Podcasts about forgiven

Subscribe for more Videos: http://www.youtube.com/c/PlantationSDAChurchTV Deeper Dive Theme: Pastor Rose gives warnings signs that you're worshiping a routine and forgotten the routine's real purpose Episode Title: He Nailed It! Host: JWald Guest: Pastor N. Abraham Rose Date: December 3, 2025 Tags: #psdatv #cross #forgive #forgiven #gospel #nail #types #shadows #symbols #assurance #salvation #NoMoreTypes #AssuranceOfSalvation #TheyAreNailedToHisCross #RelationshipOverRituals #ImForgiven For more life lessons and inspirational content, please visit us at http://www.plantationsda.tv. Church Copyright License (CCLI): 1659090 CCLI Streaming Plus License: 21338439Support the show: https://adventistgiving.org/#/org/ANTBMV/envelope/startSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Runways: Part 2 The Taming of the Shrew "I told you what I'd do if you pissed me off." I said as she walked past me. By m_storyman_x – listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories. "That water was fucking cold!" "Uh huh. Matches your attitude. I think if I were you I'd warm it up a bit or you might be sleeping out in the jeep." "You wouldn't!" "The hell I wouldn't." I said with a scowl. "Remember the rules. This is my fucking vacation. You're along because I said you could, not to baby or pamper you or put up with your diva shit. If you don't like it, the road works two ways. "Fine! I'm outa here!" She said stomping off toward the jeep. She climbed into the front seat and turned the key, the jeep lurching forward before coming to a stop again. "What's wrong with this thing?" "It's a stick shift." I said with a frown as I turned and walked back into the cabin. "Okay. So I don't know how to make it work," she said quietly as she came in and closed the door quietly behind herself. "Not surprised. Come eat." I said, dishing some chili from the pot on the stove into two bowls. I was starved, having not gotten any lunch and it was already half way to dinner. I sat down and dug into my bowl, ignoring her. She slipped gently into the seat across from me and meekly apologized. "I'm sorry," she said barely above a whisper. "Forgiven." I said simply, pushing a bowl of chili across the table toward her. "Better eat." She looked at the bowl cautiously. "Is it organic?" "Nope. Just plain cow and beans and spices." I answered. "I don't eat much meat," she said quietly, looking at the bowl as if it might bite her. "Well, then you're probably going to be hungry a lot of the time, because I didn't bring a whole lot of vegetables and crap like that." I said, reaching out to hand her a spoon. She took the spoon and gingerly scooped a small bite from the bowl, lifting it to her lips and tentatively tasting it. A few moments later the spoon was emptied and headed back for another trip. "This is good," she said with a little surprise in her voice. "Thank you." "You made it?" "Uh huh." "I didn't know you could cook." "You never asked." I answered with a shrug. "I don't know how," she said quietly. "Guess you're going to have to learn." I answered her, looking at her face pointed down at the bowl almost as if she were ashamed to admit she couldn't cook. "Not to worry. I won't let you starve. Eat up now. Maybe I'll teach you how to fish." She looked up at me curiously and then back down at the bowl, scooping another spoon of chili. "Adam. Why are you doing this?" "Doing what?" I asked between bites. "This. Here. Me?" I sighed and leaned back in my chair. "As a favor to Amy." "You like her, don't you?" "Yeah. She's nice. Not interested in me, but nice just the same." "She might be interested in you. She talks about you. I've heard her say your name when she comes." I looked at her in surprise. "Huh? She does what?" "She sometimes says your name when we're fucking. You did know didn't you? That she was lesbian, right?" "Uh, no. I didn't. Explains a lot though." "Sorry," she said softly. "Well, at least I know where I stand... with both of you," I answered her between bites of my chili. "Don't assume. The main reason I don't do guys is that I hate having the guys coming on to me all the time. Makes me feel dirty or something. Seems like every guy on the planet wants to get into my panties." "Can you blame them? I mean hell, you're one of the hottest looking women on the planet. You could have the pick of any guy you want." "Who says I want a guy?" "We all assume that, until you prove to us different." "Is that why you don't try to come on to me? Or is it professional ethics?" I chuckled and didn't answer her, but continued eating my chili. "Come on. I know you're turned on by how I look. I saw that boner on the way up here." "Didn't say your body didn't turn my body on. Hell, sitting here looking at your bare tits turns my cock on. I'll admit that." "But you don't want to come on to me?" "Not particularly." "Why?" "When I took this job, I thought about it. Shit I had a hard boner the whole time on those first few photo shoots I flew you too. But I stopped going to them and stayed with the plane because it just wasn't that interesting any longer." "Why not?" "You really want me to tell you?" "Yes! I do!" I set my spoon down and leaned back in my chair. "Even if it hurts your feelings?" She was silent for several long seconds. "Yes, even if it hurts my feelings." "Because the longer I knew you the more I realized that you had a personality that was less than attractive." "What do you mean?" "You act like a class A bitch. No one likes a bitch, especially a guy. Anyone I know that's gotten to know you feels the same way." I said. "Well, as you say, at least I know where I stand," she said tilting her head up defiantly. "No. You don't. I fly you because I need the money. You're here screwing up my vacation, the vacation that I've been planning for six months because Amy begged me to take you. You had a stress attack. Your body tried to shut itself down because you're over stressed and under rested. She's afraid of something happening to you. She wanted you to get away and relax so badly that she offered to spend a whole weekend having sex with me, just so that I'd take you along." "She did?!" "She did. But I told her no. I only agreed to take you because she threatened to find another pilot to fly you while I was gone, so you're here so that I don't lose my job as your pilot." She got up from the table and walked to the cabin door. "Well you don't have to worry. I won't fire you, and since I'm stuck here with you I won't be flying with anyone else. So you're safe. You don't have to worry about being nice to me or doing anything for me. You clearly don't want me here, so you do what you need and I'll just find something to keep me busy," she said before turning and walking out the door. The rejection she felt was deep & profound. I shook my head, leaned over my bowl and finished the last few bites. I cleaned up both our dishes, put the food in what served as a refrigerator in the small cabin, and then dug into my gear, pulling on some shorts and a shirt and then getting out my fishing gear. It took me about ten minutes to get my rods put together, threaded and my artificial baits organized to go fish. I saw her sitting on the shore, still naked, looking out at the lake as I walked to the little boat. I flipped it over, put the little electric motor and the oars in the boat and then went back to the cabin for the battery. I lugged the fifty plus pound battery out to the boat, settled it into the back and then attached the cables. She was still sitting against the tree as I pushed off and headed out onto the lake to fish. It was dark by the time I came in. The moon was already up, and while not full, it provided plenty of light for me to make it to shore and then to the cabin. I reached into my pocket for the lighter that I knew was there as I headed for the porch. I pulled the lantern down from the hook on the porch, pumped it up, having checked to be sure it had fuel in it before I left. I held the lighter to the hole in the side of the lantern and it puffed to life, the yellow flame quickly changing to blue and then bright white as the mantel did its job converting the gas flame into a more refined reaction. I picked up the lantern and walked into the cabin, the light filling the small cabin and illuminating Kim sitting in one of the three chairs in the room, wrapped in a blanket, her knees pulled up to her chest with the blanket wrapped around herself. "You're back," she said barely above a whisper. "Uh huh. You could have lit a lantern." I told her. “The lone skylight I installed over the table had ceased to illuminate anything, this late in the day. "I didn't know how," she said with a frown on her face. "Seems like I don't know a lot of things." Kim’s Humble Apprenticeship "Well, come here." I said as I pulled an oil lamp down off the wall. "Matches are here." I said, stepping to the fireplace and pulling open a box of wooden matches, sitting on the mantle. “Gawd, this fur rug is huge! What animal was it,” she asked. That’s Uri. He’s the grizzly whom my dad met outside the cabin, one morning. He stood about 15 feet tall, when Dad dropped him 10 feet from the door, with a rifle bullet to the heart. We skinned him and stretched the hide. The meat was rather tough, but we quartered his carcus and took him to the meat market It’s a nice cozy rug when you’re cold and trying to warm up in front of the fireplace. I set the lamp on the table by the lantern and took the glass globe off, striking the match and touched it to the wide wick. The flame slowly grew and threw light of its own, though dwarfed by the bright gas lantern. "I have to deal with my fish. You can come outside if you want. If not, you at least have some light." "You caught some?" "A few." I answered as I turned and walked out of the cabin with the lantern. She followed behind, wrapped in the blanket and followed me to the boat and then to the metal-covered table, screwed down to one side of the end of the dock. "So that's what this is for?" She asked as I laid the three fish on the table to clean them. "Yep." I said as I used my pocket knife to cut the lower jaw and the belly, pulling the guts out and tossing it into the water by the dock. It only took a few short minutes to completely clean and rinse the three rainbow trout that I had caught. "Breakfast." I said, holding up the three fish in one hand and picking up the lantern with the other. "So what now?" Kim asked as she followed me into the cabin, closing the door behind us. "Well. Usually I'd just go to bed." I answered as I put the fish in the ice box and set the lantern on the counter. "So early?" "It's probably past eight." I said with a shrug. "Are you hungry?" "I snacked on some crackers, but I wouldn't mind something," she answered meekly. "I would have made something, but I didn't know how to make the stove work. I turned the knobs but the flames never came on." "Yeah, gotta light it with a match." I told her as I walked back to the icebox and pulled a Ziploc bag out. I walked to the stove and lit two burners, dug out two cast iron pans and put them on the flames. I dug in my food box for a container of oil and poured some in each pan. Putting away the oil I pulled out two large potatoes and quickly sliced them, dropping the white slices into one of the pans and then laid two marinated chicken breasts from the Ziploc into the other pan. It only took a few minutes to cook the potatoes and chicken breasts, ladling the fried food onto two plates. I set the pans aside to let the oil cool and then set the plates on the table. "Might as well come eat." I said as she stood near the wall watching me. "I'm not supposed to make you cook for me," she said quietly. "I know. But I did. So come eat." She walked to the table and sat down, carefully taking a few bites of the food. "Damn this is good," she mumbled as she began eating quickly. "I don't get much fried food. Not good for my figure, but this is so good." I chuckled. "Thanks." Kim was finished long before I was, and sat curled up in her blanket across from me, watching me eat. "Are you good at other things? Besides cooking and fishing and flying I mean?" "I think I'm pretty fair at a lot of things. What in particular are you asking about?" "I don't know. I mean most of the guys I know couldn't figure out which end of a fry pan to hold, let alone cook something good like this. But it seems like you know how to do everything you try. I mean you drove that jeep up here, you know how to fish, it's like you're a mountain man on steroids, or something." I laughed quietly. "No. Just learned when I was young how to camp and handle myself in the woods. Come on. We'll go get water and I'll show you how to be Jane of the jungle. You can do the dishes." "Sounds fair," she said, getting up and standing expectantly next to the table. "Here." I said handing her a plastic bucket. "We have to get water." I picked up the lantern and walked out of the cabin with her following behind. She followed me to the dock and dipped the bucket into the water. I smiled to myself as she struggled to carry the bucket and hold the blanket, but didn't offer to take it for her. I showed her where the big pot was, and let her fill it with her bucket and start it heating. We both sat in the chairs, waiting for the water to heat on the gas stove. She got up, walked to one of her suitcases, sitting against the wall and open, pulled out a rather slinky looking robe and slipped it over her still naked body. "Use another pot to scoop water out into the wash pan. You want to save some of that water to wash yourself with." "Wash myself?" "Yeah. Unless you want to wash in the lake." I chuckled. "Oh. Hadn't thought of that," she said as she headed for the sink. I took the blanket and threw it back on the bed, stripped my clothes off and climbed into bed, in the corner. "I'll go to sleep if you want some privacy to clean up. Just make sure to shut the lantern all the way off before you come to bed. I'd hate to waste the fuel, there's only so much." "Okay," she said quietly. "Adam?" "Yeah?" I answered without looking over at her. "Thank you." "For what?" "Being different," she said, as if that explained it all. I was still awake almost half an hour later when the cabin went dark. Kim climbed into bed with me, smelling of flowers as she slipped under the blanket with me, her back bumping against my back as she climbed into the full size bed. "It is small, isn't it?" "Uh huh. Cozy for two." I answered her. "I don't mind," she whispered. "Do you always sleep like that?" "Like what?" "Naked." "Yeah, actually." I answered in a whisper. "I don't have to, if it bothers you." "No. Not if it's how you usually sleep." "Okay." I answered sleepily. "Go to sleep now." I woke up with the sun, not completely surprised to be spooned up against Kim. How did I roll over and nuzzle up in this spooning position? How would I explain it? It was cool in the cabin and her body heat was certainly attractive to any sleeping body. Natural response, as was the morning woody. I suppose I could have considered that woody being jammed between her legs and my hand cupping her breast through the thin nightgown being natural as well, but the last thing I needed was to wake up the ‘ice queen’ thinking that I was trying to take advantage of her in her sleep. I eased myself away from her and out of bed. I stepped to my duffel and pulled out a pair of shorts and a shirt, pulling them on and then heading out the door, letting the screen door slam as I went. If she was awake, she pretended not to be. By the time I came back from the outhouse Kim was up and dressed in a pair of pink sweats, the form fitting spandex hugging her curves. "Good morning," she said surprisingly meekly. "Morning." "I guess it's my turn now," she said heading to the cabin door, her hair looking wild after the night's sleep. While she was gone I pulled the pan from the potatoes onto the now lit front burner, heating the oil left over from the night before. "You're going to reuse the oil?" She asked as she stepped back into the cabin, rubbing her arms to ward off the morning chill. "Yep. The potato oil. It'll be find for cooking breakfast." I said as I pulled another pan from the cabinet and lit another burner. I spooned a couple teaspoons of hot oil into the other pan before laying the two of the fish from last night into the hot oil. The fish sizzled and spit in the pan as it cooked, the skin crisping in the hot oil as the fish cooked through. I flipped it over after a few minutes to let the other side cook and then cracked some eggs in the second pan. In only a few minutes I had two plates of breakfast ready to eat, fresh fish and eggs. Couldn't ask for a better breakfast in the woods. "When you wash the dishes, don't use soap in the cast iron. It'll ruin it." I told her before I got up to head out of the cabin. I loved fishing early in the morning. Working a small fly along the weed banks on the far end of the lake where the four small springs trickled into the lake was one of my favorite spots on this lake. The rainbow trout came up from the cold deep waters to feast on the small bugs and minnows that inhabit the weeds, making my flies an inviting target of opportunity. By lunchtime I had six nice fish on the stringer and was ready to head back into camp. Even from half way across the small lake it was obvious to me that Kim was waiting along the lakeshore. Just as obvious was that she was scantly dressed in just a loose tubetop and mini shorts, walking barefoot on the stones near the shoreline.. Two days ago I wouldn't have given a shit, but for reasons that escaped me at the moment, the thought of what she might or might not be exposing besides her sexy breasts had my cock quickly growing in my shorts. "You're back!" She said surprisingly cheerfully as I motored silently up to the dock, only the soft whir of the motor and the sloshing of the water along the sides of the little aluminum boat making my presence known. "Have any luck?" "I did." I answered as I let the boat slide all the way to the shore and burry its bow gently on the small patch of sand next to the rickety little dock. I looped a rope around one of the cedar posts and then climbed out with my stringer of fish. "Oh. Those do look nice!" She said as she walked toward me, I guess sometime since I first spotted her from the middle of the lake, she’d removed her top & was wearing only the skimpiest of shorts, her large soft tits swinging and wiggling with each step. I walked to the end of the dock, to the cleaning table trying to ignore the fact that my cock was hardening even more in my pants at the sight of her practically perfect tits. She stepped up to me to watch, so close that one of her breasts brushed my arm gently as I worked to clean the fish, her attention riveted on my motions. "Is that all there is to it?" She asked after the third fish. "Yep. Wanna try one? "Can I?" "Sure." I answered, stepping to the side and holding the knife out for her. "Pick one and hold it belly side up. Yeah, like that." I said as she grasped the slippery fish the same way I had. "Now, see that spot there, that hole just up from his tail. Yeah, right there. Slip the tip of the knife in and carefully cut all the way up his stomach to his jaw. Yeah, just like that." I told her as she tentatively worked the knife along the belly of the fish toward the head. "A little more. Yeah, that's enough. Now, set it on the table belly side down. And cut just behind the front fins there. Yeah, cut down, but not all the way through. Just down through the backbone. Perfect. Now comes the messy part. Grab the head and bend it down." "Like this?" She asked as she bent the head down, breaking the remains of the backbone. "Yep, now just pull back toward the fish and it'll pull all his guts out." I coaxed her as she gently pulled on the head. "Harder." I said as she still wasn't pulling hard enough. I stepped behind her, reached around her and held her hands in mine, holding the fish with one and helping her pull with the other. "Oye!" She squeaked as the last of the skin by the fins broke loose and the whole intestinal track pulled out of the cut belly of the fish. "Perfect. Just toss that into the lake." I said as I let go of her hands. She tossed the fish guts toward the water, the jerk of her body bumping her against me and her practically bare ass against the front of my baggy shorts and my hard cock. "Now, just run your thumb along the inside of the fish and push that blood line out. Yeah, that's it." I coaxed, hoping she hadn't noticed my state of arousal. "And that's it." I said, stepping back. "I can think of a few men over the years that I might have wanted to clean that easily," she said with a giggle as she stepped to the edge of the lake to rinse her hands while I worked to clean the last two fish. "You do that so fast!" She said as she stepped up behind me to look over my shoulder as I finished the two remaining fish in the same amount of time that it took her to rinse her hands. "Practice. Been doing this for years." I answered, setting the fish on the clean end of the table and taking the metal pot hanging on one, off its hook. I put the fish in the pot and squatted down next to the lake to start rinsing them off. "Just have to clean them and they're ready for the pan." I said as I started washing the first fish. Kim stepped next to me, bending at the waist to watch me, her tits hanging right next to my face as I worked, each sexy orb swinging slightly with any movement she made. I worked methodically hoping she would lose interest and stand back up, but she stayed bent over me the entire time. I finally couldn't put it off any longer. I stood up and moved to the table again, hoping she wouldn't notice the huge bulge that had developed in the front of my shorts. I put the fish on the clean end of the table again and then used the pan to scoop water from the lake to rinse off the cleaning table. I squatted down one more time to clean my knife and my hands and then stood up, finding her standing with the six fish in her hands ready to head back to the cabin.  It was a rather tribal moment, The man comes back to camp, having a successful hunt. The woman takes the game and shows her gratitude to her provider. "Thank you," she said sweetly as we walked across the grassy yard toward the log cabin. "For what? Teaching you to clean a fish? You're welcome." I answered, a little surprised at her docile demeanor. "That and for not being obvious." "I don't understand." She stopped in front of me and said, "Stand still." I stopped next to her. "Okay." I answered, not quite sure what she wanted. She stepped over in front of me and quickly pressed her almost completely bare ass against the front of my shorts, rubbing it side to side, bouncing her crack across the bulge my hard cock was making. "For not being obvious about that," she said before she started walking again. "Uh. Sure." I answered as I followed her to the porch. She stood and waited for me to open the door, her hands still full of the mornings catch. She set the fish in the sink and then used a small pot of water sitting in the sink to dip her hands in before rubbing them with the bar of soap sitting on the edge. She rinsed them in the same pan and then dried them, stepping away from the sink to give me room to finish working with the fish. I looked around and the dishes were all done and the bed was made and I even saw where the broom that had been sitting near the fireplace had moved. "Looks nice." I answered, honestly appreciating her efforts to hold up her side of the bargain. "Thank you," she replied sweetly, sitting down in one of the chairs and watching me bag the fish and put them in the ice box. "How does that work? I mean there isn't any electricity up here." "The ice box? It's tied into the solar panels on the roof. When it's sunny it makes enough power to run the refrigeration system. It's got a big tub of water in the top that it freezes into a block of ice. Once it's frozen it can keep the ice box cold for a few days. That way if the sun doesn't shine for a few days nothing spoils. Kind of like an automatically replenishing cooler." "Oh. That's ingenious. Who figured that out?" "Well, I'd like to take credit for the idea, but it's not mine. I just built this one from an old freezer" "So, how do you know about this place? I thought you rented it?" "I do, sorta. My dad brought me up here when I was a kid. That was way before it was a ski lodge. The old man that owned it was getting really old and he sold it to my old man. When the ski lodge came in they made us a deal because they wanted the land. As I understand it, if we hadn't sold out we wouldn't be able to get here. They would have controlled the road. So we sold it to them on the understanding that they wouldn't build any more cabins on the lake, and that we got to use it for four weeks out of the summer. We had to arrange it, but the rest of the time they rent it out to others." I answered. "I've been coming here almost every year since I was six." "I can see why. It's perfect up here." "Tell you what. Let's make a couple sandwiches and I'll show you something even more beautiful." I suggested. "Sure. Let me. What do you want?" "Oh ham and cheese is good." I answered her as she got out bread and then opened the ice box to dig out things to make sandwiches with. While she made sandwiches I got a bucket of water from the lake and refilled the filter unit on the counter, letting the water flow through the Britta filter system into a pitcher. The lake was clean enough you could probably drink it directly, but these days it was always safer to filter it. I used the filtered water to fill four one liter water bottles and stuffed them in a small pack. She had the sandwiches done and wrapped in cling wrap and I stuffed them in the pack as well. "Do you have any good walking shoes and clothes?" "We going far?" "Not too far, but farther than you're going to want to go in those sandals." I said. "I have running shoes," She offered. "That'll due. You might also want to put more clothes on." "You don't like what I'm wearing?" "THAT I didn't say. Just a suggestion. That little slip of a swim suit doesn't even cover your ass." "It's not supposed to. That's why it's called a thong bikini," she said with a smile. "But if you don't like seeing my cheeks, I'll cover them up for you." "No. You can wear whatever you want. We're going to go walk through the brush. I thought you might want something a bit more protective, to avoid scraping your soft skin. Then there’s the very strong winds that can cause windburn. But you wear what you want." "Well, if you think I should," she said as she bent over her suitcase her bare ass pushing out at me as I stood there. She reached for her hips and pulled the strings of the bottom, pulling the tiny slip of material from between her legs, her pouting fat pussy lips now pushing out uncovered between her legs. "Damn." I breathed quietly as she stood bent over, unfolding her shorts and then stepping into them and finally standing straight up again. "There," she said turning for me to show off the white gauze croptop & a pair of skin tight mini shorts she now had on. "Better?" "Um. Yeah. I suppose so." I answered her as I picked up the pack. "Let's go." To be continued. By m_storyman_x, for Literotica.

Even in the Lord’s Prayer, we say the words “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Thomas Fuller once wrote, “He that cannot forgive others breaks the bridge over which he must pass himself; for every man has need to be forgiven.” Today, on A NEW BEGINNING, Pastor Greg Laurie takes us to the life of Joseph, an outstanding biblical example of forgiveness and what fruit can come of that selfless action. We’re studying the Bible’s great heroes. — Become a Harvest Partner today and join us in knowing God and making Him known through media and large-scale evangelism, our mission of over 30 years. Explore more resources from Pastor Greg Laurie, including daily devotionals and blogs, designed to answer your spiritual questions and equip you to walk closely with Christ.Support the show: https://bit.ly/anbsupportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Even in the Lord’s Prayer, we say the words “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Thomas Fuller once wrote, “He that cannot forgive others breaks the bridge over which he must pass himself; for every man has need to be forgiven.” Today, on A NEW BEGINNING, Pastor Greg Laurie takes us to the life of Joseph, an outstanding biblical example of forgiveness and what fruit can come of that selfless action. We’re studying the Bible’s great heroes. — Become a Harvest Partner today and join us in knowing God and making Him known through media and large-scale evangelism, our mission of over 30 years. Explore more resources from Pastor Greg Laurie, including daily devotionals and blogs, designed to answer your spiritual questions and equip you to walk closely with Christ.Support the show: https://bit.ly/anbsupportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Subscribe for more Videos: http://www.youtube.com/c/PlantationSDAChurchTV Theme: The Gospel narratives recorded that Roman nailed only two "things" to Calvary's cross that fateful Friday. However, the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Colossians introduces a third and important element that was nailed to the cross by Jesus Himself, who was the substance of the shadows of the Old Testament salvation paradigm. Speaker: N. Abraham Rose Title: He Nailed It! Key text: https://www.bible.com/bible/59/2CO.2.14.esv Bulletin/Notes: http://bible.com/events/49527651 Date: November 29, 2025 Tags: #psdatv #cross #forgive #forgiven #gospel #nail #types #shadows #symbols #assurance #salvation #NoMoreTypes #AssuranceOfSalvation #TheyAreNailedToHisCross #RelationshipOverRituals #ImForgiven For more life lessons and inspirational content, please visit us at http://www.plantationsda.tv. Church Copyright License (CCLI): 1659090 CCLI Streaming Plus License: 21338439 Support the show: https://adventistgiving.org/#/org/ANTBMV/envelope/startSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today's Word for the Day is "FORGIVEN" If you listen to Word for the Day on audio and have never checked out the video, you can do so on our YouTube channel at youtube.com/@fbmmediastudios. To receive your Word for the Day by e-mail, go to http://fbmaryville.org/wordfortheday to sign up.

Share a commentEver felt the urge to make amends with God by doing more, promising harder, or waiting out your guilt? We go straight at that instinct and uncover why it can't save you—and why Scripture offers something far better: forgiveness that is carried away, covered, and never counted against you. Drawing from Romans 3–4 and David's confession in Psalm 32, we unpack three powerful words that reframe everything: forgiven, covered, and not accounted.We start with the long human history of sacrifice, from ancient rituals to the modern notion that suffering can burn off sin. Then we hold it up to the light of the gospel. The Day of Atonement wasn't theater; it was a preview. The slain goat and the scapegoat point to Jesus, the Lamb of God who bears our guilt beyond reach. The mercy seat, stained with blood above the broken law, foreshadows the cross where justice and mercy meet. And Paul's accounting term in Romans 4—imputed—shows how God not only erases the debt but credits the perfect righteousness of Christ to our ledger.The implications are deeply personal. God knows every future failure and still loves you because the cost has already been paid. You don't have to bribe heaven with effort or endure an imagined middle state to purge what Christ finished. Assurance grows where the ledger is settled and the Savior's work is final. That frees us from despair over past sins and from pride in present efforts. It also anchors everyday obedience in gratitude, not fear: we pursue holiness because we're accepted, not to get accepted.If you've wondered whether grace can hold up under the weight of real life, this message is for you. Listen to find fresh clarity on justification by faith, the end of spiritual bookkeeping, and the peace that comes when your record shows only Christ's righteousness. If this encouraged you, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review to help others find these truths.Support the showStephen's latest book, The Disciples Prayer, is available now. https://www.wisdomonline.org/store/view/the-disciples-prayer-hardback

Share a commentEver felt the urge to make amends with God by doing more, promising harder, or waiting out your guilt? We go straight at that instinct and uncover why it can't save you—and why Scripture offers something far better: forgiveness that is carried away, covered, and never counted against you. Drawing from Romans 3–4 and David's confession in Psalm 32, we unpack three powerful words that reframe everything: forgiven, covered, and not accounted.We start with the long human history of sacrifice, from ancient rituals to the modern notion that suffering can burn off sin. Then we hold it up to the light of the gospel. The Day of Atonement wasn't theater; it was a preview. The slain goat and the scapegoat point to Jesus, the Lamb of God who bears our guilt beyond reach. The mercy seat, stained with blood above the broken law, foreshadows the cross where justice and mercy meet. And Paul's accounting term in Romans 4—imputed—shows how God not only erases the debt but credits the perfect righteousness of Christ to our ledger.The implications are deeply personal. God knows every future failure and still loves you because the cost has already been paid. You don't have to bribe heaven with effort or endure an imagined middle state to purge what Christ finished. Assurance grows where the ledger is settled and the Savior's work is final. That frees us from despair over past sins and from pride in present efforts. It also anchors everyday obedience in gratitude, not fear: we pursue holiness because we're accepted, not to get accepted.If you've wondered whether grace can hold up under the weight of real life, this message is for you. Listen to find fresh clarity on justification by faith, the end of spiritual bookkeeping, and the peace that comes when your record shows only Christ's righteousness. If this encouraged you, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review to help others find these truths.Support the showStephen's latest book, The Disciples Prayer, is available now. https://www.wisdomonline.org/store/view/the-disciples-prayer-hardback

Did you know that Jesus has forgiven all of your sins, even the ones you haven't committed yet? Dive into this radical truth as Andrew reveals how understanding spirit, soul, and body can transform your relationship with God.

COFFEE MOANING the PODCAST ON APPLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/coffee-moaning/id1689250679ON SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/3p6z4A1RbhidO0pnOGGZl2?si=IqwD7REzTwWdwsbn2gzWCg&nd=1HOW TO STAY MARRIED (SO FAR) the PODCASTON SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/57MT4cv2c3i06ryQlIpUXc?si=1b5ed24f40c54ebaON APPLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/how-to-stay-married-so-far/id1294257563 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sintonía: "Number Three" - Ben Harper"Faded" - "Homeless Child" - "Glory & Consequence" - "Mama´s Trippin´" - "The Will To Live" y "Jah Work", extraídas del álbum "The Will To Live" (Virgin Records, 1997) de Ben Harper"Less" - "Suzie Blue" - "Steal My Kisses" - "Burn to Shine" y "Forgiven", extraídas del álbum "Burn to Shine" (Virgin Records, 1999) de Ben Harper & The Innocent CriminalsTodas las músicas compuestas e interpretadas por Ben HarperEscuchar audio

Micah Davis joins the ARC Show to share about the power of forgiveness and his new book "Three Strikes, You're Forgiven." He talks about some of the painful moments in his life, and how God has moved in the midst of his trials.Micah's website: https://www.micahedavis.com/Micah's church: https://www.sanctuaryindy.com/

Keeping Sabbath is a test of faith that removes a day's wages (or a day's progress in our projects for workaholics) so that we recognize that his care for us far surpasses our efforts. At the core of observing Sabbath rest is an intentional use of time aimed at personal (and church body) renewal. That renewal is driven by an awareness of God's goodness, provision, and presence flowing from prioritized time in worship together with family and church. Sabbath provides a weekly opportunity to cease from things that crowd our spirit, to rest deeply, to feast on things that fill our spirit, and to embrace God's way more fully. When we regularly reboot in Sabbath rest, we are in much better shape OEL to serve as ambassadors for the King.To investigate this most important of stories further, go here.

The Sin That is Never ForgivenSeries: Mark: The Beginning of the Gospel Preacher: Dr. Daniel HeeringaDate: 23rd November 2025Passage: Mark 3:22-30

November 22, 2025 Amos 7:1-8:3; Ps. 130:1-5; Prov. 28:8-10; Rev. 3:7-13

Why did Jesus tell his disciples they could forgive or retain people's sins? Is it okay for Christians to have their body cremated? I keep hearing that "God is with" someone? What does that even mean? 

Are you ready to receive healing in your body, heart, and mind? The same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in you! Because of the cross, healing is part of your inheritance. In this session of Healing NOW, Todd White shares biblical truth that you are forgiven, loved, and fully wanted by God—and He desires for you to walk in all His benefits. If you've struggled to receive what God has already provided, this message is for you. For more resources and to view our upcoming conferences and events: www.charisbiblecollege.org.

For our sermon series "Forgive."

Living Forgiven Speaker: Alan Bernard

Sermon Handout Sermon Slides Matthew 18:21–35

The High Priest will minister to the people, but only if He is first a minister to God. It's only until Jesus comes, our Great High Priest, will this ministry be fulfilled and the people of God receive that gracious judgement once and for all: Forgiven!

Subscribe to our updates: Twice each week at www.patreon.com/faithdialogue Always Free!

In this special edition interview, Duffey and Jason are joined by Justin Perdue of Theocast for a discussion pertaining to his recently published book, More Than Forgiven. This discussion centers around Paul's epistle to the Romans, believer's baptism, union with Christ, and assurance for the believer. Tune in to what we hope is an encouraging conversation for you! To watch this epsiode on video, see this link https://youtu.be/LifKarwkF-Q To learn more about our guest Justin Perdue, click this link: https://covbap.org/leadership/ 

Nicolle Wallace on Trump's pardons to his allies he deems loyal enough to receive them...essentially saying, I've got your back if you want to do it again.For more, follow us on Instagram @deadlinewhTo listen to this show and other MSNBC podcasts without ads, sign up for MSNBC Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Welcome to the Grace in Focus podcast. Today, Bob Wilkin and Sam Marr are answering a question from a listener about forgiveness. If the atonement was good for the covering of all sin, are unbelievers, in anysense, forgiven for their sin? What are the extents of Christ's atonement? Please listen today and each weekday, to

Three Strikes and You're Forgiven with Micah DavisJoin Educate for Life Radio and Kevin Conover as he interviews Micah Davis about his new book, "3 Strikes and You're Forgiven", all about the forgiveness that Christ modeled for us. Forgiveness is a cornerstone in Christianity, even in situations where it might seem impossible.This episode first aired Monday, November 10, 2025Educate For Life with Kevin Conover airs Saturdays at 12:30pm. Listen live on KPRZ San Diego Radio AM 1210.Listen live: www.educateforlife.org/live 

Today on Sound Doctrine we'll show you where real happiness is found. And it has everything to do with confession, sins forgiven and being in a right relationship with God. Pastor Jeff Johnson will be recalling King David's life in today's study from Romans chapter four. It's a wonderful example of how far-reaching God's grace and forgiveness is. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/621/29?v=20251111

Messages from Merge Community Church in Azle, Tx.

At the heart of this message lies a profound truth that challenges us to our core: we are forgiven so that we might forgive. Drawing from the Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6, we're reminded that forgiveness isn't just a nice spiritual concept—it's the very foundation of the kingdom breaking into our world. When Jesus taught his disciples to pray, he emphasized one particular element above all others by immediately circling back to it: the connection between receiving God's forgiveness and extending forgiveness to others.

When you hear God will save us simply by believing in Him, you might be thinking that sounds too good to be true. After all, the religions of the world all tell us that we must perform some act or good deed to get to heaven. But instead of dismissing salvation through faith right off the bat, it would be wise to look into it. Well, we'll do just that today on Sound Doctrine. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/621/29

Get a blessing by hearing the latest teaching from one of the services at Faith and Truth Assembly!

Around the Word in 180 Days (AW180) is a podcast/blog where we read the Bible with our brothers and sisters in the public schools. My name is Karen and I am your host for the program and for the 2025-2026 school year our theme, Prayers-Praises-Promises. We will read the promises of God, pray the promises and praise God using His Word. The Promises of God are read categorically one each school day and then we will pray that promise. We will praise God using a different Scripture each time and read the Daily Devotionals from Christian Educators. Please join us using Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Prime or Podomatic. This podcast and its accompanying blog is one of many tools for your role as Christ's ambassador this school year. Each daily show is designed to be 15 minutes or less with the busy educator in mind. You are encouraged to share with your colleagues.

Brockport First Baptist sermon audio from Sunday, November 9, 2025: “Learning to be Forgiven,” by Rev. Dr. Dan Brockway. Scripture reading: Genesis 33.Our mission is to embody God's love outside the walls of the church, in Brockport and beyond. SUPPORT OUR MINISTRIES: www.brockportfirstbaptist.org/giveLEARN MORE ABOUT OUR CHURCH: www.brockportfirstbaptist.org

God not only forgives us with urgency, He also wants to restore us to a right relationship with Him immediately. 

“When King Indra ordered the samvartaka and companion clouds to go to Vrindavana, the clouds were afraid of the assignment. But King Indra assured them, ‘You go ahead, and I will also go, riding on my elephant, accompanied by great storms. And I shall apply all my strength to punish the inhabitants of Vrindavana.'” (Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Volume 1, Chapter 25)

(Airdate: 11.07.25) It's a full-on celeb circus today in Who Cares News!

We've all been there — caught in our mistakes, weighed down by guilt, wondering if grace could really reach us. In John 8:1–11, we meet a woman brought before Jesus, guilty and broken. Yet instead of condemnation, she encounters mercy and forgiveness.In this message, we explore how Jesus responds to our sin, our shame, and our need for redemption. Discover what it means to be fully known, fully loved, and truly forgiven.

In Matthew 18:21–35, Jesus tells a parable that exposes the danger of harboring unforgiveness. In the story, a servant is forgiven for his great debt by a king, but then refuses to forgive others who owe him a great debt as well. Jesus uses this parable to show that unforgiveness is poison to our souls. It hardens our hearts against others, turns wounds into bitterness, and bitterness into bondage. But forgiveness is freedom. Jesus invites us to forgive not merely for our hearts, but from our hearts and ultimately to our hearts—receiving His forgiveness so deeply that it transforms the way we see and treat others.

Welcome to River of Life Church's podcast! We are a body of believers who gather together to worship God & grow in His grace. We are a church of His presence, His promises and we are for all people. More info can be found at www.rol-ag.com.

John 11:1-7,Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 4 But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. 7 Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.”With John 10 behind us, we enter now into a new phase of Jesus' ministry. Phase one opened with John the Baptist baptizing in the wilderness east of the Jordan. That was back in chapter one. Nine chapters later — following a variety of Jesus' miracles and Jesus' teachings, crowds coming and crowds going, Pharisees questioning and Pharisees condemning — we ended up back in the very same place it all began. John 10:40,“Jesus went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing at first.” So, phase one has come full circle. Jesus' public ministry has all about concluded. And at this point, life actually looks pretty good for Jesus. John 10:41 says of Jesus, having returned to this region of the Jordan,“And many came to him [so, he's got the crowds]. And many said, “John did no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true [he's got public testimony]. And many believed in him there [he's got ministry success].”Sounds pretty good, right? Jesus is at last away from the tension and death-threats he'd been experiencing in Jerusalem. He's not having to walk mile-after-mile from town-to-town like he did in Galilee. He's east of the Jordan. He's got his disciples all round him. He's got the crowds coming to him and believing him. Life, right now, looks pretty good for Jesus. Then, like a fly in the ointment, John 11 begins,“Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.”Hmm, now what might that mean for Jesus? What might that news of one, relatively unimportant person's illness, mean for Jesus — especially in light of crowd-sized, relatively comfortable success? In this morning's text, we're going to see Jesus' response to this one, relatively unimportant person's illness. It's a response that's going to give us a window into three truths about the heart and character of Jesus:Jesus personally loves his people.Jesus prizes his Father's glory.Jesus pursues our very best.Let's pray …. 1. Jesus Personally Loves His PeopleJesus personally loves his people. Let's begin at John 11:1.“Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. [and then there's little this parenthesis…] It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill.”Now, this is foreshadowing. We've not read about this event just yet, but we will see it in chapter 12. For now, John's just flagging it — saying, “Hey, keep your eye on this family; make note of the connection here: Lazarus, Mary, Martha — they're siblings. Siblings who are going to have some significant interaction with Jesus in the next few days.”So, imagine it with me, Mary and Martha are in their home. Their brother Lazarus gets sick. And sickness is a dangerous thing in the ancient world. Not many options for medicine or doctors. Then, the sickness worsens. Things are beginning to look bad. The sisters think: Let's send for Jesus. Verse 3:“So the sisters sent to him, saying, ‘Lord, he whom you love is ill.'” Again, remember where Jesus was at this time. This message concerning Lazarus gets delivered to Jesus at a time when he's living in relative security. In it comes — the message that Lazarus of Bethany is ill. And, you just gotta think, I mean — “Lazarus, I'm sorry, but the timing's just not great right now. Your location, a bit too close for comfort to Jerusalem. And you're just one person compared to the many who are coming my way.”And, look, let's get real, I mean: how many people had Jesus' interacted with throughout his three years of public ministry? We know he fed the 4,000. We know he fed the 5,000. We know, at times, he had crowds so large he had to get into a boat so as to not be trampled by them. Even now, he's got waves of people coming toward him. You think he even remembers Lazarus? You think he really has capacity — with all the other things he's doing and all the other people he's caring for — to show concern for this one single, relatively unimportant individual?Well, the sisters sure seem to think so. Just look how they describe their brother to Jesus. The message is not, “Lord, he whom you appreciate; he whom you might remember; nor is it even he who loves you. The message from the sisters is, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.”Now, why is it that these sisters believe Jesus loves their brother? Well, I imagine Jesus told them he did. And Jesus showed them he did. That his previous posture toward Lazarus had not been one of cold, detached indifference. Like, when Jesus had been around Lazarus, he had not been checking his watch, or rolling his eyes, or day-dreaming about all the other places he'd rather be. No, no, no, Jesus loved Lazarus and it showed. The sisters knew, Jesus loves our brother. And this, is stunning. Earlier in John — 3:16 — we read that God loves the world. It's an amazing truth, yes? It's also a broad truth — gloriously broad, but broad nonetheless. After all, you've gotta zoom out quite a bit to see the whole world, right? And when you zoom out, what happens to you? What happens to the individual? They fade into the crowd. That is, when humans who are merely humans look at the world. But see, here is where God is different. Here is where Jesus, the Son of God, is different. Jesus has capacity, boundless capacity, to love the world and love individuals within the world. It is not an either/or for Jesus. “Either, I'm a big, distant God. Or, I'm a small, personally involved God.” No, no, no — God loves the world, and God loves his people — collectively, and individually. Calls them by name, counts the number of hairs upon their heads, knows the exact number of days he's given them. Jesus did not love Lazarus generally. Jesus knew Lazarus: Knew what he looked like, knew what he sounded like, knew — even as we'll see in a moment — the details concerning Lazarus' sickness and where it was headed. Jesus knew Lazarus — and his sisters by the way (see that in verse 5) — he knew them personally, and loved them personally. How would you, this morning, describe Jesus' love for you? Do you believe Jesus knows what you look like? What you sound like? What difficulties and sorrows have befallen you? Do you believe that if you, like Lazarus, were to get sick. Get hurt. Need help, and send for Jesus — Do you think Jesus would need a reminder of who you were? Need to jog his memory: “now how exactly is it again that I know this person?” Do you think he'd not be the first to pause the messenger: “wait, wait, wait — I don't need you to describe who she is. I don't need you to tell me who he is. I love that man. I love that woman. And I have since before the foundation of the world.” Look, Jesus' just got done telling us:John 10:14,“I am the good shepherd. I know my own.”John 10:27,“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them.” Jesus, my brothers and sisters, personally loves his people. That's the first truth about Jesus: Jesus personally loves his people. 2. Jesus Prizes His Father's GloryVerse 4:“But when Jesus heard it [that is, heard that Lazarus was sick] he said, ‘This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.'”Now, we've got to ask: what, exactly, is Jesus getting at here. He says, “This illness does not lead to death.” But, I mean, doesn't it? Lazarus does, in fact, end up dying, right? I mean, he'll be four days in the tomb by the time Jesus finally arrives in Bethany. Four days without a heart beating. Four days without lungs breathing. Four days without any activity in the brain. He dies. And so, when Jesus says, “This illness does not lead to death.” What's he mean? I think there's layers of meaning here, but at the top, is purpose. That is, the purpose of the illness is not death. Yes, his illness will lead to his death, but its purpose is “for the glory of God.”And now, we've seen something like this before in John already. Just two chapters earlier, John 9, the disciples ask Jesus concerning the blind man, “Who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered in terms of purpose: “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.”There's purpose to the suffering. Purpose to the plight. That blind man was not blind for nothing. Lazarus is not sick for nothing. The purpose of God is to display the glory of God through the blindness and the illness. So, that's shared ground between John 9 and John 11. Now, what's relatively new here, not only in John 11 but the book of John as a whole, is the complementary dynamic between the Father's glory and the Son's. And, you gotta see this with me. This is an amazing claim being made here by Jesus in verse 4. So, look there with me. Verse 4: Jesus does not just say: “It is for the glory of God.” But, “It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” The Son is clearly after the Father's glory, yes? And, the way that glory is revealed to the world is through him, through the Son. They are respective, in other words, function in tandem. Jesus magnifies the Father through his obedience to him. The Father magnifies Jesus through his honoring of him. Jesus goes to the cross, it glorifies the Father. The Father raises him from the grave to restore honor to the Son. The Father and the Son's relationship is one of mutual glorification.Now, remember, all of this is under the banner of “Jesus prizes his Father's glory.” Point one: Jesus personally loves his people. Point two: Jesus prizes his Father's Glory. And the fact that the second point follows the first is so important, so helpful, especially in our particular cultural moment. For we live in an age where it is common not just for the world, but for churches, ministries, writers of worship lyrics, to tout a view of Jesus that suggests we are supreme in his mind. We rank highest in his sight. We (and I want to say this as graciously as I can) are almost like God to him. The message is that he needs us, he's incomplete without us, he is unhappy unless we're with him — it's like we're god to Jesus.Now, look, church, Jesus loves us. Point one — he loves you personally. But he does not worship you or me. Jesus loves us, but he does not need us. Jesus loves us, and he's for us, but he's not only for us, as if we are the only thing in all of life that matters to Jesus. Listen, Jesus prizes his Father's glory, and does so supremely. His highest allegiance is not to us, but to his Father. And that is really, really good news, because if that were not true of Jesus, then he'd be a sinner in need of a Savior just like you and me. Jesus prizes his Father's glory, and, he loves us personally.So, Jesus personally loves his people. And Jesus prizes his Father's glory. Finally: Jesus pursues our very best.3. Jesus Pursues Our Very BestVerse 5:“Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.”Read that again. When he heard that Lazarus was ill — he'd become aware of the need, aware of Lazarus' suffering, aware of the sisters' anxiety concerning their brother, and then, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.It's a contradiction, isn't it? Seems it should either read, “Since Jesus hadn't yet heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer.” Or, “When he heard that Lazarus was ill, he decided not to stay two days longer, but to race on over to Bethany instead.” But, as it is, the text reads: So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.” What do we make of this? What's Jesus after? Well, that's precisely the point. What Jesus is after is our very best. See it with me. Watch how this thing unfolds. Verse 7:Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again. The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?Simple question, right? Jesus, you mean to go right back to where there's a mob seeking to kill you? It's a simple question. But watch Jesus' answer. Verse 9:“Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.” Who's the subject of that answer? Jesus had been the subject of the disciples' question, right? “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” Who's the subject of Jesus' answer? Who is it that's walking in the day, seeing the light of the world (not being, but seeing the light of the world), and thereby not stumbling? It's not Jesus. Jesus is the light of the world. Who is it that's seeing the light of the world? It's the disciples. Jesus' answer is about them. Jesus is after what's best for them. And he knows they're frightened by the mob in Judea. Frightened by the danger awaiting them there. And so, he's telling them, “So long as you follow me there, keep me, the light of the world, in front of you, you're not going to stumble.” He's saying, “stay with me. You've got nothing to fear so long as you stay with me.” And now here's the warning. Verse 10:“But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”This is the alternative for the disciples. Rather than love the light, and follow Jesus into Judea, they could love the world instead. They could remain in the comfort and safety offered them east of the Jordan. But since Jesus would then be gone, so too would the light. And there, cloaked in darkness, that's when their stumbling would occur. Those are the two options on the table: Light with Jesus as they head into danger. Or comfort without Jesus as they stumble in the dark. And Thomas is the first to get it. Verse 16, skip down there with me for a moment. Verse 16:“So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, ‘Let us also go, that we may die with him.'”Thomas gets it. He gets it. “Brothers, it is better, better to go with Jesus to our deaths than live here in the dark. Let us go with him, lest we stumble.”Jesus is after our best, brothers and sisters. Not our convenience, not our safety, but our best. And he's willing to delay the miracle, willing to allow Lazarus to die, willing to have sorrow fill the hearts of Mary and Martha. He's willing to bring his disciples away from comfort east of the Jordan. He's willing to lead them right on into the danger of Judea.He's willing to do all this because he does not simply want what's good for Mary, Martha, and his disciples. But he wants what's very best. And what's very best is awaiting them in Judea — waiting for them at the tomb of Lazarus. Verse 14: “Then Jesus told them plainly, Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe.” Jesus could have gone to Lazarus sooner. Had he, he would have kept Lazarus from dying. Would've healed him. Would've restored him back to full health. And, oh, how glad that would have made the disciples. How relieved that would have made Lazarus' sisters. But it would have been a gladness and relief with a cost. Their reception of that good gift from Jesus would've meant their missing out on the greatest gift. And Jesus would not have that. Jesus aims to give us what's not merely good, but best — the gift of faith in him. “…for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe.” What if suffering was a necessary ingredient for you to maintain your faith in Jesus? Discomfort? Loss and pain? What if, in order to keep you, Jesus needed to delay his help, let the bad news come, allow the tears to fall, and the sorrow to descend, and even stay for days?Could you trust in such a moment:“Jesus is after my best?”“Jesus is giving me what I most need?”“Jesus is taking care of me?”How do we hold onto our trust in Jesus when he's yet to stop the sorrow?We follow him.We follow him from the Jordan, to Bethany, to Judea, to Jerusalem, and up the hill of Golgotha to see him there hanging suffering there for you and for me. Can we trust the man upon the cross? Can we trust the man with scars in his hands? Can we trust the shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep. Jesus died to give us his very best. The TableNow, what leads us to the table this morning, is that death which Jesus willingly went toward, that he might purchase for you and for me a seat at his table. Forgiven by him, washed pure by his blood, restored to fellowship — this table is a foretaste of our future — sitting down at the table of fellowship with Jesus forever.

None GOOD but God, but as far as MASTERS go, Jesus Christ is BEST. Do WELL with what he's FORGIVEN and YOU might just get a PROMOTION.Contact Us: CovenantsOnLine.com; Covenants.llc1@yahoo.com; @Covenants; or call 304.528.9220.

The Bible has a lot to say about the topic of forgiveness. Forgiveness is complicated and it rarely unfolds in our hearts as we expect. What does it really mean to forgive? Why should Christians choose forgiveness and how do we do it?

Have you lived in fear of wondering whether God has forgiven you because you've had struggles forgiving others? This is often related to a "scary" statement Jesus made to His disciples during the "Sermon on the Mount." But we need to consider why Jesus said what He said and to whom He was speaking. In the previous chapter during His talk with these Jewish disciples who were still under an impossible law, He explained their righteousness will need to exceed that of the Pharisees—the assumed pinnacle of dedication to God at that time. Ultimately, Jesus summed it up by saying they would need to be perfect in all that they did when it came to the law. What Jesus said after providing them with instructions for praying was not a threat for us who live in a different covenant of grace. "Forgive others or God won't forgive you." This was based on the law they were under at that time ... a completely different system. But without the knowledge of differentiating between two different covenants, Bible verses will be misapplied. Now, in order for us to forgive others—which is important—we begin to grow in our understanding of how God *has* already and completely forgiven us through Jesus Christ and His blood. With the help of God's Spirit from within, we have been empowered to forgive in the same way God has forgiven us. But let's not allow religion to burden people by getting this backwards. It's not a *have-to* or a requirement, but a response out of love and grace. --Available on Amazon - "Clash of The Covenants: Escaping Religious Bondage Through the Grace Guarantee" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0713ZSKY7