I read a book recently by a pastor who went through a terrible ordeal in his family. His church was growing dramatically, and he was being asked to speak all over the country. But on the inside of his life things were falling apart in his family. He was literally doing all he could to keep his family together. Every Sunday he had to get on his knees to ask God for help to have the strength to preach. The pastor and his wife decided to write the book to pull back the curtain on their life. They wanted people to see that everyone experiences pain in their families.  

 

Can I hear an Amen?  

 

It has been said that our families provide us with life's greatest joys and at times life's deepest sorrows. The people who are the closest to us are often the people who hurt us the most. They are the hardest people to forgive because the wounds are so deep. The son who made decisions that broke your heart. The spouse that betrayed your trust.  The father who abandoned your family. The sister who refuses speak to you after mom's estate was settled. My uncle called my mother two weeks ago; they have not spoken to each other in 50 years.

 

This weekend I'm going to talk about the things that break our families. I'm going to share with you one verse that has a lot to say about all of this. I'm going to talk about what's possible when we open our hearts to God. The message is called Love Like You've Never Been Hurt.

 

 

Love to you all,

David

 

 

P.S. Jentezen Franklin's book Love Like You've Never Been Hurt inspired my message. I will be relying on 1 Cor. 13:4-7 & 2 Cor. 5:17-19 for the message.