Forgiveness

“Forgiveness!”

On the Lighter side:

These are all apparently true statements made by important people...

"I’m not going to have some reporters pawing through our papers. We are the president." -Hillary Clinton commenting on the release of subpoenaed documents

"The president has kept all of the promises he intended to keep." -Clinton aide George Stephanopolous speaking on Larry King Live

"We are ready for an unforeseen event that may or may not occur." -Former U.S. Vice-President Dan Quayle

"It is wonderful to be here in the Great State of Chicago." -Former U.S. Vice-President Dan Quayle

"I was recently on a tour of Latin America, and the only regret I have was that I didn’t study Latin harder in school so I could converse with those people." -Former U.S. Vice-President Dan Quayle

"The loss of life will be irreplaceable." -Former U.S. Vice-President Dan Quayle on the San Francisco earthquake

"When I have been asked during these last weeks who caused the riots and the killing in L.A., my answer has been direct and simple: who is to blame for the riots? The rioters are to blame. Who is to blame for the killings? The killers are to blame."

-Former U.S. Vice-President Dan Quayle on the complex social issues behind the Los Angeles Riots

"Republicans understand the importance of bondage between a mother and child. -Former U.S. Vice-President Dan Quayle on Republican family values

"It isn’t pollution that’s harming the environment. It’s the impurities in our air and water that are doing it." -Former U.S. Vice-President Dan Quayle

"What a waste it is to lose one’s mind. Or not to have a mind is being very wasteful. How true that is." -Former U.S. Vice-President Dan Quayle at a fundraising event for the United Negro College Fund. He was attempting to quote the line ."A mind is a terrible thing to waste."

"I love California. I practically grew up in Phoenix." -Former U.S. Vice-President Dan Quayle

"When more and more people are thrown out of work, unemployment results." -Former U.S. President Calvin Coolidge

"I don’t feel we did wrong in taking this great country away from them. There were great numbers of people who needed new land, and the Indians were selfishly trying to keep it for themselves." -John Wayne

"Half this game is ninety percent mental." - Philadelphia Phillies manager Danny Ozark

"Things are more like they are now than they ever were before." -Former U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower

"A billion here, a billion there, sooner or later it adds up to real money." -Everett Dirksen

"A verbal contract isn’t worth the paper it’s written on." -Samuel Goldwyn

"The streets are safe in Philadelphia, it’s only the people that make them unsafe." -Former Philadelphia Mayor and Police Chief Frank Rizzo

"The internet is a great way to get on the net." -Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole

"The police are not here to create disorder, they’re here to preserve disorder." -Former Chicago mayor Daley during the infamous 1968 convention

"If you’ve seen one redwood tree, you’ve seen them all." -Forestry expert Ronald Reagan

"Traditionally, most of Australia’s imports come from overseas." -Former Australian cabinet minister Keppel Enderbery

"They’re multipurpose. Not only do they put the clips on, but they take them off." -Pratt & Whitney spokesperson explaining why the company charged the Air Force nearly $1000 for an ordinary pair of pliers.

"We’re going to turn this team around 360 degrees." -Jason Kidd, upon his drafting to the Dallas Mavericks

Truth is people make mistakes and say the wrong thing but they still need to be forgiven!

Poor Attendance

Preacher: "How come I never see you in church anymore, Morris?"

Morris: "There are too many hypocrites there, Reverend."

Preacher: "Don’t worry, Morris; there’s always room for one more."

Opening Question to the congregation:

"Can anyone here at New Life today tell me what you must do before you can obtain forgiveness from sin?"

Video Illustration: From Illustrate Volume 6 “Joleen-betrayed, trying to forgive” from Blue Fish TV

Thesis: Many look at the concept and action of forgiveness in light of the negative connotation of the term the “F word!” They avoid saying it and doing it and feel for some mysterious reason that they are exempt from doing what Jesus described as being essential to the Christian walk. We must choose to forgive if we ourselves want to be forgiven.

Scripture Text: Matthew 6:1-15

1“Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

2“So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 3But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.