The discussion on forgiveness in relationships emphasizes the importance of self-awareness, communication, and addressing offenses directly. The speakers explore the challenges of navigating sensitivities in society and the dynamics of rebuke, repentance, and forgiveness. They stress the need for engaging in difficult conversations and taking risks to maintain healthy relationships. The complexity of forgiveness, repentance, and rebuke is highlighted, along with the importance of empathy and understanding. Overall, the conversation delves into the subjective nature of offense and the commitment to living out biblical teachings in daily life.
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[00:00:09.59] - Mitchell Buchanan
Hello. Hello. Hello. My name is Mitchell Buchanan. This is the sermon podcast from the church community for God. I am joined by bible teacher extraordinaire, Greg Garner, and this is our chance to sit down with people who spoke at the church for GOD the last month to go through their sermons, to help expound on what they were talking about in the word, to dig for some more truth, and just to bring in conversations for everyday lives. So this last month, we're joined here by Jeff Sherrod. He spoke, and Brett Madryn, spoke as well. We're gonna go through Brett's sermon. The topic for this month is forgiveness, and Brett, unfortunately, came. His his, slot came up when we were snowed in, iced out of coming to church. But if you wanna give maybe the main points from your sermon that we posted online, if you haven't checked it out, well worth it. It was fantastic. But go ahead and kind of sum up, hey. This is what I was going for. This was my verse and kinda what I was talking through.
[00:01:16.70] - Brett Madron
Yeah. Thanks, Mitch. You're welcome. Yeah. So my my verses were, Luke seventeen three and four. It says this, pay attention to yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him. And if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in the day and turns to you seven times saying, I repent, you must forgive him. So I think I did a few things with this one. I settled in on that first phrase for a few minutes, pay attention to yourselves, And I talked a little bit about, just the self awareness that I think Jesus is is pushing his disciples towards, both both to as individuals and potentially as as a community that it's important that we are aware of ourselves and and by extension, our community. In in terms of of this, of of the potential sin people are involved in, the the proactiveness we take to correct that, and the just the exchange of resolving those things and and helping people to move past them, in forgiveness. I do think, you know, as you move into verse three into four, it there's there's there's sort of this intensification, it seems, where, the person is you know, Jesus is is really pushing his disciples, it seems like, to, increase their capacity to forgive, their their endurance to forgive, and keep, keep working those things out, as as time goes on. I think, you know, I think as we develop as human beings, we, we're on both sides of this at different times in in our lives. And I think that exchange, any person who is really trying to develop and mature is going to be on both sides of this exchange, I think, at some at some point. So it should be present in in the community of faith, but it it doesn't happen if you're not paying attention, I would say. So those are those are some of my thoughts. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I think I do wanna say this as we jump in. I did. I did on the I did keep it. I felt afterwards, I was like, man, that was that was, like, too conceptual. Mhmm. And I think, you know, when you wrestle with a text, it's it's good to, like, bring yourself to it. And I don't think I did that enough, or at least to to me. And I think one of the things that I'm I'm thinking through on the other side of this is the fact that I don't I actually don't find myself in these exchanges a lot.
[00:04:07.69] - Mitchell Buchanan
Like, hey. I offended . I'm offended. I forgive you. Like, the activity...
[00:04:12.00] - Brett Madron
I don't feel like I find them. And and I'm not saying that in a in a positive way. I'm saying that, like, I probably should find myself in
[00:04:19.50] - Gregg Garner
Like you've Not been paying attention?
[00:04:21.19] - Brett Madron
Yeah. Or, I don't know if it's, like, somewhat of my personality, just, like, ah, it's not a big deal, or I don't get offended easily, or maybe I'm, like, too apathetic. Like, well, whatever. This will work itself out. I don't know. I thinking about it, I'm like, I find myself, like, almost joked. I was like, this is a this is a scripture about my marriage. And, like, that was, like, part of what I wanna communicate. Like, if I'm thinking about conflict, it's mostly just, like, yeah, me and my wife working things out or something. But I don't feel like I find myself in too many of these.
[00:04:56.80] - Mitchell Buchanan
Which I think that's natural for not, like, husband, wife, or, like, roommates. Like, people that you're living together. Mhmm. Even Greg in his sermon brought up, like, practice in our household first of, like, working out forgiveness. Because I think it's natural. Like, that's where it's easiest for you to say something. Like, there's more opportunities to be offended because they're literally there morning and night, like, no matter what. You have to . Or if it's me and you, it's like, I've I like Brett. He probably didn't mean to. Am I gonna make it a big deal? Like, those, like, conversations you're having internally. So you feel like you should be pressing more or, like, Greg brought out, you feel like it's a lack of attention that you're actively giving to,
[00:05:38.39] - Gregg Garner
Well, I don't even know if you got that that's what I was referencing.
[00:05:41.30] - Brett Madron
No. No. I did.
[00:05:43.50] - Gregg Garner
Oh ok. You just glossed it so fast. You're just like Well,
[00:05:46.00] - Brett Madron
I don't know. I think it could be multiple factors involved Because you
[00:05:49.39] - Mitchell Buchanan
Because you went on to say your personality may just be more amicable. Like, hey. I'm easygoing. I'm not gonna be, like, a thorn in somebodies side
[00:05:55.00] - Brett Madron
Certain people are going to find themselves in more conflict, or i t feels like in these exchanges than others, maybe based on personality. I could be wrong, but that's a thought I have.
[00:06:09.00] - Mitchell Buchanan
I like entertaining that. I'm not a I think it's definitely true that some personalities are not going to bring are gonna be more conflict averse, and some are going to, like, lean into it or bring that out. But I don't know if that really answers the biblical text of because, really, this is, like, our you know, your brother is insane where you're, like, paying attention. You're bringing something out. Like, hey. This is, like, something I wanna talk about as someone in community with you. Like, I have a problem. Right? That's how we're reading this?
[00:06:40.69] - Gregg Garner
Yeah. Yeah. There's there's the first party that has that has two verbs attached to them in the text, then there's the the accused party that has one verb attached to them. Right? So the first party, they're going to rebuke. The second party, repent. And then then the first party again, forgive. Mhmm. That's those are their their responsibilities. Right? So, yeah, somebody has to assert at some point, you've sinned against me. You offended me. You've done something that I feel has breached our confidence and our connection.
[00:07:12.10] - Mitchell Buchanan
Which should go beyond personality type
[00:07:16.60] - Gregg Garner
I wish it did, but I don't think it does. I think I don't think people, like, have a a box of what equates to a fence, and then they're like, oh, that one was outside the box of offense. And I don't think everybody shares even the same box. Right. And I think that's part of what Brett's saying. Like, maybe personality or just the circumstances of life, your your threshold for offense is different than someone whom we may say is a bit more sensitive Mhmm. Toward being offended. Yeah. So I I I think that Jesus' teaching here is very subjective when it comes to, like, allowing someone to assert a rebuke. Mhmm. Like, I don't I don't think there there's no, like, prescribed criteria that when this has happened specifically and you've observed it through the lens of these factors, now you can rebuke. It's just like, hey. It's sin. It's all this. They sin against you? Rebuke them.
[00:08:17.69] - Jeff Sherrod
Yeah. Yeah.
[00:08:18.50] - Gregg Garner
So that gets to be really interesting.
[00:08:20.50] - Jeff Sherrod
Yeah.
[00:08:21.19] - Gregg Garner
But it is it is empowering. If you believe Jesus is lord and you feel empowered by what he has to say, it doesn't matter who offended you, you you speak up. But it's but it is a weird thing because people don't know the procedure. Like, for example, one time I was preaching a sermon. Right? And and I just used the the, the Adagie that maybe it's a colloquialism. I don't know. You guys can help me out. But I said something like, being treated like the red headed stepchild. I said something along those lines. Right? Which I thought is like a a phrase people use. Right? And I got my two gingers in here right now. But, and and and I thought it was a really great sermon, really great teaching. Well, someone comes up to me to talk about it afterwards.
[00:09:04.00] - Mitchell Buchanan
They were red headed?
[00:09:05.20] - Gregg Garner
No. They were not at all. They weren't even offended by the red headed. They were offended by the stepchild part.
[00:09:14.20] - Brett Madron
We were all equally surprised by that.
[00:09:15.79] - Gregg Garner
Yeah. Well, I was also surprised. I was like, it it's just it's a saying, but, like, the offense was that I was insensitive to kids who have a step relationship, but it quickly moved to an adoptive relationship. And then I was like, I wasn't trying to be as insets of they're like, you're a preacher, and you need to be careful with your words. And I'm thinking in my head, like, there's there's if if if everybody gets the subjective standard in the room to determine when they're offended by whatever it is someone says, The only person that can talk is someone who gets up there and says neutral, neutral, neutral, neutral, neutral. Jesus, neutral. Because you're gonna offend somebody in some way. So I recognize that the subjectivity of this offense was on this person's, list of considerations. Right? So now they're offended. They rebuked me. And I said, you know, I'm sorry. I had I had no intent. They're like, are you gonna be more sensitive to this now? And I go, I guess so. I just I I've never thought of it in that way, and I can see how that Yeah. Yeah. I'll do that.
[00:10:32.00] - Jeff Sherrod
Yeah. And this is part of, like, I think even maybe the pushback that we're kinda seeing in our wider society. Right? Like, we're all against woke culture now, you know, like, where you can't say anything anymore without offending someone.
[00:10:44.89] - Gregg Garner
I don't think people are against it. I think a lot of people they're wanting to be woke. Right? Because would that be a woke comment?
[00:10:51.70] - Jeff Sherrod
People that I'm following on Twitter wanna be against it.
[00:10:53.79] - Gregg Garner
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. That's good.
[00:10:55.10] - Brett Madron
There is some push back for sure.
[00:10:55.70] - Gregg Garner
That's good. I can't even say I know exactly what woke culture is, but all I think is key and Peele, and I'm not sure that's exactly right on the middle with that. They have a pretty funny
[00:11:08.29] - Jeff Sherrod
The way I think it's it's characterized, and it's probably it's just probably a sorry. It's probably a strong man argument where...
[00:11:16.20] - Gregg Garner
I forgive you.
[00:11:16.89] - Jeff Sherrod
I appreciate it. I do, That's the end of it. That's the end of it. Yeah, I think the way it's characterized, maybe a straw man argument, but it's this over, sensitized society . Where you can't really say anything, that has an opinion attached to it.
[00:11:36.00] - Gregg Garner
Right.
[00:11:36.39] - Jeff Sherrod
Without offending someone, you know, like, I'm a hardworking, you know, white man. They're like, well, you have you know, whatever. Someone's about to be offended because I said that.
[00:11:45.89] - Gregg Garner
Yeah. You're not actually hardworking because you had an inheritance that was based upon land that you took from my Native American people. Right. Yeah. I get it.
[00:11:56.39] - Jeff Sherrod
Yeah. The whole thing. So Yeah. Then the pressure is
[00:11:59.00] - Gregg Garner
I probably just offended someone right now.
[00:12:00.20] - Jeff Sherrod
You probably did.
[00:12:01.10] - Mitchell Buchanan
We're in a minefield of the offence that we can't escape, I don't think.
[00:12:04.39] - Brett Madron
I mean, that's the battle stand up comedians fighting
[00:12:06.79] - Mitchell Buchanan
Yeah. Constantly.
[00:12:07.70] - Jeff Sherrod
Yeah. It's all fine. They're just gonna be like, dude, we can still say things. Right? Yeah. You know, the answer's no.
[00:12:13.60] - Gregg Garner
You get tackled or slapped.
[00:12:15.10] - Jeff Sherrod
Yeah. So I I you know, maybe I think that there is you know, we we have to make sure that we're staying on guard against even cultural pressures within our own community where maybe we can become too sensitive to just, like, people saying opinions, like, and being normal and being themselves than without someone getting offended.
[00:12:33.39] - Brett Madron
Yeah.
[00:12:35.10] - Jeff Sherrod
Not sure that's, like, leading to a point necessarily. But
[00:12:38.00] - Gregg Garner
Well, in my situation, the person I don't know. I'm not even sure they forgave me. They just went they just nod their heads, and they just acted sad. But I know that years later, they brought this thing back up. Oh, man. As, like, evidence for my, insensitivity. So to me, them not knowing this procedure this biblical procedure given to us by Jesus resulted in what we talked about in the last episode, root of bitterness.
[00:13:04.50] - Brett Madron
Yeah.
[00:13:04.70] - Gregg Garner
And once your your the field of your heart just has all these sown roots of bitterness from seeded interactions with someone, like, pretty soon, the the the whole lump is in that way. So I I I'm trying to point out that the the actors in this, the person who's been offended, who now asserts a rebuke, the person who offended, now asserting repentance or responding with repentance. The next action is by the rebuker, which is to forgive, and then Jesus has to even qualify that by saying, anytime you're offended and anytime they repent, you forgive.
[00:13:54.89] - Jeff Sherrod
Right.
[00:13:56.10] - Gregg Garner
Because I think all of us recognize the seventy times seven is a way of saying every time.
[00:14:01.39] - Jeff Sherrod
Right. For sure.
[00:14:01.50] - Brett Madron
For sure.
[00:14:02.79] - Jeff Sherrod
Now if you're thinking about this maybe Greg over Brett, like, let's say you're in the your brother sins. And then so you say to them, I think you did wrong. And then that person's like, I didn't think I did That's you know, like, that would be time that we're bringing in a mediator.
[00:14:18.79] - Gregg Garner
Now we're at Matthew eighteen.
[00:14:19.79] - Jeff Sherrod
Now we're home. That's Matthew eighteen.
[00:14:20.79] - Brett Madron
And I said in the sermon, I was like, I'm not gonna go down that road because it's a different passage. But but yeah. Because it is very conditional. Yeah.
[00:14:29.50] - Mitchell Buchanan
Yeah.
[00:14:31.20] - Gregg Garner
And I think that this verse, remember, the response of the disciples to this is that they need an increase in faith Yeah. As a result of of, what's being expected of them To demand, by Jesus. Right? So why why then would they ask for an increase in faith with respect to this expectation? And it it seems that Jesus was trying to highlight our proclivity to avoid Yeah. These types of conflicts. I agree. Right. Be because you really do have to have faith. Like, for example, in the in the last episode, I brought up that person who got on to me through the text and said I hurt them, but they had to assert themselves.
[00:15:18.89] - Brett Madron
Yeah.
[00:15:19.20] - Gregg Garner
And they rebuked me. And then I I repented. And then we found, how to work it out so that there would be no root of bitterness. And here, with this text, like, the idea is I have to have the kind of faith in God Mhmm. That an interaction like that isn't going to be detrimental to my reputation, detrimental to that person's understanding of what it means to be in a relationship with me. Right? Because even right now talking about it, as a preacher, I find it interesting that I'm I'm often on stage, and I talk about things. And the the person that I am, I will vulnerably disclose personal anecdotal scenarios from my life often where I am either a foil or I am in the position of being the one asking for forgiveness.
[00:16:10.00] - Mitchell Buchanan
Mhmm.
[00:16:10.39] - Gregg Garner
Right? So, there's a certain level of faith even being able to admit that these types of things happen because I think there's a misconception in our culture that says you're a better person when these things don't happen. And what seems to be implied by Jesus here is that these things are going to happen, and they may happen and should happen. Yeah. They're they're they're gonna happen. Right? But they may happen with the kind of frequency that is is going to require you to respond in faith.
[00:16:44.10] - Brett Madron
Yeah.
[00:16:44.70] - Gregg Garner
And, I think I think there's an accountability when you have a culture like this that that I I hope doesn't make us shut up. Right. Because that would be the worst. Right?
[00:16:54.89] - Jeff Sherrod
Yes.
[00:16:55.29] - Gregg Garner
If if all of a sudden we just go, dang, I'm gonna offend everybody all the time and you shut up. And I felt the temptation Mhmm. To do that. So it even takes faith to now reassert yourself. Mhmm. Stay integrated because you've been rebuked. Being rebuked is not fun.
[00:17:10.59] - Jeff Sherrod
Yeah. I was actually thinking about this when Mitch was bringing out, like, maybe some people have more they're doing this more often than maybe other people. It made me kind of I was thinking about maybe even a sports metaphor. The person that's playing the game is gonna have more occasions for conflict and rebuke, like, as opposed to the person that's sitting on the sideline. And so I think that that's where it's like, if you're just on the sideline, well, I'm good with everybody. Like, maybe you're not playing it the right way.
[00:17:33.50] - Gregg Garner
Right. Or maybe you're not playing at all. It's easy for a bench player to sit there and and and be like, man, should've made that shot. that's an easy thing to do. But when you're playing yeah. There's that proverb. You know? It says that, paraphrasing it, where somebody talks a lot , Sin is in proximity. Right? It's it's, like, right right there. But I when I was when I was younger, I would hear that verse, and I would think about, like, just people who are blabbermouths. And that I should be sensitive to a blabbermouth because, likely, they're gonna do something wrong. They, you know, there's gossip in there. There's slander or something. I don't hear it that way anymore when I when I read that verse. To me now, because of my own life experience, I think, informing or reading of that scripture, I I look at it and I can understand even an another layer to it that the more you talk just the more you talk, the more possibility there is that you're going to offend somebody.
[00:18:37.50] - Jeff Sherrod
Right.
[00:18:38.00] - Gregg Garner
The more possibility that someone's gonna identify some shortcoming Yeah. It with respect to your speech, your expectation. And and I know my experience because I do have to talk so much, based on my my job and the work I do, it it just there's there's more words out there for people to be able to go, well, that fell short, and that was offensive. Yeah. Where you have the the quiet person who doesn't say anything.
[00:19:02.50] - Mitchell Buchanan
Right.
[00:19:03.90] - Gregg Garner
So there there is a a a wisdom motif that says, if if you don't wanna get in the conflict, keep your mouth shut. Right? Yeah. Like, I think we can all remember the the Amos communication that it's there's the they rebuke the the the one who speaks in the gate. Mhmm. And as as a result of that, the prudent are gonna be quiet Right. In these types of times. And I think a misreading of that verse would be to, like, you need prudent people need to be quiet. But the the more appropriate reading highlights that there there's a a need for for people to be in in the gate and and preaching critical communications that can often be a rebuke to people. And they they there's a there's an authority and an art to that effort.
[00:19:55.09] - Jeff Sherrod
Right.
[00:19:55.50] - Gregg Garner
but it it definitely as soon as you commence that activity, you are now escaping the prudence that would alleviate you from the conflict.
[00:20:05.20] - Mitchell Buchanan
Yeah. I think I think also along those same lines, if someone is just so used to being removed or on the sidelines, like, hey. I'm not gonna engage or I'm not gonna speak up much. Like, when they should be communicating offense, they should be even rebuking it. Like, hey. I, you know, I wanna get in the game. I have something to say. This offended me, which could produce, like, a healthy conversation. They're so accustomed to, well, I'm not that person. I'm just gonna stay over here. Like, not only are they not, you know, taking the chance to communicate and have someone rebuke them when it is needed for them to step in and say, like, hey. This wasn't right. Like, I wanna say something. Like, they're so accustomed to not doing that. They're like, oh, it'll work itself out. Like, Mhmm. I think Or someone else will work it out. Yeah. Or, like, oh, this person always says something. I'll wait for them. It's like, no. It's like, if you have that, you know, you have that moment and you're not stepping into that, like, you're missing on the other side too. Like, you're almost missing both ways. Like, I'm not taking any risk to, like, actually talk or, like, make a statement. And then when I am offended, I'm just so used to being quiet that I don't address, you know, those moments. And it's like, I think that's the metaphor of the like, being in a game or playing is, like, so helpful because, like, that activity is just living life. And then, like, once you, you know, either shut up or just remove yourself, like, oh, I'm not actually the person doing this. Now you're just in the stands, you know, like, with all the critiques or all the they could have done this. It's like but you're actually not engaging. Like, you're not helping your brother. You're not, like, in any way.
[00:21:40.20] - Jeff Sherrod
Yeah. I had a question I was gonna ask you guys. It's about for to forgive. And even it has quotes at the end saying, I repent. Forgive him. So I had this was today, actually. So I messed up. And I've been telling someone I'm gonna do something, and I didn't do it. And then they sent me an email, like, I really need this, and you're very late. You said you'd do it. And I sent back, and I was like, I'm so sorry. You know? And I was like, I feel embarrassed, but I didn't do it. But the response back was, it's okay. And I was like, kind of I so that was one of my questions. Like, what do you guys think about it's okay? As a like, I don't wanna get too formulaic, but you brought this up in your sermon. We don't have the box that we're entering into with the priest where, you know, it's like you walk out and you feel, alright. Something did something.
[00:22:28.79] - Gregg Garner
Mhmm.
[00:22:29.50] - Jeff Sherrod
But is it almost should we elevate some level of formality with this practice just to say, like, hey. I'm gonna at least use the words you're forgiven, you know, like, instead of don't worry about it. What do you what do you think? Is it is is that being, like, two people?
[00:22:48.00] - Gregg Garner
Yeah the nomenclature surrounding , a rebuke, a repentance, and forgiveness definitely needs considered, but I'm just not sure we're gonna be able to remedy our culture with respect to this very common type response. Right? Yeah. As you were talking, it made me think too. Have you ever had the scenario where that happens, but then in your head, you're you're like, yeah. Like, the the way you just did what you did, I'm also offended. Like
[00:23:18.20] - Brett Madron
Like the way they rebuked you?
[00:23:20.00] - Gregg Garner
Or So have you had an interaction with someone where where you find yourself apologizing? Right? You find yourself apologizing because it's been made known to you that you fell short in some way. Right? But also through the conversation, you made it very clear that they fell short too, but they don't ask for forgiveness.
[00:23:38.90] - Brett Madron
Yes. Feels like my marriage or something. Yeah.
[00:23:42.00] - Gregg Garner
Like , now do you do you like, you know, like, if you get sued Yeah. In court. Right? Your plaintiff, you have the complaint, and now you're coming against somebody and they're defending themselves, the defendant. That defendant can do a countersuit. Right? And the defendant can say, you know what? I'm suing you. I have a complaint against you. So legal systems obviously acknowledge the fact that it's not, like, first one to rebuke wins. Right. And then the other person just has to sit there and take it. You know? Like, because I think in real life, more often than not, both parties
[00:24:18.59] - Jeff Sherrod
I think this is so real. Yeah.
[00:24:21.00] - Gregg Garner
You know? Like, I would imagine the person that wrote you that email and said whatever, you could have if you wanted to. Likely, the, we we there's so many verses, right, that come in our minds. Like, love covers a multitude of offenses. Love doesn't remember any wrongs. Like and these have context, and they have translations. So here you are trying to practice. I'm not gonna remember this wrong on this person. And and then loves I love this person. I'm gonna cover over this this offense here and now they bring up yours. Mhmm. And now you now you're pinned and you're we're human beings. We have memories. Like, all of a sudden, there's a catalog. And and you're like, I'm gonna temper myself now. But then you're looking at that person, and they're all smug, checking you out because you they you're so small in front of them. And, like like, only you and Jesus know that you could you could unload on them all of the rebukes that they deserved. Then now you're like, am I a merciful person? I've just been forgiven, but I think I'm also merciful. Is that are we even supposed to think along these lines? It's just so complex
[00:25:25.00] - Jeff Sherrod
yeah It is.
[00:25:25.40] - Gregg Garner
when you don't have a culture that understands biblical teachings on the inevitable conflict that exists between human beings that will result in somebody falling short of somebody else, and then the differing perspectives that require us to engage sometimes even several times a day Yeah. In the kind of faith that believes this can turn out for our good. This this could become something good. I I just think it's super countercultural. My my wife was telling me, and she's like, oh, we moved on to kindness because that's where we're at now at church. You know? And she's like, I think Steve Steve tried to make you take her joke, you know, and she he butchered it apparently. But she she just said, you know, this is something I think we could we could use seventy times seven worth of Yeah. Months on or sermons on. Right. And and it it's just it's just a hard one. but it is a value. Yeah. Like, forgiving each other is a value that God wants us to have. I mean, when I think about Jesus in his last hours, who who is going to object to the fact that his person is characterized by a mantra of forgiveness? Like that is just a matter of fact. There is. Forgive them, father. They don't know what they're doing. Lots of preachers will highlight that the tense of that verb, and the the way it sits in context is that he was likely repeating himself, saying that over and over again that Jesus wanted to end his final hours extending forgiveness. We know that this is the love of God. He wants to extend forgiveness to to even the most wayward, brazen sinner who would come and repent. I mean, Jesus gives illustrations, like like, if just one person repents, it's such a big deal that he even gives the imagery of the angels in heaven or or, like, yeah. That's how we do it. That's that's, like, that's a heavenly behavior Right. To do that. So repentance, forgiveness, these are all key terms in in your verse here, and it's just it's just a lot a lot, man.
[00:27:33.50] - Brett Madron
Yeah. It reads more cleanly than real life.
[00:27:38.00] - Mitchell Buchanan
For sure.
[00:27:39.20] - Gregg Garner
But the way the disciples responds tells us that we probably shouldn't be reading it so cleanly.
[00:27:43.90] - Jeff Sherrod
Yeah.
[00:27:46.00] - Brett Madron
They felt the weight for sure
[00:27:47.00] - Mitchell Buchanan
I don't wanna finish up without bringing up, like, something that I was after listening to your sermon, I was, like, thinking about a lot was the propensity how slow human behavior can be to change. So it's like, hey. You know, you offended me. Oh, I'm sorry. It's like, it's not like that just happens instantaneously. You had mentioned, like, patterns of behavior where it's so easy for us to either when we're pressed or, like, just a week down the road, like, hey. We're back in our normal routines. Yeah. We're back in a pattern of behavior where I'm like, oh, I'm, you know, not living how I should. I'm not upholding, you know, something I should. Yeah. And even the seventy seven on on a practical sense comes on the other side of, like, hey. We are far from perfect beings and then being able to switch in a moment, it's like it's just maybe possible. A lot of times, probably not because, like, we're just balancing so much in our lives, and it's like I think that element and I think, of empathy for the per you know, for the other party of, like, hey. Because it's so easy of, like, oh, they messed up. I forgive you. They do it again and again. You're like, are you even trying? You know, it's like, did you even hear me? But it's like, I think having that perspective of, like, it is it can be incredibly hard to change our behavior once we're set in in that pattern. Not every offense, I think, is like that in your sermon. It's like, you're not in a pattern of bringing up stepchildren every sermon or anything like that. But I think on other elements, looks like that, the murkiness of this forgiveness and rebuke happens when it's like, it's just not as easy for me to, like, change. Like, I don't sometimes, I don't even know how to fix myself, and it's like I need help.
[00:29:25.20] - Brett Madron
Yeah. I think even, like, if we go back to sports thing, like, if if you're a coach, you're, like, really paying attention To your shooting guard's shot. Like, exactly how he's doing it, you're correcting him constantly if if he had a bad pattern of, like, the his form or whatever.
[00:29:43.29] - Jeff Sherrod
Yeah.
[00:29:44.70] - Brett Madron
But, you know, because you're really paying attention, you're like you know, the shooter's not he's it's very subtle. So if you have a subtle thing that you're like, I'm I'm struggling with correcting this, it's gonna be hard. You're probably gonna repeat that mistake. Whereas in, like, real life, like, you know, if you're like, one of the examples I brought up was gossip. Like, that's not a real, like, brazen, egregious thing. It's, like, easy for us to maybe get into that if you're if you grew up around it or whatever. So it's easy, I think, to slip back into that, and so you need someone around you paying attention.
[00:30:22.70] - Gregg Garner
But, I mean, the the verse says then your transition to pay attention to yourself.
[00:30:27.90] - Brett Madron
Yeah. Yeah. I did take some liberty with yourselves in terms of, like, us as individuals and us as a community.
[00:30:35.00] - Gregg Garner
Yeah. Okay. So That's that's good to know.
[00:30:37.79] - Mitchell Buchanan
Yeah. I think in in either context, the you know, if we're all paying attention ourselves, we're all on alert. It it it does give a different, I think, even context. Even if you're just, hey. We're just hanging out, dude. We're just chilling. Like, we can just shut that off. And so I'm not paying attention to, like, you know, either either my words or just paying attention to, like, what is characterizing my activity, what's characterizing my spirit. Like, just that exclamation, like, hey. Pay attention to yourself. It's like, at all times, like, we should be, you know, having that internal dialogue of am I am I honoring the Lord, or, like, am I, like, uplifting, like, my brother? Like, what is happening here? Because I think once that stops, it's like all those you know, our patterns that we're accustomed to that aren't holy are just, like, gonna just start rising to the top.
[00:31:28.09] - Gregg Garner
Yeah. Thanks, Brett.
[00:31:29.09] - Brett Madron
Yeah.
[00:31:29.40] - Gregg Garner
Good stuff, man.
[00:31:30.40] - Brett Madron
Yeah.
[00:31:31.00] - Mitchell Buchanan
Right on. Thank you for listening to the sermon podcast from the church community from GOD. Wherever you're listening, leave us a review. We'd love to read a comment or anything. More than anything, let's keep pushing these conversations at our jobs, with our friends, in our small groups. These are things from God's word that we wanna not just hear on a Sunday, and it's out of our brains the next week. Like, let's keep, meditating on these things so we can get better and better as a community that can live out God's word. Until next time, we see you at church.
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