Welcome to
Marriage in God's Hands.
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We are glad to be back
with you. My name is Willie Lee,
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your host, and our
co-host is Wilma Lee.
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Welcome. Today we talk
about marriage and forgiveness.
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And that's a very,
very important topic because
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it has a sense
of freedom about it.
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And God provides us with that
freedom through forgiveness.
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And we will pray with
each other now as we begin.
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Thank you, Lord, for
knowing before we even know
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how much we need You,
how much we need forgiveness
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and what it will do
for us in our marriages.
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And we ask you to be
with us today to understand it
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from the heart in every way.
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Lord, we thank You
because You have given us
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the greatest model of
forgiveness when You died for us
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on the cross. We
can't help but be amazed
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that You would love us so much.
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In the name of
Jesus we pray, Amen. Amen.
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Well, today we
embark on a journey...
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a journey that God planned
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even before the foundation
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of the world.
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Because He knew we'd be
here and we would need to know
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what footsteps to follow. And
we have the footsteps of Christ
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who represented forgiveness
and who actually accomplished it
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for us through the cross.
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But a lot of times - uhh
- our marriages get stuck.
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And a lot of the
reasons for that hinge upon
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the fact that forgiveness
is not being offered,
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granted, or asked for.
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Well, I think because
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forgiveness is...
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well, not forgiveness but
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those two words "I'm sorry, "
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"I was wrong" are probably
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some of the most
difficult words to say
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and probably are not said.
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It's just... You
know that I meant it
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so we don't say it.
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So, acknowledgement of
the need for forgiveness
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is maybe the first part.
We can't get to forgiveness
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and we can't know
how to exercise it
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without an acknowledgement
that someone needs to start it
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somewhere. Oh, definitely.
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And usually that's not something
anybody wants to talk about.
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Well, God didn't mind talking
about it in the very beginning
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after man
sinned in Genesis 3:15.
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The promise is based
upon His setting into motion,
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from the foundation of the world
a plan that included forgiveness
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that He would be able to
grant to man and actually
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take care of the sin problem
that exists in our lives.
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But more accurately in
Jeremiah the 31st chapter
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I'd like to read a
verse of scripture,
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a passage of scripture
in chapter 31 of Jeremiah.
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If you have your
Bibles, you might like to turn
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in your Bibles to Jeremiah
31 and read along with us.
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I am reading
beginning with verse 31.
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It's a very important
passage because it sets the base
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with God's
promise being fulfilled.
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"The day will
come, says the Lord,
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when I will make a new covenant
with the people of Israel
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and Judah. This covenant
will not be like the one I made
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with their ancestors
when I took them by the hand
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and brought them out
of the land of Egypt.
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They broke that covenant
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though I loved them as
a husband loves his wife,
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says the Lord. But
this IS the new covenant
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that I will make with the
people of Israel on that day. "
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The Lord said this
to them... He says:
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"I will put My laws in
their minds, I will write them
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on their hearts.
I will be their God
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and they will be My people.
And they will not need to teach
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their neighbors nor will they
need to teach their families
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saying: 'You
should know the Lord'
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for everyone from
the least to the greatest
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will already know
me, says the Lord.
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And I will
forgive their wickedness
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and I will never
again remember their sins. "
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Wow! That's quite a promise!
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First you're going to forgive
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and then you're
not going to remember.
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And that covers both areas that
we want to talk about today.
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But God started it. He
says I'm not asking you
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to do this without My already...
not... I've already done it.
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I've already set it in motion.
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And He says that the day will
come when you won't have to tell
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your neighbor because
everyone will already know.
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And that's a fantastic promise.
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That means that God is
taking the responsibility
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for providing forgiveness
and for getting the word out
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to everyone that
forgiveness is available
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and that when He forgives
He remembers the sin no more.
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I thought it was interesting,
though, that He talked about
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like a husband
and a wife. Um-hmm.
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Does that mean that He
expects husbands and wives
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to forgive each other?
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Well, since God says
that His wife is the church,
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Christ's wife is the church,
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He sets that example, and
in Ephesians 5 He uses that
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and then talks about
the mystery of Jesus Christ
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as the husband of
the church - the wife.
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But then He says but
that's also I'm talking about
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husbands and wives too.
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And so this is another
illustration of that mystery
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that God has set in
motion in which He says:
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"I want to build my
relationships in the family
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upon the way a husband
and wife treat each other
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with forgiving love. "
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Well, I hope
forgiveness isn't a mystery
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because then we're
really in trouble! No! No!
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Oh, OK. It's not
forgiveness that's the mystery.
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It's how the church and
Christ and husbands and wives
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are supposed to be
matched and mated and modeled -
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oh, oh - through the family.
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So, God first
modeled on the cross
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and in His relationship with us.
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Now we are to also
model that for the world
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so that the world can see
what forgiveness is all about
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when they watch the
relationships between husbands
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and wives. OK. So
that's a tremendous promise.
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But we need to apply
it in a practical way
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because to just spiritualize
it does not accomplish it.
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I think you are right,
and It think that's probably
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where a lot of people get
in trouble with forgiveness
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because when we just move it
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to the spiritual plane,
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then we are really confused
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about it. And I always
think of David in Psalm 51.
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And, you know, I have
a particular affinity for
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The Message. And Psalm 51:10
in The Message Paraphrase says:
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"God, make a fresh start
in me. Shape a Genesis week
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from the chaos
of my life. " Wow!
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And I think that's what
we're talking about when we're
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talking about forgiveness.
We want a fresh start,
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and we want a Genesis
week: creation - yes -
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in the chaos of our life.
Cosmos... Cosmos versus chaos.
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Yes! Isn't that
something? God created cosmos.
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He created a perfect world,
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a perfect environment.
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And God says that can be
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re-created through forgiveness
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by coming to God and letting Him
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take the chaos of our
lives and creating once again
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the unity and the peace that
comes... that happens only...
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through God. And that's the
uniqueness that we want to share
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with couples today.
And we'd like to share
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a little bit
more of that with you.
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So, I guess one of the
first things that has to happen
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with forgiveness is
that you have to acknowledge
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that you need to be forgiven.
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Well, I think it's that AND
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sometimes the
acknowledgement needs to be
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that forgiveness is
needed in the relationship.
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Too often we want to
place the blame on one person
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and then say that
person needs to acknowledge
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they are wrong and ask
for forgiveness, and I'm not
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going to say anything or do
anything until that happens.
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Oh, you mean it takes two?
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Oh, we are back to
dialogue again? Again!
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Back to dialogue. The
dialogue needs to take place
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so that each of
us in the marriage...
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both the husband and the wife...
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must see the
marriage as needing help,
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the marriage as needing support,
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the marriage as needing
power to move and to grow.
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And if we both work
toward it and not worry about
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who needs to get the
forgiveness peace started,
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but let both work toward
forgiveness taking place.
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Ah, so now we are talking
about commitment. That's right.
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Because we are committed to
this marriage relationship -
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that's right - and we want
it to last for a long time,
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so we will dialogue about
how we work this thing out.
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That's right. And not
necessarily just the blame
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but to admit how I feel
about not having forgiveness
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being processed and not having
reconciliation taking place.
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Even Jesus spoke
about that when He says:
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"If you have... if
someone has aught against you
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or you have aught
against the other,
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you leave your gift at the altar
and you go back and make sure
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that everything is OK before
you come and give your gift. "
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Ummm. So that means
even in our personal prayers
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if there is
something that's hanging up
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and that... making
our marriage feel stuck
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in one place without
being able to move forward,
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whether you are
the person in the wrong
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or maybe you
have not done wrong,
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you should take
the responsibility
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of seeing to it that there
is some type of confrontation
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in a loving way through
dialogue to talk about where we
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might get stuck and where
we might be able to unstick it
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and move forward
with our relationship.
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Well, you know, that's
something we talked about in the
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gifts of the Spirit:
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the willingness to
have a sweet relationship.
00:11:53.32\00:11:58.83
Yes! And you
know, we are not alone.
00:11:58.93\00:12:03.56
The world has understood that
there cannot be a completion
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of reconciliation in a marriage
relationship between two people
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unless forgiveness takes place.
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They don't want to acknowledge
God necessarily in the world
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but they have done
research and have found out
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that when forgiveness
takes place there is progress
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and growth in relationships
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and that the relationship
gets off of that sticky part
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and moves on and flourishes
when forgiveness takes place
00:12:33.94\00:12:37.83
in a relationship. So,
without talking about God -
00:12:37.93\00:12:40.79
wow - even the world is
understanding that forgiveness
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is a necessary part
of relationship building.
00:12:44.21\00:12:47.58
That's interesting.
And here God has told us
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this so long ago,
and all we have to do
00:12:50.90\00:12:53.88
is acknowledge and
use what He gives us.
00:12:53.98\00:12:56.59
That's what it comes down to.
00:12:56.79\00:12:58.80
And that's why we are going
to spend some time today talking
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about forgiveness and the
components of forgiveness,
00:13:02.03\00:13:05.09
the parts of it, and
some things that we may not
00:13:05.19\00:13:08.60
have thought about
forgiveness before.
00:13:08.71\00:13:10.86
So we will share some
of those special times
00:13:10.97\00:13:13.70
when we come back
from a short break.
00:13:13.80\00:13:16.87
But if your marriage
partner is not there,
00:13:17.07\00:13:21.16
if your spouse is not
with you, go get them.
00:13:21.26\00:13:23.30
Come back and let's
study a little bit more
00:13:23.40\00:13:27.10
and find out how
forgiveness takes place.
00:13:27.20\00:13:29.93
There are many how-to
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to help build a better marriage.
00:14:03.33\00:14:04.85
Welcome back to
Marriage in God's Hands.
00:14:14.98\00:14:17.36
We've been talking about
00:14:17.46\00:14:18.65
forgiveness.
00:14:18.75\00:14:19.76
And forgiveness is not a foreign
00:14:19.96\00:14:21.82
thing to us because most
00:14:21.92\00:14:24.02
Christians already repeat
00:14:24.12\00:14:27.17
the Lord's Prayer, and in
that prayer it says forgive us
00:14:27.27\00:14:31.11
our sins - or our
debts - as we forgive
00:14:31.21\00:14:35.18
those who sin against us
- or trespass against us -
00:14:35.28\00:14:39.08
our debtors. So, God has already
00:14:39.18\00:14:42.61
said that unless
there's forgiveness
00:14:42.71\00:14:45.69
that we extend toward others,
we cannot receive it from Him.
00:14:45.89\00:14:51.88
So, share
something that will help us
00:14:52.08\00:14:55.94
in this problem area of
trying to acknowledge the need
00:14:56.04\00:15:00.58
for forgiveness. You
know, sometimes I think
00:15:00.68\00:15:03.02
we repeat that not realizing
00:15:03.13\00:15:05.48
what we're actually saying.
00:15:05.59\00:15:07.42
We're saying that if we don't
00:15:07.52\00:15:09.50
forgive others,
00:15:09.60\00:15:11.60
God don't forgive me. Yes.
00:15:11.70\00:15:13.96
It's almost like a
covenant that we are saying
00:15:14.16\00:15:16.44
we expect to keep our part
so that you will keep Your part.
00:15:16.54\00:15:20.02
Yes. And if we
really thought about that,
00:15:20.22\00:15:24.05
we wouldn't take that
very lightly because, you know,
00:15:24.25\00:15:29.31
it's again. It's
like the company stuff.
00:15:29.41\00:15:31.60
We bring out that for outsiders
but we can walk around for days
00:15:31.70\00:15:36.45
and weeks and hold
grudges and issues with people
00:15:36.55\00:15:40.99
that we live with
and think that's OK.
00:15:41.09\00:15:44.12
OK. But that's probably
because, you know, there is not
00:15:44.22\00:15:49.56
forgiveness for some
things. Aren't' there?...
00:15:49.66\00:15:51.15
Some things are just so
terrible and they hurt so badly
00:15:51.35\00:15:54.33
that we need to make
people jump through a few hoops
00:15:54.44\00:15:57.21
before forgiveness takes
place so they won't forget it.
00:15:57.31\00:16:00.67
No, that's not our
responsibility first of all.
00:16:00.87\00:16:05.85
If I recall
correctly, Romans 12 tells us
00:16:06.06\00:16:09.97
that the Lord says vengeance
is His and HE will repay.
00:16:10.07\00:16:14.41
So we don't get to do that.
00:16:14.51\00:16:16.48
So it's not payback? No!
00:16:16.68\00:16:18.75
Then if there's not payback,
then what about these things
00:16:18.95\00:16:22.60
that I have a difficult
time forgiving in others?
00:16:22.70\00:16:27.04
Are there some things
that really cannot be forgiven?
00:16:27.24\00:16:31.81
We have to forgive, but
that does not mean - you know...
00:16:32.01\00:16:36.70
Sometimes we say I'll forgive
it but I won't forget it.
00:16:36.80\00:16:39.79
Um-hmm. No, you can't forget
it because humans have this
00:16:39.90\00:16:43.96
marvelous thing that God
has given us called a brain. OK.
00:16:44.06\00:16:47.08
And somewhere up there
as long as you are in charge
00:16:47.29\00:16:51.09
of your
capabilities and facilities,
00:16:51.19\00:16:53.67
it's there...
you can't forget it.
00:16:53.78\00:16:56.59
But I Corinthians tells you
that love does not keep score.
00:16:56.79\00:17:01.33
Oh, wow! If I
don't keep score...
00:17:01.53\00:17:04.54
'cause I can remember how many
times something has happened
00:17:04.64\00:17:08.41
to me, and I'm saying
well until something changes
00:17:08.51\00:17:11.74
I'm not going to
forgive. Unless that person
00:17:11.84\00:17:13.96
can promise me they are
not going to do it again...
00:17:14.07\00:17:16.36
So, how do I move on from that?
00:17:16.46\00:17:20.45
And what is
forgiveness all about?
00:17:20.55\00:17:23.10
Forgiveness means that
the next time you do it
00:17:23.30\00:17:26.16
it's the first time. Oh!
00:17:26.26\00:17:29.70
Are you telling me that I
get a fresh start every time
00:17:29.90\00:17:34.33
with forgiveness?
Remember Psalms 51:10?
00:17:34.43\00:17:39.46
"Lord, give me a fresh start.
" If God gives me a fresh start,
00:17:39.66\00:17:44.74
then in our relationship
I give you a fresh start.
00:17:44.84\00:17:48.36
So, between us as husband and
wife then, we need to make sure
00:17:48.56\00:17:53.91
that we are not holding back
something or denying something
00:17:54.01\00:17:57.52
because we haven't felt
like forgiving, number 1,
00:17:57.62\00:18:01.47
or either we think it's
too difficult to forgive that
00:18:01.57\00:18:06.17
because it hurt too much and
it was such a terrible thing.
00:18:06.27\00:18:10.18
Exactly. Because we must give
forgiveness as we experience
00:18:10.38\00:18:15.38
forgiveness. Oh, so
that's the basis of forgiveness.
00:18:15.48\00:18:18.96
In other words, if
I have been forgiven,
00:18:19.16\00:18:22.55
if God has been
willing to forgive me,
00:18:22.66\00:18:25.37
then I must not withhold
forgiveness from others.
00:18:25.57\00:18:29.57
Exactly! Isn't
that what we pray?
00:18:29.60\00:18:32.39
Yes it is. That IS what we pray.
00:18:32.59\00:18:34.86
It just doesn't sound quite
like that because of the Bible
00:18:35.06\00:18:38.32
language the way it's
been put in the Bible,
00:18:38.46\00:18:40.00
but that's
exactly what that means.
00:18:40.10\00:18:42.32
So forgiving does not
mean that we don't forget.
00:18:42.58\00:18:46.41
It just means that we don't
00:18:46.54\00:18:48.28
bring that up and say:
"Oh, you did that before so... "
00:18:48.38\00:18:52.16
I Corinthians says
we don't keep score.
00:18:52.36\00:18:56.37
OK. So, if that's the case,
then forgiveness takes place
00:18:56.57\00:18:59.83
because someone has already
paid? Because, obviously,
00:18:59.93\00:19:05.31
if we don't make the person pay,
somebody has to pay for wrong.
00:19:05.41\00:19:10.23
So, I guess, maybe
Christ must be our substitute.
00:19:10.43\00:19:15.66
Through Christ,
that sin, that wrong,
00:19:15.86\00:19:19.66
has been paid for
on the cross. Yes!
00:19:19.76\00:19:23.16
So forgiveness is
not only substitutionary,
00:19:23.36\00:19:26.04
it's grace based - OK -
because you're getting something
00:19:26.14\00:19:30.02
you don't deserve.
00:19:30.12\00:19:31.63
All right. So, you
can't earn forgiveness.
00:19:31.83\00:19:33.99
No. And you can't make a
person earn it... earn the right
00:19:34.09\00:19:37.01
to be forgiven. No. Forgiveness
is given out of love.
00:19:37.11\00:19:41.66
So how can I be assured,
then, that if I forgive you,
00:19:41.86\00:19:46.45
you won't turn
around and do it again?
00:19:46.55\00:19:49.12
You can't... because I'm human.
00:19:49.32\00:19:52.31
And that's the human frailty...
that it just might happen again.
00:19:52.51\00:19:58.08
But that's no reason to
withhold forgiveness, because
00:19:58.28\00:20:01.69
Christ did not withhold it
from us just because we might
00:20:01.80\00:20:06.17
infringe upon that again.
00:20:06.27\00:20:09.08
Exactly. Now, there
is a place for dialogue,
00:20:09.28\00:20:12.15
because if I care about you -
um-hmm - and you tell me about
00:20:12.25\00:20:15.35
your feelings and you
tell me what my behavior did
00:20:15.45\00:20:19.46
to make you feel uncomfortable,
then I'm going to be aware
00:20:19.56\00:20:24.74
that you didn't like that.
And if I really, really care,
00:20:24.84\00:20:29.58
I'm going to try
not to do that again.
00:20:29.68\00:20:31.65
All right. So the intention,
the effort, and the willingness
00:20:31.85\00:20:36.02
for change is what you expect.
00:20:36.12\00:20:38.95
Not that it's an accomplished
fact that it will never
00:20:39.16\00:20:41.08
happen again. Yes,
because I am human.
00:20:41.19\00:20:44.95
I still walk with
feet... not wings...
00:20:45.15\00:20:47.46
so I'm capable of
hurting your feelings again.
00:20:47.66\00:20:51.23
But there's always
room for forgiveness again.
00:20:51.43\00:20:55.12
All right. And that's the
promise I have to be assured of
00:20:55.33\00:20:59.04
that God provides. So it's
through Him that it happens.
00:20:59.14\00:21:02.52
Not me alone doing it,
but Christ has done it first
00:21:02.73\00:21:07.91
and I pass it along
to you as my spouse.
00:21:08.01\00:21:11.49
Well, there's another area
that we are concerned about
00:21:11.69\00:21:16.69
sometimes, and that is that
I may not feel like forgiving.
00:21:16.79\00:21:22.77
I may still be hurting.
00:21:22.88\00:21:25.77
I may still not have
enough belief in you as a person
00:21:25.97\00:21:31.44
and I feel that if I forgive you
it will set up some situation
00:21:31.64\00:21:37.18
later on that
I'll be sorry about.
00:21:37.28\00:21:39.77
So, shouldn't I wait
till I feel more like it...
00:21:39.97\00:21:43.36
and then when I feel
better then I can forgive?
00:21:43.46\00:21:46.63
Feelings where
forgiveness is concerned
00:21:46.83\00:21:50.51
don't really fit because
forgiveness is a principle
00:21:50.61\00:21:54.74
not a feeling. So
you're saying that the act
00:21:54.84\00:21:58.39
of forgiving is something
that is done whether or not.
00:21:58.49\00:22:02.53
In other words, I
release that person
00:22:02.63\00:22:05.28
I release the obligation
whether I feel like it or not
00:22:05.38\00:22:08.98
because that's
what God expects of me.
00:22:09.08\00:22:11.90
Exactly. See, we are back
to talking about that freedom
00:22:12.10\00:22:14.88
that God gives. And that's
based upon God's grace. Exactly.
00:22:14.98\00:22:19.91
Well, you know, we can go
into many different aspects
00:22:20.01\00:22:23.27
of that, and I have not
found in the Word of God...
00:22:23.37\00:22:26.26
I don't know about you... I have
not found in the Word of God
00:22:26.45\00:22:28.42
any sin that He will not forgive
00:22:28.52\00:22:31.95
that man
commits against another.
00:22:32.05\00:22:35.07
You know, in the study of God's
00:22:35.27\00:22:38.71
Word, I'm always amazed at
00:22:38.81\00:22:41.12
how longsuffering He is
00:22:41.22\00:22:43.28
and how willing He is
00:22:43.48\00:22:45.13
to forgive us.
00:22:45.23\00:22:46.43
And how, even on the
cross, He was willing to say
00:22:46.73\00:22:50.87
"Father, forgive them for
they know not what they do. "
00:22:50.97\00:22:53.87
Yes. And if God
can give up His life
00:22:54.07\00:22:57.22
and forgive in
those circumstances,
00:22:57.32\00:23:00.99
I don't think there's
anything in our relationship
00:23:01.09\00:23:04.65
that we can't communicate
about and forgive one another.
00:23:04.75\00:23:09.55
And certainly, through prayer,
00:23:09.65\00:23:12.02
we ought to be
able to work things out.
00:23:12.12\00:23:14.16
Well, that's God's
plan for us, isn't it?
00:23:14.36\00:23:16.41
That we actually, through
prayer, gain the opportunity
00:23:16.61\00:23:21.21
and the power to
extend forgiveness.
00:23:21.31\00:23:24.60
Because it comes from God.
00:23:24.81\00:23:26.01
We cannot forgive another
unless we are empowered by God.
00:23:26.21\00:23:31.19
In fact, there a special
power that James talks about.
00:23:31.29\00:23:34.50
In James 5:16 he says:
00:23:34.61\00:23:37.39
"If we would
pray for one another,
00:23:37.42\00:23:41.55
we would be... " What?
Healed. "we would be healed. "
00:23:41.65\00:23:44.28
So there's healing
available for our problems,
00:23:44.38\00:23:48.88
for our sinfulness, for
our misgivings in marriage.
00:23:49.08\00:23:54.55
And if we would learn to pray,
00:23:54.75\00:23:56.93
if we would learn
to pray for one another
00:23:57.13\00:24:01.14
and with one another,
God would bring the healing
00:24:01.24\00:24:04.94
into our relationship and
place it on a much better basis.
00:24:05.04\00:24:09.61
And that's worth reaching for,
00:24:09.81\00:24:12.83
and it will help to unstick
some of those sticky issues
00:24:12.93\00:24:17.17
that stop us from growing our
marriage in the right direction.
00:24:17.27\00:24:21.28
And, you know, usually that text
is used for physical healing.
00:24:21.48\00:24:25.72
Um-hmm. But sometimes
there are emotional hurts.
00:24:25.92\00:24:28.57
OK. Sometimes there are other
types of hurts in relationships,
00:24:28.67\00:24:32.57
and God will heal those as well
if we'll just pray for and with
00:24:32.67\00:24:37.40
each other. You know, you
have hit upon something that
00:24:37.50\00:24:40.77
we don't often speak about.
00:24:40.88\00:24:43.76
But because of the very
sensitive nature of the mind
00:24:43.96\00:24:48.94
and the heart of
man... as the Psalmist says:
00:24:49.04\00:24:53.80
"Who can know it? " Because
there are some parts of us
00:24:54.00\00:24:57.74
that don't really get healed
until something outside of
00:24:57.85\00:25:01.70
ourselves
happens. And a lot of times
00:25:01.80\00:25:05.63
we can go into
depression. We can experience
00:25:05.73\00:25:10.97
real low periods because
there is not the healing.
00:25:11.07\00:25:14.54
We can help each
other as a couple -
00:25:14.74\00:25:17.75
yes - in
promoting good health yes -
00:25:17.85\00:25:21.49
and healthy relationships
- yes - through prayer and
00:25:21.59\00:25:24.44
through forgiveness. Yes.
We actually set people free.
00:25:24.54\00:25:27.40
And the text says:
"If Jesus makes you free,
00:25:27.60\00:25:31.93
then you are free
indeed... you are free indeed. "
00:25:32.03\00:25:34.44
And that's a real
joy and a real happiness.
00:25:34.64\00:25:37.30
And it provides, I
feel, it has provided us
00:25:37.50\00:25:41.27
through time with the
opportunity to go and grow
00:25:41.37\00:25:46.36
our marriage even further
than it's ever been before.
00:25:46.46\00:25:49.47
That's what forgiveness
does: it sets you free.
00:25:49.68\00:25:52.39
Well, the Word of God
says: "If you confess your sins,
00:25:52.59\00:25:55.58
He is faithful and just to
forgive you and to cleanse you
00:25:55.68\00:25:59.32
from all unrighteousness. "
00:25:59.42\00:26:01.30
Let's stop and pray right
now, and ask God as couples
00:26:01.50\00:26:06.06
if He would not forgive us
00:26:06.16\00:26:08.10
when we have
withheld forgiveness.
00:26:08.21\00:26:11.48
Dear Lord. We know
that it's the human thing
00:26:11.68\00:26:16.20
that stops us from doing
what is right and best for us.
00:26:16.30\00:26:20.70
But we ask you that
in Your divine power
00:26:20.90\00:26:26.00
provide us now with
the opportunity to see
00:26:26.10\00:26:30.24
a new thing
happening in our relationship
00:26:30.34\00:26:33.71
that forgiveness can happen.
00:26:33.81\00:26:35.76
And we ask it to
happen for us now.
00:26:35.96\00:26:38.81
Thank you, Lord,
for forgiving us first.
00:26:39.01\00:26:42.09
And now let us share that
forgiveness with each other
00:26:42.29\00:26:45.25
and experience the joy
and delight that comes from
00:26:45.35\00:26:48.86
being free in Thee. In
the name of Jesus we pray,
00:26:48.96\00:26:52.38
Amen. Amen.
00:26:52.58\00:26:54.26
We hope that you have
exercised with your spouse
00:26:54.46\00:26:59.48
the opportunity to dialogue
and to talk about those areas
00:26:59.58\00:27:03.62
of getting stuck. We can
tell you from experience that
00:27:03.73\00:27:08.31
when we have allowed that
to take place and we enter
00:27:08.41\00:27:11.66
into those communications with
each other that would bring up
00:27:11.76\00:27:16.07
those issues and then
present them to the Lord
00:27:16.17\00:27:18.39
and to each other, we feel
so much better after the fact.
00:27:18.49\00:27:22.73
We may not feel better
before, but I guarantee you
00:27:22.84\00:27:25.72
through faith extending yourself
toward God will help you to
00:27:25.82\00:27:29.05
extend that forgiveness - yes
- and it will help to free up
00:27:29.16\00:27:32.23
that relationship, and
you can grow your marriage
00:27:32.33\00:27:35.28
and you can reflect the
very essence of who God is
00:27:35.38\00:27:40.64
as a forgiving, loving God.
00:27:40.74\00:27:42.96
God bless you today.
00:27:43.16\00:27:44.66