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Connecting with Others | Luke 17:1-6 | Nathan Hughes

Episode Summary

Episode Title: The Hardest Person to Forgive In this week's message from our PURPOSE series, we explore the challenges and rewards of connecting with others. Based on Luke 17:1-6, we learn that conflict is inevitable in relationships, but God calls us to navigate it with forgiveness and grace. Discover how expecting offense, addressing it with a heart of compassion, and choosing to forgive can deepen our relationships rather than drive us apart. Join us as we unpack practical ways to embrace connection, overcome offense, and live with an unoffendable heart.

Episode Notes

Introduction: Our Need for Connection

• Humans are wired for connection—it’s how we thrive.
• Illustration: Harlow monkey study – Demonstrates that emotional comfort is more crucial than physical needs.
• We naturally transition through stages of dependence:
  • Completely dependent → Somewhat dependent → Highly independent → Interdependent → Dependent
• Connecting with others is often the hardest, especially as we get older.

Key Point: Conflict is not a sign of dysfunction; it’s an opportunity for growth in compassion, empathy, and understanding.

Understanding Conflict Through Scripture

Luke 17:1-5 (NIV):

1. Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come.
2. It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble.
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.”
5. The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”

Key Takeaways from Luke 17:

• Expect Offense: Conflict and offenses will happen—it's a part of life.
• Avoid Living in Offense: Don’t dwell on it or let resentment build.
• Rebuke and Forgive: We are called to address issues and extend forgiveness.
• Faith is Required: The disciples’ response shows that forgiveness requires a heart transformed by faith.

Dealing with Offense and Conflict

Greek Insight – "Skandalon":

• The word “offense” (Greek: Skandalon) refers to a trap or stumbling block.
• In the Bible, skandalon can be positive (offense of the gospel) or negative (causing others to stumble).

Ways People Cause Offense:

• False counsel
• Leading others into deliberate sin
• Gossip, slander, and false accusations

Application from Luke 17:3:

• “Watch yourselves” – Take responsibility for your actions and responses.
• Address conflict with grace and truth, offering opportunities for repentance and healing.

Forgiveness as a Spiritual Discipline

Luke 17:4-5:

• Jesus calls us to forgive repeatedly, even when offenses happen multiple times a day.
• The apostles ask for greater faith, recognizing the challenge of radical forgiveness.

Ephesians 4:32 (NIV):
"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."

Key Point: Unforgiveness is more damaging to us than to those who hurt us. It keeps us in spiritual darkness and hinders our growth.

Practical Steps to Becoming Unoffendable

Luke 17:6 (NIV):
“He replied, ‘If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea,” and it will obey you.’”

Steps to Overcoming Offense:

1. Expect Offense: Don't be surprised when conflict arises.
2. Address Offense: Speak truth in love rather than resorting to silence or violence.
3. Forgive Often: Practice ongoing forgiveness as an act of obedience and faith.
4. Choose Interdependence: Healthy relationships thrive on mutual respect and grace.
5. Take Small Steps: Even the smallest act of forgiveness can create lasting transformation.

1 John 2:9-11 (NIV):
9. Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness.
10. Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble.
11. But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going because the darkness has blinded them.

Challenge: What small action can you take today to live in the light and embrace forgiveness?