Stuff in the Basement: Part 2 - Forgive Us Our Sins 

This Sunday, Steph Littlejohn brings us the latest of our short video talks. Once you have watched the video, we encourage you to reflect on the bible text and join us in the prayer that follows below.

To listen to the talk click here.
 
Reading:

1 John, chapter 1 verses 5 to 10 (NRSVA)
⁵ This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. ⁶ If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; ⁷ but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. ⁸ If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”


Prayer & Reflection

Heavenly Father,
When we are still before you and we know your power and your grace and we see ourselves more as we really are.
We ask forgiveness, for we know how often we have shown resentment, and criticism has been allowed to hit us too hard.
We have been irritable and allowed impatience quickly to well up over small things,
and self-indulgent, allowing words and feelings to get out of control.
We confess at times we have quarrelled and been slow to make it up and have spread fear through our fearing and depression through our depression.
We have assessed the faults of others as worse than our own without thought of our privileges and knowledge of their hard way.
Today we hear good news that Jesus forgives us in our failure.
He accepts us as we are,
to set us free from evil and to make us into what we are meant to be.
We thank you Lord for the forgiveness and love that you bring to each one of our lives.
Amen
 

Questions to Consider

1. How do you feel about looking at and facing up to the inner you? What makes that easy or hard for you?

2.  What do you think it is that we are afraid of?

3. To improve anything we have to see where we are. It is easier to look at the faults of others. Why is that? Should we be afraid of looking into our own souls?
 
4. In what are the circumstances and situations are you tempted to pretend to be something or someone that you are not?
 
5. Jesus lived to love and died to forgive so what are we afraid of?

 6. We mustn’t be afraid, we mustn’t judge others, but we must be prepared to hold up a mirror up to ourselves. What is it in you that you are unwilling to see?
 
7. Jesus’s friend John wrote that:There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
1 John 4:18 (NIV). What do you need to do to live in the freedom that Jesus wants to bring?
 
If you find that you struggle with this, please follow this link to a 10 minute video by Rob Bell, and remember God Loves YOU!