1 00:00:01,120 --> 00:00:07,520 Willie Shamabanse: Thank you, Dan, and thank you, Sarem, for that beautiful reading. 2 00:00:10,600 --> 00:00:17,880 Willie Shamabanse: So before I begin with uh the sermon, let's go ahead and open with a word of prayer. 3 00:00:19,060 --> 00:00:22,020 Willie Shamabanse: Lord, we are here today. 4 00:00:22,020 --> 00:00:25,060 Willie Shamabanse: And thanks to you, we are here. 5 00:00:25,060 --> 00:00:28,980 Willie Shamabanse: And thank you, Lord, that your Holy Spirit is here with us. 6 00:00:29,539 --> 00:00:34,420 Willie Shamabanse: We ask you to abind to be in us. 7 00:00:34,739 --> 00:00:38,420 Willie Shamabanse: Father, we ask you that you teach us your word. 8 00:00:39,320 --> 00:00:43,000 Willie Shamabanse: Speak through through me today in your name. 9 00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:49,400 Willie Shamabanse: Amen So I'll begin with a short uh story. 10 00:00:50,160 --> 00:00:54,160 Willie Shamabanse: That I'm gonna share with you today. 11 00:00:54,160 --> 00:00:58,399 Willie Shamabanse: There's a story about two friends 12 00:01:00,059 --> 00:01:07,580 Willie Shamabanse: These two friends would meet quite often to go hiking. 13 00:01:08,760 --> 00:01:17,240 Willie Shamabanse: On this beautiful day, the trail up Kamerback Mountain, which you all know in Phoenix. 14 00:01:18,260 --> 00:01:24,420 Willie Shamabanse: was already glowing with the morning sun. 15 00:01:24,420 --> 00:01:27,220 Willie Shamabanse: Meyer needed this hike 16 00:01:28,240 --> 00:01:38,560 Willie Shamabanse: Meanwhile, her work inbox was a disaster, and her patience was running thin. 17 00:01:40,299 --> 00:01:47,259 Willie Shamabanse: At the beginning of the trail, she met her longtime friend Leo 18 00:01:48,740 --> 00:01:59,460 Willie Shamabanse: Usually she loved his mannerisms, but today everything seemed to be getting on her last nerve 19 00:02:01,680 --> 00:02:15,360 Willie Shamabanse: He talked entirely too loudly, stopped to photograph every single blooming desert shrub, and then, as they started on the trail, 20 00:02:14,820 --> 00:02:22,500 Willie Shamabanse: He complained that his laces kept coming untied. 21 00:02:22,500 --> 00:02:24,100 Willie Shamabanse: With every delay 22 00:02:25,260 --> 00:02:32,780 Willie Shamabanse: Maya's irritation seemed to be going through the roof. 23 00:02:32,780 --> 00:02:35,900 Willie Shamabanse: He is so self-absorbed, she thought 24 00:02:37,080 --> 00:02:39,960 Willie Shamabanse: And she would walk even faster. 25 00:02:41,160 --> 00:02:44,920 Willie Shamabanse: Does he not see that I have a schedule to keep? 26 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:59,880 Willie Shamabanse: As they neared the Echo Canyon summit, Leo stepped on a loose rock and badly rolled his ankle. 27 00:02:59,980 --> 00:03:06,300 Willie Shamabanse: Then quickly sat down, groaning in pain. 28 00:03:06,300 --> 00:03:09,020 Willie Shamabanse: Instantly, Maya's irritation 29 00:03:10,340 --> 00:03:15,860 Willie Shamabanse: Fled into a full-blown sigh. 30 00:03:16,420 --> 00:03:22,819 Willie Shamabanse: But as she turned to finally snap at him, she stopped 31 00:03:24,920 --> 00:03:29,720 Willie Shamabanse: Pale and biting his lip, Leo complained. 32 00:03:29,720 --> 00:03:38,040 Willie Shamabanse: Leo did not complain, instead he forced an apologetic smile. 33 00:03:38,900 --> 00:03:43,700 Willie Shamabanse: And said, I'm sorry, Maya. 34 00:03:43,700 --> 00:03:46,500 Willie Shamabanse: I know you are busy. 35 00:03:46,500 --> 00:03:50,660 Willie Shamabanse: You should probably go on ahead without me. 36 00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:58,040 Willie Shamabanse: At that moment, something shifted in Maya. 37 00:03:58,040 --> 00:04:00,200 Willie Shamabanse: She remembered how Leo 38 00:04:02,500 --> 00:04:10,900 Willie Shamabanse: Had sat with her for hours, every single night, when her mother was in hospital 39 00:04:12,460 --> 00:04:18,940 Willie Shamabanse: Listening to her cry, never rushing her to simply get over it 40 00:04:21,160 --> 00:04:25,960 Willie Shamabanse: He was bearing with her heaviest grief. 41 00:04:25,960 --> 00:04:32,680 Willie Shamabanse: And here she was, frustrated by a few loud stories. 42 00:04:34,740 --> 00:04:38,740 Willie Shamabanse: And a loose shoelace. 43 00:04:38,740 --> 00:04:45,780 Willie Shamabanse: Immediately Maya said to him, Don't worry, don't be don't be ridiculous, Leo. 44 00:04:46,360 --> 00:04:52,759 Willie Shamabanse: Her frustration evaporating into thin air. 45 00:04:52,759 --> 00:04:57,080 Willie Shamabanse: She took off her backpack, wrapped her arm around his waist 46 00:04:58,040 --> 00:05:05,479 Willie Shamabanse: And offered her shoulder as a crutch, and said to him, We're in this together. 47 00:05:07,580 --> 00:05:17,020 Willie Shamabanse: They took the descent painfully slow, step by agonizing step. 48 00:05:17,560 --> 00:05:22,920 Willie Shamabanse: It took three times longer than she had planned. 49 00:05:22,920 --> 00:05:25,960 Willie Shamabanse: But somewhere along the rocky switchbacks 50 00:05:27,040 --> 00:05:33,680 Willie Shamabanse: They fell into a quiet rhythm of grace. 51 00:05:33,680 --> 00:05:35,600 Willie Shamabanse: Meyer learnt that 52 00:05:36,360 --> 00:05:42,919 Willie Shamabanse: Bearing with one another isn't making excuses for flaws. 53 00:05:43,159 --> 00:05:49,639 Willie Shamabanse: It's about adjusting your pace to help someone carry theirs. 54 00:05:52,180 --> 00:05:57,620 Willie Shamabanse: Bearing with one another is the title of my sermon this morning. 55 00:05:59,180 --> 00:06:13,099 Willie Shamabanse: Bearing with one another means choosing patience and grace over frustration when someone's quirks, flaws, or mistakes test your limits. 56 00:06:15,360 --> 00:06:22,319 Willie Shamabanse: It's an essential part of lasting relationships, community, and everyday life. 57 00:06:22,319 --> 00:06:26,240 Willie Shamabanse: It isn't about ignoring deep wrongs. 58 00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:35,440 Willie Shamabanse: It's about extending the same forgiveness and understanding you hope to receive. 59 00:06:35,780 --> 00:06:48,259 Willie Shamabanse: And I would add it is about extending the same forgiveness and understanding you have received in the past, because we all have 60 00:06:50,600 --> 00:06:55,400 Willie Shamabanse: How often do you find it genuinely difficult? 61 00:06:55,400 --> 00:06:58,920 Willie Shamabanse: Genuinely difficult to put up with someone? 62 00:06:59,800 --> 00:07:06,680 Willie Shamabanse: Let's be honest, relationships can be hard. 63 00:07:06,680 --> 00:07:12,520 Willie Shamabanse: Whether it's a stubborn spouse, a frustrating co-worker, or a fellow believer 64 00:07:13,120 --> 00:07:16,400 Willie Shamabanse: Who has wrapped us the wrong way? 65 00:07:16,400 --> 00:07:20,720 Willie Shamabanse: We all face moments where relationships test our patience. 66 00:07:20,720 --> 00:07:23,520 Willie Shamabanse: I'm glad I don't have a stubborn wife. 67 00:07:23,520 --> 00:07:25,199 Willie Shamabanse: I had to say that. 68 00:07:27,340 --> 00:07:37,660 Willie Shamabanse: Today we are exploring what it means to truly bear with one another and why Jesus makes that possible. 69 00:07:39,300 --> 00:07:51,540 Willie Shamabanse: In the original Greek, the word bearwith implies patience, endurance, and being slow to anger. 70 00:07:53,440 --> 00:07:59,840 Willie Shamabanse: It means not giving up when relationships get tough. 71 00:07:59,840 --> 00:08:04,320 Willie Shamabanse: It means suspending a rightful demand. 72 00:08:04,640 --> 00:08:10,800 Willie Shamabanse: out of consideration for someone else's weaknesses. 73 00:08:10,800 --> 00:08:13,920 Willie Shamabanse: It means choosing not to attack 74 00:08:15,080 --> 00:08:22,840 Willie Shamabanse: gossip or walk away in anger when we hurt. 75 00:08:22,840 --> 00:08:27,720 Willie Shamabanse: It is the opposite of a cancer culture mentality 76 00:08:28,260 --> 00:08:35,460 Willie Shamabanse: It means hanging in there, recognizing that everyone is flawed. 77 00:08:35,460 --> 00:08:40,580 Willie Shamabanse: We can bear with others because Jesus bore with us 78 00:08:41,640 --> 00:08:50,040 Willie Shamabanse: But if we rely on our own human strength, we run out of patience very quickly 79 00:08:51,880 --> 00:09:00,279 Willie Shamabanse: The secret to this command, the Bible says, isn't gritt our teeth and trying harder. 80 00:09:00,579 --> 00:09:09,540 Willie Shamabanse: It is looking at what Jesus did for us and asking for his strength to be able to do it. 81 00:09:10,660 --> 00:09:17,460 Willie Shamabanse: Jesus bore the weight of our sins on the cross. 82 00:09:17,460 --> 00:09:22,980 Willie Shamabanse: He constantly bears with our shortcomings our doubts 83 00:09:23,740 --> 00:09:26,620 Willie Shamabanse: And our failures. 84 00:09:26,620 --> 00:09:31,259 Willie Shamabanse: He sympathizes with our weaknesses. 85 00:09:31,259 --> 00:09:36,220 Willie Shamabanse: And because Jesus bore our ultimate unpayable debt 86 00:09:37,480 --> 00:09:45,959 Willie Shamabanse: We should be able to absorb the minor offenses and quirks of the people around us, shouldn't we? 87 00:09:47,480 --> 00:09:52,200 Willie Shamabanse: We'll go ahead and up uh read a text. 88 00:09:52,200 --> 00:09:55,800 Willie Shamabanse: It's from Ephesians 4, verse 2. 89 00:09:55,800 --> 00:09:59,480 Willie Shamabanse: It will be on yeah, it's there on the on the screen 90 00:10:00,060 --> 00:10:02,540 Willie Shamabanse: I'll read from the screen too. 91 00:10:03,020 --> 00:10:13,020 Willie Shamabanse: I therefore, prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called 92 00:10:13,279 --> 00:10:24,640 Willie Shamabanse: With all loneliness, loneliness and gentleness, with long suffering, bearing with one another in love. 93 00:10:27,680 --> 00:10:33,040 Willie Shamabanse: So this was a letter to the Ephesians from Paul 94 00:10:33,880 --> 00:10:41,880 Willie Shamabanse: So Ephesus was once a major center for the worship of Greek and Roman gods. 95 00:10:42,700 --> 00:10:49,580 Willie Shamabanse: So the book of Ephesians is Paul's letter that encourages these new believers. 96 00:10:52,440 --> 00:10:57,000 Willie Shamabanse: To abandon their former lifestyles. 97 00:10:57,000 --> 00:10:59,000 Willie Shamabanse: Paul's core message 98 00:10:59,600 --> 00:11:11,760 Willie Shamabanse: To this audience is that Gentiles and Jews are now on equal footing, tearing down the religious and social boundaries. 99 00:11:11,640 --> 00:11:17,400 Willie Shamabanse: that previously divided them. 100 00:11:17,400 --> 00:11:26,280 Willie Shamabanse: Unlike some of the letters to churches that Paul had written, he had never visited some of those churches. 101 00:11:26,140 --> 00:11:39,340 Willie Shamabanse: Paul spent over two years ministering in Ephesus, meaning he had a relationship, deep connections, with many of the people there. 102 00:11:40,780 --> 00:11:50,540 Willie Shamabanse: So he tells them in the second verse that you need to walk with loneliness and gentleness. 103 00:11:51,280 --> 00:11:57,040 Willie Shamabanse: With long-suffering bearing with one another in love 104 00:11:59,079 --> 00:12:00,519 Willie Shamabanse: That's the message for Mr. 105 00:12:00,759 --> 00:12:02,440 Willie Shamabanse: Palms today. 106 00:12:03,319 --> 00:12:06,680 Willie Shamabanse: That's the message for you and I. 107 00:12:06,680 --> 00:12:10,759 Willie Shamabanse: So love requires to be completely humble 108 00:12:11,300 --> 00:12:21,220 Willie Shamabanse: Gentle, patient, bearing with one another, which means patience is a choice that we make 109 00:12:23,480 --> 00:12:33,560 Willie Shamabanse: When we understand what others are carrying, it's much easier to overlook their minor irritations. 110 00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:42,320 Willie Shamabanse: So we adjust our expectations. 111 00:12:42,320 --> 00:12:48,720 Willie Shamabanse: By extending patience, we foster deep real resilient relationships with 112 00:12:48,959 --> 00:12:49,839 Willie Shamabanse: within us. 113 00:12:51,839 --> 00:12:57,839 Willie Shamabanse: Bearing with one another stops minor irritations into escalating. 114 00:12:58,360 --> 00:13:05,640 Willie Shamabanse: To major arguments by allowing space for human imperfection. 115 00:13:06,840 --> 00:13:19,080 Willie Shamabanse: Couples, friends, coworkers who practice mutual forbearance build deeper trusts and psychological safety among them. 116 00:13:21,900 --> 00:13:33,020 Willie Shamabanse: Letting go of petty grievances reduces personal stress, lowers anxiety, and promotes a more positive outlook. 117 00:13:33,340 --> 00:13:38,460 Willie Shamabanse: So it helps with emotional well-being. 118 00:13:38,460 --> 00:13:42,860 Willie Shamabanse: Bearing with others creates supportive environments 119 00:13:43,440 --> 00:13:50,560 Willie Shamabanse: Where individuals feel accepted, encouraging a culture of empathy 120 00:13:52,280 --> 00:13:56,920 Willie Shamabanse: Let us read another verse from the Bible. 121 00:13:56,920 --> 00:13:59,480 Willie Shamabanse: Colossians 3, 13. 122 00:13:59,480 --> 00:14:01,320 Willie Shamabanse: It's up there already. 123 00:14:01,320 --> 00:14:03,080 Willie Shamabanse: And it says, 124 00:14:03,260 --> 00:14:07,820 Willie Shamabanse: Bearing with one another and forgiving one another. 125 00:14:07,820 --> 00:14:14,380 Willie Shamabanse: If anyone has a complaint against another, even as Christ forgave you 126 00:14:15,120 --> 00:14:20,399 Willie Shamabanse: So you also must do. 127 00:14:20,399 --> 00:14:27,839 Willie Shamabanse: Unlike Ephesus, Paul did not plant this church in Colossae. 128 00:14:28,960 --> 00:14:34,160 Willie Shamabanse: He had never even visited this church before. 129 00:14:34,160 --> 00:14:40,960 Willie Shamabanse: But when his friend visited him while he was imprisoned in Rome, 130 00:14:41,380 --> 00:14:49,380 Willie Shamabanse: He reported to Paul the troubling new philosophies threatening the church there. 131 00:14:50,360 --> 00:14:56,120 Willie Shamabanse: People had started to fall back into pagan worship. 132 00:14:56,120 --> 00:15:00,840 Willie Shamabanse: So Paul wrote this letter to the Colossians. 133 00:15:02,100 --> 00:15:09,140 Willie Shamabanse: To refute these ideas, he emphasized that Jesus Christ is fully divine 134 00:15:10,160 --> 00:15:16,639 Willie Shamabanse: Supreme over creation and entirely sufficient for salvation. 135 00:15:16,639 --> 00:15:22,720 Willie Shamabanse: In addition, Paul urged the Colossians to focus on spiritual matters 136 00:15:22,880 --> 00:15:34,880 Willie Shamabanse: And maintain unity, encouraging them to clothe themselves in virtues like compassion, humility, and love for one another. 137 00:15:36,080 --> 00:15:41,680 Willie Shamabanse: rather than following the man-made rules they had started following. 138 00:15:41,680 --> 00:15:45,280 Willie Shamabanse: So what does Jesus teach us about this topic? 139 00:15:45,980 --> 00:15:53,740 Willie Shamabanse: Jesus taught that forgiving others is absolute and unconditional. 140 00:15:54,760 --> 00:16:01,640 Willie Shamabanse: Directly link our own forgiveness from God to how we forgive others. 141 00:16:01,640 --> 00:16:08,680 Willie Shamabanse: We talked about this today in our class, and I'm sure a lot of you did. 142 00:16:09,540 --> 00:16:17,380 Willie Shamabanse: He emphasized that holding on to resentment Holding on to irresentment 143 00:16:17,620 --> 00:16:26,339 Willie Shamabanse: blocks spiritual peace and called for limitless grace toward those who wrong us. 144 00:16:26,339 --> 00:16:28,660 Willie Shamabanse: That's a tough one, isn't it? 145 00:16:31,660 --> 00:16:41,660 Willie Shamabanse: When asked if one should forgive seven times, Jesus replied, Seventy times seven. 146 00:16:43,400 --> 00:16:49,160 Willie Shamabanse: Signifying that forgiveness should never have boundaries. 147 00:16:51,680 --> 00:17:02,880 Willie Shamabanse: Jesus taught his followers to pray, forgive us our debts as we also forgive our debtors. 148 00:17:04,140 --> 00:17:10,380 Willie Shamabanse: Linking the two directly. 149 00:17:10,380 --> 00:17:14,059 Willie Shamabanse: In Matthew six, fourteen to fifteen 150 00:17:15,880 --> 00:17:25,319 Willie Shamabanse: He says, For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly father will also forgive you. 151 00:17:25,740 --> 00:17:35,340 Willie Shamabanse: But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will neither will your father forgive your trespasses. 152 00:17:35,340 --> 00:17:39,100 Willie Shamabanse: There was quite some debate in our class when we're talking about that verse. 153 00:17:43,400 --> 00:17:51,559 Willie Shamabanse: He states that if you do not forgive others, God will not forgive your trespasses. 154 00:17:53,080 --> 00:18:00,840 Willie Shamabanse: This underscores the necessity of letting go of bitterness. 155 00:18:02,100 --> 00:18:04,340 Willie Shamabanse: That's the main thing. 156 00:18:04,660 --> 00:18:10,340 Willie Shamabanse: Jesus taught that if a brother repents, we must forgive them. 157 00:18:11,020 --> 00:18:13,180 Willie Shamabanse: And why did he teach that? 158 00:18:13,180 --> 00:18:21,020 Willie Shamabanse: It's because if we repent to God, we confess our sins, God will forgive us. 159 00:18:23,160 --> 00:18:33,400 Willie Shamabanse: But he also urged us to pray and to bless our enemies who cause harm on us without remorse. 160 00:18:34,540 --> 00:18:38,780 Willie Shamabanse: That's where difficulty that's where Christianity becomes difficult. 161 00:18:39,180 --> 00:18:42,460 Willie Shamabanse: You we need to forgive people that have no remorse. 162 00:18:42,460 --> 00:18:43,660 Willie Shamabanse: That's tough. 163 00:18:44,440 --> 00:18:55,480 Willie Shamabanse: Ultimately, Jesus models this teaching through his own actions, demonstrating that forgiveness frees us from anger. 164 00:18:56,240 --> 00:19:01,440 Willie Shamabanse: and mirrors the boundless mercy God showed humanity 165 00:19:04,840 --> 00:19:12,440 Willie Shamabanse: So we've learned that bearing with one another is an active and not passive behavior. 166 00:19:12,440 --> 00:19:14,440 Willie Shamabanse: It means holding up 167 00:19:15,340 --> 00:19:26,059 Willie Shamabanse: Supporting and remaining firm under the weight of others' imperfections, ensuring they do not struggle alone 168 00:19:27,580 --> 00:19:32,299 Willie Shamabanse: It is not just about putting up with them. 169 00:19:32,299 --> 00:19:39,740 Willie Shamabanse: It's doing so in love, with humility, gentleness, and patience. 170 00:19:40,659 --> 00:19:51,779 Willie Shamabanse: As believers, we are called to bear with others because Jesus bore the ultimate burden of sin and continues to be patient with us. 171 00:19:53,080 --> 00:20:04,920 Willie Shamabanse: Sometimes people will confuse bearing with one another and bearing one with one another's burdens. 172 00:20:05,240 --> 00:20:11,400 Willie Shamabanse: While they go hand in hand, they look a little different in practice. 173 00:20:11,400 --> 00:20:19,400 Willie Shamabanse: Let's explore the differences a little bit, even if bearing one another's burdens can be a separate topic altogether. 174 00:20:19,220 --> 00:20:22,180 Willie Shamabanse: But I thought I should include it here. 175 00:20:26,020 --> 00:20:31,540 Willie Shamabanse: So we talked about bearing with one another. 176 00:20:31,820 --> 00:20:39,100 Willie Shamabanse: It's about active sacrificial help during major crises or tragedies. 177 00:20:39,100 --> 00:20:40,780 Willie Shamabanse: In contrast, 178 00:20:40,720 --> 00:20:53,120 Willie Shamabanse: Bearing with one another is a daily relationship, relational discipline focused on patience, grace, and overlooking minor faults and personalities 179 00:20:54,799 --> 00:20:58,559 Willie Shamabanse: That cause clashes in unity. 180 00:20:58,559 --> 00:21:05,520 Willie Shamabanse: Understanding this distinction helps clarify these two biblical principles. 181 00:21:05,940 --> 00:21:09,700 Willie Shamabanse: Let's go over them again. 182 00:21:09,700 --> 00:21:13,140 Willie Shamabanse: Bearing another's burdens. 183 00:21:13,140 --> 00:21:19,940 Willie Shamabanse: This refers to helping someone carry an overwhelming weight they cannot handle alone. 184 00:21:20,340 --> 00:21:29,940 Willie Shamabanse: A good example is severe illness, grief, or a major life tragedy. 185 00:21:31,920 --> 00:21:42,080 Willie Shamabanse: Stepping in to help through prayer, financial support, physical labor, or simply being there to listen. 186 00:21:43,420 --> 00:21:48,620 Willie Shamabanse: And share the emotional weight. 187 00:21:48,620 --> 00:21:54,300 Willie Shamabanse: In fact, in Galossians two, Galossians six verse two 188 00:21:55,179 --> 00:22:03,419 Willie Shamabanse: Paul says, bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. 189 00:22:05,420 --> 00:22:13,980 Willie Shamabanse: So Paul encourages believers that by carrying each other's burdens, we fulfill the law of Christ. 190 00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:25,440 Willie Shamabanse: And bearing with one another is a relational tolerance and grace. 191 00:22:25,679 --> 00:22:34,480 Willie Shamabanse: It deals with a day-to-day friction, annoying habits, differences of opinion, and minor offenses. 192 00:22:35,260 --> 00:22:37,740 Willie Shamabanse: So what do we do in that case? 193 00:22:37,740 --> 00:22:46,620 Willie Shamabanse: We exercise patience, maintain peace, and choose not to retaliate or hold grudges. 194 00:22:46,780 --> 00:22:51,500 Willie Shamabanse: With someone who frustrates you. 195 00:22:51,500 --> 00:23:00,460 Willie Shamabanse: So in the scriptures we've read, the Bible instructs Christians to forgive and maintain unity. 196 00:23:00,960 --> 00:23:02,640 Willie Shamabanse: Through love. 197 00:23:02,640 --> 00:23:05,040 Willie Shamabanse: Isn't that what we need to do in church? 198 00:23:06,480 --> 00:23:08,400 Willie Shamabanse: So what's the goal? 199 00:23:11,299 --> 00:23:22,659 Willie Shamabanse: It is to maintain the unity of spirit, allowing the church to thrive, even when personalities clash. 200 00:23:24,380 --> 00:23:28,780 Willie Shamabanse: And how do we do that? 201 00:23:28,780 --> 00:23:32,299 Willie Shamabanse: Before reacting to someone's mistakes 202 00:23:32,419 --> 00:23:40,100 Willie Shamabanse: Let's remember our own flaws and the grace we have received from God. 203 00:23:42,200 --> 00:23:44,520 Willie Shamabanse: We should seek understanding. 204 00:23:44,520 --> 00:23:47,320 Willie Shamabanse: Look beneath the surface. 205 00:23:47,320 --> 00:23:50,920 Willie Shamabanse: Recognize that a difficult or irritable person 206 00:23:52,559 --> 00:24:00,080 Willie Shamabanse: is often hurting and needs compassion rather than judgment 207 00:24:03,380 --> 00:24:10,420 Willie Shamabanse: We maintain the bond of peace by putting away malice and arguments deliberately 208 00:24:11,000 --> 00:24:17,320 Willie Shamabanse: Choosing to protect the unity of the community over proving to be right. 209 00:24:21,500 --> 00:24:30,380 Willie Shamabanse: We also need to recognize who used to in in closing I'll I I'll say this 210 00:24:33,280 --> 00:24:42,480 Willie Shamabanse: As a church, I'm going to ask everyone to uh write down these few bullet points. 211 00:24:42,840 --> 00:24:52,840 Willie Shamabanse: I want us to recognize who you struggle with to get along and intentionally choose to show them grace. 212 00:24:54,000 --> 00:25:00,480 Willie Shamabanse: Ask God to help you see these individuals. 213 00:25:00,480 --> 00:25:06,240 Willie Shamabanse: Ask God to help you see these individuals from His perspective. 214 00:25:07,180 --> 00:25:19,900 Willie Shamabanse: Pray for those who irritate you by name for at least two weeks to transform your relationship with them. 215 00:25:21,480 --> 00:25:26,600 Willie Shamabanse: And continuously forgive faults immediately. 216 00:25:26,600 --> 00:25:30,919 Willie Shamabanse: This is my prayer for this morning to you all. 217 00:25:34,100 --> 00:25:39,940 Willie Shamabanse: I'll wait for the the the singing group to come up come up before we close with a prayer.