The Battlefield

Beltway Park Church

The Battlefield

October 15, 2023 • David McQueen • 2 Corinthians 10:3–6

More comes as we recognize lies and replace them with truth (2 Corinthians 10:3- 6). We are at war. It is an unseen battle that plays itself out in our physical world. It is a battle for our minds, for the way we think. What we think matters immensely because our thoughts determine our choices and actions. Therefore, the enemy’s primary weapon to steal, kill, and destroy is to corrupt our thinking, to get us to believe lies. Lies are at the heart of all that is destructive in our lives. Thankfully, God has given us His power to renew our minds, to identify the lies we have embraced, and to make every thought obedient to Jesus. Confession is a key tool to bring our thoughts into alignment with what is true and with Jesus as the source of truth. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we use confession to call out a lie and replace it by speaking the truth of God’s Word.

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.