FBC Seminole – November 19, 2023 | First Baptist Church Seminole

Stop Being Offended

From the latest headline to social media comments, to the person who just cut you off in traffic—there are plenty of opportunities to be offended each day. But what if we decided to respond differently to those around us? Together, let’s learn how to live with No Offense

Locations & Times

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Welcome to First Baptist. This page is where you will find the sermon notes and more information about what is happening at FBC.

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We meet Sundays:

9:30 am Connect Groups

10:45 am Worship

Other Connect Groups throughout the week.

Better Together Marriage Conference

We are excited to invite you and your spouse to our upcoming Marriage Conference. This promises to be a transformative event that will strengthen and enrich your relationship.
Event Details: Venue: Cotton Court in Lubbock, TX Dates: February 24-25, 2024 Cost: $150 for hotel room and $225 for the marriage conference fee per couple Early Bird Bonus: First 30 couples to register will be in a drawing to win one of two free hotel rooms for your stay! Important Dates: Registration Deadline: January 14th, 2024 Please Note: Registration will be open for FBC Seminole members until October 30th. Then we will open registration for other churches in the area. Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to invest in your marriage and create lasting memories together. To secure your spot, please register by the deadline. Space is limited, so make sure to act fast!
As an added touch, we encourage you to bring a wedding picture of the two of you. We’ll have a special display during the conference, celebrating the love stories of all the couples in attendance.

https://fbcseminoletx.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/1980376

Cotton Court Registration for Marriage Retreat

Rooms are limited. Please Note: Registration will be open for FBC Seminole members until October 30th. Then we will open registration for other churches in the area.

https://res.windsurfercrs.com/ibe/details.aspx?propertyid=16386&nights=1&checkin=02/23/2024&group=%20BTC271

Giving to FBC

We want to thank those of you who give faithfully and systematically to our church. We hope you know how important your giving is to what God is doing at FBC Seminole, in our community, and across the planet through the different ministries we are able to partner with through your financial generosity. We’ve fixed plumbing, remodeled kitchens, replaced shingles, celebrated our teachers, and made a difference in a host of other opportunities. Your generosity matters.
We offer Financial Peace University on a consistent basis for those who need financial help. It’s a financial management system that allows multitudes to eliminate debt and live in freedom.
Text the amount you want to give to 84321.

https://fbcseminoletx.churchcenter.com/giving?open-in-church-center-modal=true

No Offense

7 Days

Read Plan

We aren’t giving a heads up of how to heal the harm and deal with the stranglehold hurt has on our hearts.

Instead, we are equipped with a package of decorative declarations to hand out to others to convince everyone and ourselves we are ok. I call it overspiritualizing.

1) Forgive and Forget

2) Get over it. Move on.

3) It is what it is.

4) The past is the past.

So, we stay offended. We rehearse the wrongs, keep score, pull out our list, and choose confrontation over reconciliation. We stew over the crimes, stir up our emotions, and allow them to bake into bitterness.

It’s here we have a choice. Hurt is inescapable, but the decision to live offended is optional

A Biblical Recipe for Reconciliation

There are two main ingredients that are necessary to introduce when we are offended: apology and forgiveness. Neither of these are easy. Both are a process to follow and a decision to make.

Lysa Terkurst says, “Hurt feelings sometimes don’t want to cooperate with holy instructions. . . You make the decision to forgive the facts of what happened. But then you must also walk through the process of forgiveness for the impact those facts have had on you.”

Luke 17:3-4 NIV

3 So watch yourselves. “If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. 4 Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.”

Two actions are set forth here.Loving confrontation and gracious forgiveness is necessary for restoration of the relationship

Mark 11:25 NIV

25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

It was 100% my choice to forgive and move forward. It’s inevitable we will be offended, but it’s optional for us to stay that way.

Hebrews 12:14-15 NIV

14 Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.

This isn’t passive reluctance but active resistance. We wage war to maintain peace.

Ephesians 5:26-27 NIV

26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

The dots that we connect are peace and purity. The sketch that develops looks like our Savior. We should actively and eagerly pursue peace and strive to be holy