Freeing Yourself through Mercy
Channel: Two Book Church
Date: 2014-03-04

Pastor John Van Sloten continues our series on The Beatitudes and will focus on these words of Jesus, "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy." 
Matthew 5:7, NIV

"But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
Jesus in Matthew 9:13, NIV

"There is a morality that hardens, it makes one more severe with others the more one has learned to be severe with oneself. This is a tempting route of sacrifice-centered, spiritual-disciplines-focused, perfectionist, higher-life, and consciousness-raising ethics. But the first test of obedience to Jesus' ethic is not whether obedience makes one morally tougher but whether it also makes one mercifully softer." 
Dale Frederick Bruner, The Christbook, page 174

"He was a good man... in the worst sense of the word." 
Mark Twain

"Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors." 
Jesus teaching his disciples how to pray in MT 6:12, NIV

"The king summoned the man and said, 'You evil servant! I forgave your entire debt when you begged me for mercy. Shouldn't you be compelled to be merciful to your fellow servant who asked for mercy?' The king was furious and put the screws to the man until he paid back his entire debt. And that's exactly what my Father in heaven is going to do to each one of you who doesn't forgive unconditionally anyone who asks for mercy."
Jesus in Matthew 18:32-35, MSG

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Beatitudes series images by Sarah Van Sloten
Pastor John Van Sloten
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