Welcome back to the podcast! After a brief hiatus, Tassy is back in the studio alongside Jen and her wonderfully poised mother, Sandy, who is bringing some well needed etiquette guidance to the group. We catch up on Tassy's recent, dramatic middle-of-the-night ER run that resulted in her missing a few recordings, and the very real, physical toll that emotional and spiritual stress can take on our bodies.

Today, we are tackling one of the most sobering and challenging topics in all of Scripture: the dangerous grip of offense and the ultimate freedom of forgiveness.

In this episode, we cover:

• The Terrifying Law of Forgiveness: We unpack Matthew 6:14-15 and the chilling reality that our own forgiveness from God is directly tied to our willingness to forgive others. As The Message translation puts it: if you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God's part.
• The Vicious Cycle of Offense: Offense is inevitable in a broken world, but staying offended is a dangerous choice that leads to self-imprisonment and spiritual blindness. We discuss the modern "spirit of offense" and how unchecked hurt in one relationship will quickly seep into and poison every other area of your life.
• Tassy's Journey through the Wilderness: Tassy opens up about her personal battle with years of bitterness. She shares how her anger blinded her to her own household during her daughter's rebellion, and the daily, difficult work of surrendering her pain at the feet of Jesus.
• From Bitter to Champion: Discover how the Lord completely transformed Tassy's heart through surrender, turning someone who "didn't really like people" into her workplace's actual "People and Purpose Champion," leading and praying for others in her office's conference rooms.
• The Superpower of Forgiveness: We look at Psalm 103:12 ("As far as the east is from the west...") and explore the mind-blowing scientific distinction between North/South (which are measurable, fixed poles) and East/West (which have no poles and extend infinitely). When God forgives, He uses His divine superpower to completely remove and forget our transgressions.
• Moses, Manna, and the Bronze Serpent: Connecting John 3:14 and Numbers 21, we examine how the Israelites' "loathing" of God's miraculous manna allowed fiery serpents to bite them from the inside and how looking up at the bronze serpent healed them. We discuss how our own bitterness acts like a serpent biting us internally, and how our only cure is to look up at Jesus on the cross.

Jen's Daily 6-Step Prayer

Jen shares the powerful daily prayer she uses to start her morning, which you can easily print out or save to your phone:

1. Request Wisdom: Ask for wisdom, knowledge, and understanding as you go about your day and study God's Word.
2. Guard Against Pride: Pray that any knowledge gained helps you love God and others more, rather than puffing you up.
3. Seek the New: Ask the Holy Spirit to show you something new about God that you’ve never seen before.
4. Invite Correction: Ask God to correct any lies you believe or anything you currently misunderstand.
5. Direct Your Steps: Ask Him to guide your physical steps according to His truth.
6. Pray for Discernment: Ask specifically for extravagant wisdom and uncommon discernment.

Our Challenge to You

This week, pray Psalm 139 over yourself: "Search me, O God, and know my heart." Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any hidden areas of unforgiveness or offense you are harboring. Remember, your being wronged is never more important than the sacrifice Jesus made to forgive you on the cross. Choose to look up, lay down the resume of your hurts, and step into freedom.

Resources & Links

• Scriptures to Study: Matthew 6:14-15, 2 Timothy 3, Numbers 21:5-9, John 3:14-15, and Psalm 103.
• Book Recommendation: The Bait of Satan by John Bevere.
• Bible Recap: An online resource and podcast by Tara-Leigh Cobble that helps believers understand the Bible's overarching story, context, and timelines by clarifying connections. She has an excellent plan for reading through the Bible chronologically in a year.
• Logos Bible Software: An incredible study tool with AI features to help you dig deeper. Use our link to sign up for Logos. You get a 30 day free trial and $10 off your purchase. If you sign up we get a credit to our account so we can purchase more resources.

Grab your favorite cool beverage and join us as we remind ourselves that, in the end, it is Jesus over everything, always!