatever, the more you're like, you know what? Yeah, it's just not that serious. Like, you are forgiven and change your change your behavior because both are just important. Like, yeah. So that's good. The next part of this scripture. Ten lepers are walking into a bar and they run into Jesus. Imagine that picture. Yeah. I don't know. That's a leper. Who's smarter than me? What are they? Chris, I'm looking at you. You know what I'm saying. I just looked at Chris. Scholar here. It's the most physically deplorable disease you could imagine at that time. And you don't want to breathe that person's air out of fear of contracting that disease. You don't want to touch them at all. It's them walking into a bar would be a risky move. You really took my joke. and turned it upside down. But I'm really glad you did. So maybe if they wear a mask and buy up a bunch of toilet paper, then they'll be fine. Yeah, right? But you put it in this serious perspective, like the fact that Jesus was approaching this group of people in general at all is insane. It was an insane thing to do.

And he heals all 10 lepers and they all leave, but only one comes back and thanks Jesus for what he did. And it's the Samaritan. It's not the one that you would think would do that. And so we're gonna take a minute to practice this. What's something that God has given you that you just wanna be grateful for right now? I would easily say, and it probably could all go together, but family and community. Just my family, my wife, my sons, and then just the community that God's blessed me and us with, that would be my first answer. Yeah, I would say my husband. Yeah, we've been married for almost two years and I was single for a long time before we started dating. And so he's just an answered prayer for me. And I think in the relationship that we have in our marriage and our future family, that God is redeeming things that I didn't have before, even just in what felt like a chaotic family growing up. So I'm just thankful for him and the redemption that God gives, like rewriting stories. I would say the way that God is working in my mental health. Depression, anxiety has run in my family for a long time. And ADHD, OCD tacked that on with me. So I had a grand slam with mental health. And it's been a journey, but God is just so patient, has provided so much resource in my life

to show that ultimately he is king over my mind, even when I don't feel that way. And I'm not grateful for it enough. I think it's, I can be dismissive of it, but he has brought me out of some dark places mentally. Yeah, good. Thanks, Chris. I think for me, it is the redeemed relationships with my family. There was a lot of bitterness and anger over mistakes that different family members made. And now they're in my life every single day. And not only that, but I just have a new empathy that the Lord has blessed me with by having, I have two little boys. I had them when I was, I don't know, 27, my oldest was born. My mom had me when she was pregnant at 19, had me when 20. I'm like, oh my gosh. And I have a very loving, wonderful husband that is a total God story in itself that I just could never imagine raising my boys by myself like my mom did. And like so much of my family did. No one was in a happy married relationship in my family. And so I just praise God for the redemption and the way that we get to look back and just be like, God, thank you for breaking these generational chains.

And actually we can continue healing backwards as well. And so the fact that he just makes that possible is like huge, huge. So I would love to just praise God. And yeah, that's how it ends. God, thank you. Thank you for the abundant blessings and gifts that you've given each of us in our life. Everyone that's watching, I think no matter what we're going through in life, you find a way to make gardens from graves. You find a way to bring dead things back to life. And even if we can't see it right now, Lord, I just thank you that I know you make a way where there is no way. That was a lot of music verses that I just said, but it is true. It is your will. It's what you want. You want to make our lives better in you. And so God, thank you for that. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you that we have breath in our lungs at all. The fact that you choose to give us life is just crazy. Like what a beautiful dad that you want to have us in your life. You choose us. And I am so grateful for that. And I thank you for everything you're doing and everyone that's in this room and is watching.

It's like, God, you're so good. Name your prayer, amen. Amen. Awesome. Love you guys. .