Restored to the Father

Beltway Park Church

Restored to the Father

September 17, 2023 • David McQueen

Freedom is found as we trust the Father’s heart (Matthew 6:9; John 14:6). Jesus came to restore us to our Heavenly Father, to see and know His goodness. When we want to know what kind of Father God really is, we do not look to our circumstances or even to our earthly father. Instead, we discover what kind of Father God really is when we look at Jesus, the cross, and the empty tomb. He is a Father who sings in pride over His children, who is slow to anger and abounding in love, who runs to His children to cover their shame, and who is always there and never leaves. We can yield to God and submit to His authority because we know that He is beyond good as a Father.

Words Matter

November 12, 2023 • Geoffrey Turner • James 3:2–12

Our words matter (Proverbs 18:21). The Bible is clear: the tongue has power to bring life or death. The struggle, however, is that even though our words are powerful – like a rudder of a boat, a horse’s bit, or small spark that starts a forest fire – the tongue is untamable in our own strength (James 3:7-8). On our own, we are powerless to use our words to bring life. Only by the Holy Spirit and the saving grace of Jesus can our language be transformed and become life-giving. A changed heart leads to words of life (Luke 6:45). When our words bring life, they encourage others, are kind and compassionate, and express forgiveness.

Judge Not

November 5, 2023 • David McQueen • Matthew 7:1–2

Judge not, that you be not judged (Matthew 7:1-2). These words of Jesus are often culturally understood to mean that we should never say or believe that another person is wrong. Jesus, however, had a different concept in mind in this part of His Sermon on the Mount. To judge is to hold a final verdict in our minds about another person’s worth or destiny that is different from the truth of God about that person. It is seeing people as less than God sees them, and it is often adopted or developed in us from our society, our family of origin, and/or our wounds (wounds from others, or self-inflicted wounds because of our sinful choices). All ungodly judgments are ugly in the eyes of God because they contradict the gospel. Jesus paid the price of His life for every person, giving them all immeasurable worth. As His followers, we are designed and called to love others (and ourselves) like He loves them. We rid ourselves of judgments – and their torment – by asking our Heavenly Father to graciously reveal them, to forgive us for believing them, and to show us what He thinks about that person or group of people instead. We then intentionally confess our agreement with what is true.

Unless You Forgive

October 29, 2023 • David McQueen • Matthew 18:21–35

Unforgiveness produces torture; forgiveness yields freedom (Matthew 18:21-35). When we become followers of Jesus, we are forgiven a spiritual debt we could never pay. It is because we have been forgiven much that we can and should forgive others. When we refuse to extend forgiveness to someone, it is a significant act of dishonor against God and against the forgiveness we have received from Him. Unforgiveness gives the enemy the right to torment our lives, to keep us in bondage and to keep us from the abundant life God offers us. On the other hand, walking in forgiveness is incredibly liberating. Forgiveness is a deliberate choice, not a feeling. It does not require trust, nor does it mean we forget. But for those who desire lasting freedom, forgiveness is not optional.