This week I want to congratulate everyone who forgave someone after the sermon Sunday. You wouldn’t believe all the testimonies. I picked the stories of two ladies, and they gave me permission to share them here. You ladies are heroes and examples of sacrificial obedience.
Amazing stuff. God’s Word is powerful!
Hi Pastor Steven,
I just wanted to let you know how much your forgiveness sermon effected me. My parents divorced when I was very young, and I have very few memories of my father. I would go years without hearing from or speaking to him, and then he would call me on my birthday or a holiday. And then I wouldn’t hear from him again. Needless to say we don’t have a relationship. And everything that has happened in the past has left me hurt and angry with him. After hearing your service on Sunday I thought about writing a letter to him, and what I would say. So yesterday I sat down and wrote him a letter, and was planning on mailing it to him today.
And then my brother called me last night, and told me that my father had called him. He said that my father was going to be in the Charlotte area for a few days, and wanted him to let me know (my brother also doesn’t have a relationship with my father, but has seen him more recently than I have). So he gave my brother his number, and asked him to give it to me. So my brother called and told me how he had called, and wanted to get together with me.
So last night I called and spoke to my dad, and we made plans to get together. Before I hung up, I told him how I had written him this letter today and was planning on mailing it to him. So instead of mailing it, he gave me his email address and I sent it to him. He responded back to my email in a very positive way.
We are meeting tonight for dinner, and hopefully we’ll be starting a new relationship. He also has three daughters, my half-sisters. I’ve met the oldest one only once, when she was a baby. So I’m excited about having them in my life.
As a new Christian I am so amazed at how the Lord has been working in my life!
so i just wanted to let you know that last sunday’s service really rocked my
world. i hadn’t spoken to my dad since i was 12. no birthday cards, christmas cards, nothing. my mom and i picked up and left him 7 years ago. so needless
to say i had no concept of what a family should look like growing up. i knew my dad did something wrong but had no idea of the impact it would have on me growing up. so now i’m in college and i figure, hey i made it this far without him, why in the world would i need to begin that relationship now. and sunday came, and that sentence, “you are only responsible to forgive as much as you
have been forgiven” hit me. so i tried to look him up, nothing…i remember that i sent him an invitation to my high school graduation but it came back, not at this address. so i e-mailed him. since we last spoke he has moved out of the country, no wonder i couldn’t find him. it was insane having my father ask me where i went to school, where i lived, if i still played sports, simple, basic questions that he should know the answer to. so we’re e-mailing back and forth. mine are long and his are short. i tell him about the amazing things God is doing in my life and he responds with that’s nice. i have forgiven him for everything he has done to me, for all the years that have passed, and for all the pain. he can start off with a clean slate, because I can too. so just wanted to say thanks, for being so passionate about what you do. and for following in the footsteps of Christ, i feel like i leave every sunday readily equipped to minister to those God has chosen to put in my life, even those back after 7 years.
