December Newsletter

Matthew 1:21, “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” The
Advent season is upon us, which is our time to worship the Lord for sending his Son to our world, bringing forgiveness,
redemption, and reconciliation.
During the month of December, our church will be studying the significance of Advent, particularly looking at how Jesus came
to bring forgiveness to us. Through Him and because He came to save us from our sins, we find forgiveness with God.
Additionally, God has set the standard for us so that, as we are forgiven, we are enabled to forgive others. In a very challenging
passage Jesus taught:
Matthew 6:14–15, “14 For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
15 But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.”
Jesus teaches that, as we are forgiven by God, we must grant forgiveness to others that have sinned against us. Additionally, we
must seek out forgiveness from people that we have sinned against. Our Lord has not made this optional, but conditional,
knowing that God expects us to forgive others just as we have been forgiven by Him.
This is very challenging for many of us, I know. I have sinned against people and, as the Lord has prompted, I have gone to
their homes or met in a coffee shop to seek their forgiveness. Similarly, people have come to me who have sinned against me
and done the same. It is not easy for any of us. Forgiveness is hard for all of us. However it is what God expects of us.
Forgiveness was not easy for our Lord Jesus either. Forgiveness of sins caused Christ intense pain and suffering on the cross,
and even as He was crucified, He asked His heavenly Father to not hold the sins of those who put Him on the cross against
them, but rather pleaded with His Father to forgive them. Therefore, if Jesus could forgive those who killed Him, we need to
find it in our hearts and minds to forgive as well.
Each Sunday during Advent, we will be looking at different aspects of forgiveness. We will talk about how God forgives us
and how we, with the power of the Holy Spirit who lives in every Christian, can forgive others who have sinned against us.
This will be one of the most challenging sermon series that we have ever done. On the other hand, it will give all of us an
opportunity to come clean with God, and with others, in giving forgiveness, as well as receiving forgiveness.
Please join us each Sunday in December to learn more and to experience personally the power of forgiveness, redemption, and
reconciliation.
For His Glory,
Pastor Tom