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(Based on 2 Corinthians 7:9–10)

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we are not called to comfort without conviction, nor to grace without growth. In 2 Corinthians 7:9–10, Paul reminds us that godly sorrow is a gift—a divine catalyst that leads us to repentance and life. It is not shame for shame’s sake, but a holy stirring of the heart that moves us away from sin and toward the arms of our Savior.

Too often, we settle for worldly sorrow—the kind that mourns consequences but not the sin itself. This sorrow leaves us stuck in guilt, bitterness, and regret. But godly sorrow? It leads to transformation. It awakens us to the reality of our need for grace and produces in us a changed life, marked by holiness, humility, and obedience.

Now is the time to examine your heart. What needs to be surrendered? What relationships need to be restored? What habits or hidden compromises are holding you back from the fullness of life in Christ? Don’t resist conviction—welcome it as a sign of God’s deep love for you. His correction is never to crush, but to restore.

Let today be a turning point. Don’t delay repentance. Let godly sorrow run its course—let it purify your intentions, renew your spirit, and ignite your passion for righteousness. From it flows freedom, joy, and peace that the world cannot offer.

Walk boldly in the grace that repentance brings. Be an example of what it looks like to be shaped by truth and love. Let your life shout the testimony of a heart that was broken, healed, and made new by Jesus.

Godly sorrow leads to salvation and leaves no regret. So rise, repent, and rejoice—your Savior is waiting.

Written with the assistance of ChatGPT

2nd Corinthians 4

Have you ever felt that there is no way you can keep pushing in your own personal ministry? If your answer is yes, you are not alone. 2nd Corinthians is famously known as the letter where Paul defends his ministry to those who were slandering his name and his heavenly work. Sharing Jesus can be difficult when you have a defense you are playing against, this was Paul’s case, but it can also be difficult when you are not seeing the fruit of your work. I am here to encourage you that your value and your success in personal ministry is not based on how many decisions were made for Christ, or how many lives were changed, or how many people you impacted. Your success in sharing the Gospel is doing just that… sharing it. That is what Jesus calls us to do. He does not call us to save peoples souls (He does that work), but He calls us to be obedient when the Holy Spirit tugs our hearts to share the gospel.
In verse 3-4 we read,

“If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.”

Sometimes people do not respond to the gospel. It can be discouraging, but your success is in your obedience, not in their response.
Paul said that he was hard-pressed on every side but not crushed. Perplexed, but not in despair. Persecuted, but not forsaken. Struck down but not destroyed. Why did he and his ministry team have this perspective? Why did they always find the positive? The answer is in verse 14, “We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you.” Their hope of heaven shifted their perspective on their current challenges.

Paul finished this section, and chapter, describing his present circumstances simply being a “light affliction” when compared to the glory that they will experience for eternity.

So, what’s the point here. When things are hard in personal ministry. When you are struggling breaking through to someone, when you are being persecuted, when it feels like you are being pressed from all sides, focus on eternity. It will shift your perspective and help you to continue to push through your negative circumstances currently. Don’t be ingenuine and deny that your life is hard. Rather, recognize that your circumstances are hard, and change your outlook by realizing they don’t compare to the blessing of spending eternity with Jesus.

Today’s Reading: II Corinthians 2

I’m sorry. 

I apologize. 

Can you forgive me? 

Two of the most challenging things that we can ask for ourselves and others to do is:  apologize and forgive.  

These two things take a level of maturity and understanding that cannot be comprehended until later in life. As an adult man, it’s hard for me to acknowledge my failure and to make amends for those.  Even though I cannot count each time that I have intentionally and intentionally harmed someone,  I attempt to reconcile. 

In our passage today, Paul is writing the second letter to the Corinthians.  One new nugget of wisdom and insight that I was revealed was he is apologizing for his tone in the previous letter and asking the congregation to forgive someone high in the church. He is asking for forgiveness ( apologizing) and he is also asking the church to forgive someone else. 

“And I wrote as I did, so that when I came I might not suffer pain from those who should have made me rejoice, for I felt sure of all of you, that my joy would be the joy of you all. For I wrote to you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭2‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭ESV‬‬

When we apologize we have to understand that we have offended someone. Sometimes it is evident in the way that we have hurt someone… we have spoken to them in a harsh manner; our tone was too rough; or we have inflicted an injury in a way that you can see pain in the other person.  Sometimes it is subtle to us such as a slight phrase or word that injures the person.  I have been guilty of both forms.  As I grow, I have become more aware of my own actions and attempt to right my wrongs as soon as possible. 

Apologies have to originate with the offender. It is on them to create the apology and the understanding that they were wrong in the matter.  Sometimes the offender has to be made aware of your offense by the other party. Sometimes this is really hard for both parties to understand and reconcile with each other. But in the end, the offender is asking for amends. 

“Now if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure—not to put it too severely—to all of you. For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough, so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. Indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ,”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭2‬:‭5‬-‭7‬, ‭10‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Forgiveness is where the offended acknowledges the harm and hurt that was done to them and they have made amends with themself. This then releases the offended person from any anguish , anger, or malice to the person.  The forgiver doesn’t necessarily forget any of the ordeal, yet they chose to move from being a victim to becoming a victor in their self care. 

Both of these acts can be very challenging if we were trying to do them without God’s help. This is why it is a vital part of the Lord‘s prayer.

“and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭12‬ ‭ESV‬‬

We will offend and be offended, but with God’s love we are able to reconcile to each other and find peace.  

May we enter this week with hearts and eyes open to give grace and mercy in apologizing and forgiving each others.  

Be blessed 

2 Corinthians 1

It’s a relatively rare occurrence in my church, but every once in a while, someone will shout out, “Amen!” If you watch closely, you’ll notice some people cringe. Others just ignore it, unsure of what to do. Which one are you?

Of course, “Amen” isn’t a new word. We say it at the end of every prayer. I mean, it doesn’t count if you don’t say Amen, right? But have you ever stopped to ask why? Do you even know what it means?

Derived from Hebrew, amen means “truly,” “so be it,” or “let it be.” It’s more than a formal sign-off or a religious habit. Whether whispered at the end of a prayer, sung in worship, or shouted during a sermon, this little word carries weight. When we say it, we’re declaring: Yes—I believe this. May it come to pass.

So the next time you say “Amen,” pause for a moment. You’re not just ending a prayer. You’re affirming it. You’re sealing it, with faith that God will make it happen.

Psalm 40

This Psalm is a testament of God’s faithfulness and a cry for help in a time of need. It highlights a deep relationship with God. A relationship built on trust, gratitude, and dependence.

David was waiting patiently and faithfully for God, and He heard him. David was stuck in a low, dark place emotionally and spiritually and God pulled him out and put him back on solid ground with a fresh start.

• • God is always listening to those who wait on Him and He brings change out of our struggles.

David recognizes that God doesn’t just want religious acts, He wants a heart willing to obey. David offers himself fully, ready to live out God’s will.

• • God cares more about our obedience and that the road we choose to go down aligns with the path he has set for us.  He doesn’t want the tangibles, He wants the intangibles.

David doesn’t keep God’s goodness to himself but instead tells others. He strongly speaks about God’s faithfulness, love, and truth in front of the everyone he can.

• • This is a reminder that we should all share how God has worked in our lives and encourage all those around us from our experiences.

Despite his past relief, David admits he still faces trouble from his own sins and from enemies. He begs for God’s help and protection while confirming his continued trust and dependency on Him.

• • No matter how much help we seek and receive from God, we will continue to have challenges. But that’s ok!  It is ok to keep asking God for help and relying on him.  He would have it no other way.

Never forget what God has done for you.  Continue praying and when you come to those forks in the road don’t be afraid to ask for His help when you are uncertain or scared.  Always trust in Him when new changes come.  God wants us to rely on him.  IT’S OK!  He wants us to just as much as we need to, through the good AND the bad.  Go on deepening you’re relationship with God and don’t be afraid to share with everyone else the way God has worked in your life through the good and the bad times.

Psalm 38 paints a raw and honest picture of King David—a man burdened by the weight of his own mistakes. Far from the image of a mighty king, David here is crushed by guilt, physically and emotionally broken, and abandoned by those around him. His pain feels familiar to anyone who has lived through the consequences of poor choices—whether a broken relationship, addiction, betrayal, or moral failure. Like a modern individual facing the fallout of a public or personal mistake, David doesn’t hide from his guilt; he lays it bare before God.

David says, “My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear” (v. 4), echoing the cry of a heart that knows it’s gone off course. He suffers not just spiritually but physically and emotionally. His health declines, friends keep their distance, and enemies seek to take advantage. Today, someone might relate to this in the form of depression, chronic stress, or isolation caused by shame or damaged reputation.

Yet David doesn’t stay in despair. One of the most powerful takeaways from Psalm 38 is that he brings his brokenness to God. “Lord, I wait for you; you will answer, Lord my God” (v. 15). He knows that despite his failures, mercy is still possible.

In a world quick to judge and slow to forgive, Psalm 38 reminds us that true healing starts with honest confession and hope in God’s unfailing grace. Like David, we are not defined by our lowest moments. Instead, we are invited to bring our pain, guilt, and regret to the One who sees us fully—and still chooses to redeem. David’s story, like ours, is ultimately not about failure, but about God’s faithfulness through it.

Written with the assistance of ChatGPT.

Psalm 35 – Lessons from David

This psalm is a cry for vengeance. David has been slandered, offended, accused, and sinned against and this psalm is one where he is crying out to God to “make even” with his adversaries. The first lesson we see here is that David did not take matters into his own hands.

In our day and age, it is so easy to be accused or offended and immediately we reach for a sword to slash back. Go read any comment threads on Facebook or any other social media platform and you will see people getting vengeance. We need to learn from David and ask the Lord to do it on our behalf and to trust that someday Jesus will make His enemies (which are our enemies as well) His footstool.

Jesus states in the Sermon on the Mount, “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also” (Matt. 5: 38-39).

The context of this statement is in verbal accusations. Some passivists will use this as an example that people should not defend themselves at all. What this is trying to say is if someone insults you, turn your cheek and let them throw more insults. Don’t repay an insult with an insult. Speak life.
Read verse 13 and 14 again, “’But as for me, when they were sick, My clothing was sackcloth; I humbled myself with fasting; And my prayer would return to my own heart. I paced about as though he were my friend or brother; I bowed down heavily, as one who mourns for his mother.”

David mourned for them, he fasted on their behalf, and he interceded for them in their trials. He didn’t just turn his cheek, but spiritually, David went on offense for his adversaries.

To sum this all up, practically how do we respond when we are accused, shamed, or treated poorly by the world? In some cases, we need to defend ourselves and defend the faith, but in other cases it is better to relent and to actively show our love for those who persecute us (Matt. 5:44).