[Jesus] stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” John 8:7b ESV
We make a thousand decisions every day. For instance — does this tie match my shirt? Can I make it to work on time if I leave at 6:45? Is the driver in the car beside me going to stay in his/her lane? What should I have for lunch? Our teenager wants to do WHAT?
Often, our decisions involve evaluating another individual’s behavior, intentions, “worth” or social status. With a glance, we unconsciously look to see if the person coming to meet us on the sidewalk might be considered a part of our “tribe” or not. We judge others’ likely income, educational level and trustworthiness on the thinnest of evidence. Why is this guy acting so weird? I don’t think I want to get near this fellow. Wouldn’t buy a used car from her…
This process is very natural and probably unavoidable. But concluding that someone is “outside” our tribe can bring out the worst in all of us; it puts us in the dangerous position of demeaning the worth of another individual for whom Christ died.
This weekend at Trinity Downtown we’ll be discussing the choice we have in front of us every morning when we get out of bed: to live a life filled with grace to our fellow humans, or follow the inclinations of our sinful heart to act as judge and jury to those we dislike or distrust. Weaving grace into all of our interactions offers the chance to experience a joyful life working alongside the Creator. Following Jesus on the path of forgiveness sometimes entails getting out of our comfort zones. But along the way we’ll experience joys we never anticipated and fight important battles and achieve victories which we might have otherwise sidestepped.
This weekend, come and hear how a forgiving attitude can shift all of your relationships to the next level. Your kids won’t want to miss our “Kingdom Quest” pre-school and student gatherings, and you’ll enjoy making new friends and learning more about your faith in our expanded array of adult bible study classes, all held at 9:30 am on Sunday. As part of our Lenten journey, we’ll also be offering a special “Red Letter Challenge” adult bible study at 9:30 am in the gym on Sunday. Don’t miss this opportunity to deepen your focus on Christ during this Lenten season!