Freely Given
The Way of Jesus: Freely Given Matthew 6:14-15 Introduction The message I am about to give to you is based on one that I wrote and delivered over ten years ago. Proverbs 16:9 informs us that “We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.” Like the series we are currently exploring regarding the Lord’s Prayer, I had planned to preach through Matthew 5-7, the Sermon on the Mount, for the church I was serving at the time. Well, the Lord certainly predetermined my steps! On the week before I was to deliver the sermon on Christian forgiveness, my wife and I experienced the most traumatic betrayal from church leadership that we have ever known. The timing of the betrayal and the sermon I was to preach was providential. While my recovery from that trauma took many years, my deep dive into the nature of Christian forgiveness likely preserved my soul and calling in ministry. What I will share with you was forged right in t...