Author: Jimmy Hinton

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Walking in forgiveness

word sorry beside flowers on white surface

Forgiveness is a complex command throughout the Bible. It’s complexity has more to do with human behavior than God’s guidance. Relationships are complex in life, therefore forgiveness can be complex. To understand how God expects us to view forgiveness, we need to understand the biblical view. In order to recieve forgiveness, the person who wronged someone is required to repent. If they don’t, forgivness can be withheld. John 20:23 states this clearly. Jesus said, “If you forgive the sins of any they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”

There are basically two types of forgivness–divine forgivness where we seek forgiveness from God when we sin against Him and interpersonal forgiveness where we seek forgiveness from a person we sinned against. It is the latter that Jesus talks about when Peter asks him how many times we must forgive someone who has wronged us. Jesus said, “I do not say seven times but seventy-seven times” (Matthew 18:22). Jesus never implied forgiving an unrepentant person. His point is that when we forgive, forgive completely.

We know this because he then gave an example of the servant who owed money to his master. The master forgave the servant because he attempted to repay him: “Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything” (vs. 26). That servant then went out and choked one of his servants who owed him money and threw him in jail after he offered to pay back everything. Jesus’ point is that, when someone attempts to repay what they owe, we must forgive them completely because we have been forgiven. We cannot demand repayment from someone who attempts to repay us in full.

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Bringing comfort to the hopeless

heart shaped latte art on cappuccino in sabinov

Isaiah prophesied about John the Baptist coming to prepare the way for the Lord. In its context, Isaiah was talking about bringing comfort to a tattered Jerusalem: “Comfort, comfort for my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins” (Isaiah 40:1-2 ESV).

Clearly God is not pardoning sin just for the fun of it. As he prepared the way for Jesus, John’s message was one of repentance. Repentance is a central theme of the Bible, especially during Jesus’ reign on Earth. Israel had paid a dear price for their sins. They were exiled twice. Many people had fallen because of their sin. Many battles were waged against them in their own land. The Temple had been destroyed and rebuilt. War after war claimed the lives of many Israelites. Jesus came to bring hope and salvation.

There is a time for comfort, and that is exaclty what Isaiah preached. When people’s lives have been wrecked by sin, they have an opportunity to repent and to be comforted. As Christians, we have a duty to preach repentance and to comfort people who have lost much because of sin. Sin destroys. It wrecks families. It destroys life. The wages of sin is death. We know this. So we have a duty to work overtime to offer the Good News to a dying world, to offer hope. We live in a time when the harvest is ripe. We need workers to love our neighbors enough to warn them and comfort them.

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Walking in Love

brown sand love text on seashore

Jesus famously said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:37-40 ESV). When Jesus said to love your neighbors as yourself, he was quoting from Leviticus 19:18. In order to fully understand what Jesus was saying about loving your neighbor, we need to understand the background for the text in Leviticus.

The Israelites were transitioning from a nomadic life to an agragarian life where they were producing abundant wealth. Think of people who win the lottery and go from poverty to wealth overnight. Most people pursue greed and lose everything. There is a real risk when we combine wealth with greed. It can cause complacency and even oppression. God gave a list of rules for treating their neighbors with fairness, including paying wages to workers on time and leaving grain on the edge of the fields for poor people and sojourners.

Loving your neighbor as yourself is known as “the Golden Rule.” When we love God above all else and love our neighbors by serving them and caring for the needy, the rest of the Law and Prophets will not be a burden. Loving your neighbor should not be a huge burden. If it is, we should check our heart to see what is hindering us from treating people the way that we would expect to be treated.

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Generous people prosper blessings

close up photograph of person praying in front lined candles


Proverbs 11:25 reminds us, “Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and the one who waters will himself be watered.” This powerful verse speaks to the incredible blessings that flow from a heart dedicated to blessing others by giving and serving. The previous verses say, “The desire of the righteous ends only in good, the expectation of the wicked in wrath. One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want” (vs. 23-24).

There are ample opportunities to bless other people. And our desire to do so really matters. Remember, “the desire of the righteous only ends in good.” In other words, desire to do righteousness and goodness follows. The more generous we are with our time, resources, talents, and money, the more good that is done in the world. Put another way, generosity begets generosity.

Generosity is not a burden. The Bible has lots to say about being kind and compassionate towards others. It has a lot to say about blessing others. Imagine if the heroes of the Bible were stingy with their time. What if they chose to “do their own thing” instead of following the calling that God gave them? We need to remember that following God and being generous will prosper the blessings!

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Walking the Extra Mile

woman walking on pathway under the sun

Life can be a marathon, not a sprint. We often get so caught up in our own race, focused on the finish line of our personal goals and ambitions, that we forget those struggling to even take the first step. But what if the true measure of our journey wasn’t about how fast we ran, but how often we paused to help someone else along the way? Jesus himself taught about going the extra mile, not just to fulfill a duty but to demonstrate love and compassion. In Matthew 5:41, He says, “And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.” This principle of exceeding expectations echoes throughout scripture, and we see it powerfully illustrated in Matthew 25:35-40, where Jesus describes the final judgment and separates people based on their actions towards the “least of these.”

In this powerful passage, Jesus paints a vivid picture of the Kingdom of Heaven, where those who showed compassion to the hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, sick, and imprisoned are welcomed into eternal life. He teaches that serving others is not merely an optional act of kindness, but an essential demonstration of our faith. “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to 1 me.” (Matthew 25:35-36 ESV) These words challenge us to examine our own lives and consider how we are living out our faith in tangible ways.  

This Sunday, we’ll talk about these passages and discover how the principle of “going the extra mile” connects to serving those in need. We’ll explore practical ways to answer this call within our own community. There are unlimited ways to serve our neighbors, and God gives us the freedom to do so. It’s far better to be known as someone who goes the extra mile than to be known as someone who never moved an inch. We will exercise our gift of serving this year!

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Hands That Heal: Compassion in Action

Matthew 14:14 tells us, “When Jesus went ashore he saw a large crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.” Jesus, tired as he was, exercised compassion to the crowd of thousands as soon as they reached the shore. In a world often characterized by indifference and isolation, showing compassion is more crucial than ever. It requires us to step outside our comfort zones and extend a helping hand to those in need. This can manifest in countless ways, from offering a listening ear to a friend struggling with grief to volunteering to feed the hungry.

Practical acts of compassion can take many forms. Physically, we can offer help with chores, provide transportation, or help fix up someone’s house. We can also contribute to organizations that provide essential services like food banks, shelters, and healthcare clinics. Emotionally, we can offer a shoulder to lean on, a comforting word, or simply our presence. Active listening, genuine empathy, and unconditional support can have a huge impact on someone’s mental and emotional well-being.

Ultimately, compassion is a choice. It is a conscious decision to prioritize the needs of others above our own. By embracing compassion in our daily lives, we not only help those in need but also enrich our own lives with meaning and purpose. As we reach out to others with kindness and understanding, we create a ripple effect of compassion that can transform our communities and make the world a more compassionate and just place for everyone.

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New Year, New Hands: Becoming the Hands and Feet of Jesus

two homeless people eating sandwich together

Happy New Year! This year, our church is focusing on becoming the hands and feet of Jesus, and our first sermon, “New Year, New Hands: Serving in the New Year” (Galatians 6:9-10), will launch this theme perfectly.

Galatians 6:9-10 encourages us not to grow weary in doing good, reminding us of a future harvest and urging us to serve all people, especially fellow believers. This passage emphasizes:

  • Perseverance: Don’t give up on serving, even when it’s difficult.
  • Timing: Trust in God’s timing for the results of our service.
  • Serving All: Extend love to everyone, with a special focus on our faith community.

Practically, this means:

  • Serving Within the Church: Volunteer in various ministries and use your gifts to build up the body of Christ.
  • Reaching the Community: Serve at local organizations, help neighbors, and be a light in the world.
  • Consistent Small Acts: Start small and be consistent; even small acts of kindness make a difference.

This year, let’s actively live our faith by becoming the hands and feet of Jesus, serving others and sharing His love. What will you do to serve this year?