Forgiveness Archives | Council Fire

March 12, 2026

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March 12, 2026

Lord, Use Me for Your Glory

“Who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood.” 1 Peter 1:2 (NIV) When the Lord first called me to His work, I was so excited and ready to go about sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ. But then things happened to destroy all that. I felt shame. There were people relying on me, but I had come up way short of everyone’s expectations— most of all Jesus, who gave up all things for me. I felt like […]

March 7, 2026

March 7, 2026

Look at Who I Am

“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made.” Romans 1:20a. (NIV) Do you ever regret the choices you’ve made? Do you wonder if God exists and, if so, why you are in such a mess? Has a self-proclaimed Christian ever wounded you or led you astray? My faith turned to rubble in 1990. I sifted through broken dreams and shattered trust, trying to find a solid foothold, but I kept slipping on fear, anger, confusion and shame. I lay on the floor crying […]

March 2, 2026

March 2, 2026

Let Go and Let God

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Colossians 3:12-14 (NIV) The bell had just rung at the elementary school. Recess was over, and it was time to go in. As I was one of the supervisors on duty, I assisted and followed the students going in, chattering playfully, and continuing to visit with their little friends. Except for two little girls. I noticed there was an […]

February 22, 2026

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February 22, 2026

When Forgiveness Seems Too Hard

“And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.” Mark 11:25 (NKJV) She (we’ll call her Sarah) and her friend Maya have been close chums since elementary school. They were more like sisters than friends. Then Sarah finds out that Maya has ditched her for a new crowd. Sarah is hurt. Angry. And vows to spread nasty rumors about her “friend” to avenge the betrayal! Sarah’s inner voice—which is the way God sometimes speaks to us—tells her to open her Bible. Sarah searches the concordance […]

February 20, 2026

February 20, 2026

No Condemnation

“So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to Him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.” Romans 8:1-2 (NLT) These verses are meaningful to me as a follower of Christ because, when I sin, not only does Jesus forgive me when I ask Him, but I also belong to Him! Although this does not give me permission to keep on deliberately sinning, He has freed me from the power of sin because of His Spirit in me. His Spirit […]

February 14, 2026

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February 14, 2026

When You Doubt God’s Forgiveness

“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—these, O God, You will not despise.” Psalm 51:17 (NKJV) Whether you were saved at age 12, or accepted Christ as your Savior as an adult, you may have sinned many times since then. Your sins may be so terrible that they lead you to despair and cause you to believe that there is no way God will ever forgive you. You may wonder if you are still saved. But what does Scripture say about God’s forgiveness? The disciple Peter asked Jesus to call to him as […]

February 12, 2026

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February 12, 2026

Why They See Jesus in Us

“For you were formerly darkness, but now you are a light in the Lord; walk as children of light.” Ephesians 5:7 (NASB) Just because I am a born-again Christian does not mean I don’t have struggles. One that I remember clearly was when a young teenage boy had beaten up one of our sons in school with a hard object. He hurt him pretty bad. As a mother this was hard to take, but God gave me grace to forgive. Not long after this had happened, the young teen came to our home and asked for my son. At the […]

January 28, 2026

January 28, 2026

A Life That Counts

“For the Son of man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:10 (NASB) I never thought my life was worth much while growing up in the community where I lived. It seemed that I was the only one who would never amount to anything. Those days were lonely and frustrating, as many of the other kids would make fun of me. “Why are they doing it?” I wondered. To this day, I don’t know why they did that to me. It made me feel so alone. As I look at Scripture and read about […]

January 24, 2026

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January 24, 2026

Yesterday, Today, and Forever

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8 (NIV) The Bible says that God is the same yesterday, today and forever. How can you know Him? By getting into His Word. It talks about Him forgiving our sins as far as the east is from the west. They are gone forever! We sin because of our human nature. I’m not saying it’s okay, but when we sin we need to go quickly to the Lord and ask for forgiveness. God’s Word says that He is faithful to forgive our sins. He did that yesterday. He’s doing […]