"I am having a hard time forgiving myself"

Steve Smith, the star wide receiver for the Panthers, gave a statement yesterday about the hitting episode that happened last Friday. In his statement he said that for the first time in his life he has done something so bad that he is having a hard time forgiving himself. Ken Lucas, the player he punched, broke his nose and will require surgery..... also had a statement. He said that he would not be able to attend Bible study this week if he did not offer grace and forgiveness to Steve. WOW.....This forgiveness series we are in is all over the papers. Steve Smith needs to stop trying to forgive himself and just confess his wrong doing to God and then accept His forgiveness and Ken Lucas is acting out this coming weeks teaching on "Moving In Grace."

This story is getting headlines because it is about the Panthers and their players. However, on Sunday I had many tearful people come up to me in our End Zone and express concern and disbelief that they could ever forgive certain people in their lives. I was asked these such questions:

* How can I forgive someone who does not ask for it?
* How can I forgive someone who is not sorry?
* How do I personally move on when the people I have wronged still are mad at me and hold it against me?
* Ho do I move in grace when the circumstances I caused are still hurtful to me and others?

These are great questions.....I will answer these on Sunday as we wrap up this short but needed series called Blind Spot. Speaking of Blind Spot....if someone knows Steve Smith's email address, send him the link to last weeks message so he can get off the treadmill of trying to forgive himself and he can just accept God's forgiveness. I have personally met Steve a few times at different Charlotte Rescue Mission events that he supports and have had breakfast with him once there. He is really a quite and nice guy who has yet to learn how to control all of his emotions on the field.

GO PANTHERS!

New Land Update: We have submitted and the City Of Matthews has accepted our request for rezoning of the 38 acres behind our current 20 acres of land. This is step 1...we have 3 more to go! If you know a Town Council person......remind them you go to CSF and that you and many,many,many others are looking forward to the land being rezoned!

Today's Bible Reading: ( I messed up yesterday and wrote about John chapter 3...really yesterday was John chapter 6 and today is John chapter 7)

John Chapter 7

This chapter is a great lesson on why we have the kind of Sunday church services that we have at CSF. We see Jesus teaching at the Feast. However, different people are clueless of what had been taught about the Messiah who would come. They were saying things they thought were true, but were actually inaccurate teachings about the Christ who would come. They were not understanding what Jesus was saying because they were not sure what they believed.

Many people go to church now or went to church as a kid and never really understood what they Priest, Preacher or Pastor was teaching. They just went because they had to and never really understood what was being taught. At CSF we major on making sure we not only teach....but we teach for understanding and application. Truth that is not understood or applied does no one any good. Our goal on Sunday is that Christians grow deeper in their understanding and the living out of what is being taught. Moreover, we design our style so that even a new person who has never been to church can understand and be moved by the life-changing message of Jesus Christ!