Redemption Groups :: Week Three

This week Redemption Groups focused on God’s forgiveness, more specifically how well you connect with God’s forgiveness. Pastor Ryan spoke after the worship and broke down our response to the sin done against us and the sins we have committed. He showed us four kinds of responses that are the reasons we find accepting God’s forgiveness next to impossible. Minimizing the sin we have committed or the sin done against us is the first reason. Trying to “atone” our sin or work off our debt is the second. The third is the unforgiveable sinner, where we see our sin as too bad and unworthy of forgiveness. The last is unforgiving sinner where we see the sin done against us as too great and beyond forgiveness. These sinful responses as Pastor Ryan said, “cheapen Christ’s death on the cross” and not only that so many of us are unaware that we have responded this way. “We are blind to our own blindness” until it is laid our right in front of us and we suddenly find ourselves falling into at least one of these categories.Tonight group discussions took a slight turn. Group discussions have previously been vulnerable, but more understood that the individual shares what they feel comfortable sharing. However, some participants have still been hiding broken pieces of themselves from the group and have not placed these pieces before God. The leaders tonight were more lovingly leading the quieter participants directly to their suffering. It was beautiful. Watching someone walk closer and closer to seeing themselves the way God sees them, is like watching a near rebirth. I identified with what was said in these conversations and I know I was not the only person in the room that found themselves nodding along. By the end of the night, no shame remained in that room.Find the rest of the blogs in this series here.For more information on Redemption Groups go here.