Welcome to Weekday Word with Pastor Eric

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 7:10 (CEB) — “Godly sadness produces a changed heart and life…” ReflectionOne reason self-forgiveness feels impossible is that we confuse guilt and shame. Guilt can actually be a gift: it tells the truth that something went wrong. It calls you toward repair, confession, apology, and change. Shame, on the other hand, doesn’t…

Scripture: Romans 8:1 (CEB) — “So now there isn’t any condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” ReflectionSelf-forgiveness doesn’t start with you talking yourself into feeling better. It starts with you receiving a verdict that is bigger than your feelings. Romans 8:1 doesn’t say, “You won’t feel condemned.” It says there is no condemnation…

Scripture: Romans 12:21 (CEB) — “Don’t be defeated by evil, but defeat evil with good.” ReflectionResentment doesn’t stay still; it leaks. It comes out in sarcasm, coldness, avoidance, passive aggression, or the constant retelling of the story. Even when we never “explode,” we can still act it out in a hundred small ways. That’s why…

Scripture: Romans 12:19 (CEB) — “Dear friends, don’t try to get even… ‘I will take revenge; I will pay them back,’ says the Lord.” ReflectionOne of the deepest inner battles of forgiveness is the fantasy of payment. We want the offender to understand, to feel it, to suffer proportionally, to finally “get what’s coming.” Sometimes…

Scripture: Matthew 7:3–5 (CEB) — “Why do you see the splinter in your brother’s eye but don’t notice the log in your own?” Reflection This ingredient of forgiveness isn’t about comparing sins or excusing someone else’s wrongdoing. It’s about spiritual honesty: forgiveness grows best in a heart that knows its own need for mercy. When…

Scripture: Romans 12:14 (CEB) — “Bless those who harass you—bless and don’t curse them.” ReflectionForgiveness often gets stuck because the offender becomes a symbol instead of a person. They become “my abuser,” “my betrayer,” “my enemy”—a single identity defined by what they did. And to be clear: what they did may have been truly wrong.…

Scripture: Colossians 3:13 (CEB) — “Put up with each other, and forgive each other… Forgive just as the Lord forgave you.” ReflectionMost of us think forgiveness begins with a feeling: the anger fades, the pain softens, and then forgiveness becomes possible. But Scripture often describes forgiveness as a decision we make while the feelings are still loud.…

Scripture: Hebrews 12:15 (CEB) — “Watch out… so that no bitterness takes root and harms many people.” ReflectionForgiveness is spiritual—but it’s also practical. Hebrews warns that bitterness is not a private emotion; it’s a root system. Left alone, it spreads. It seeps into tone of voice, relationships, parenting, leadership, friendships. It doesn’t stay neatly contained…

Scripture: Romans 12:21 (CEB) — “Don’t be defeated by evil, but defeat evil with good.” ReflectionOne of the quiet lies of unforgiveness is this: What they did gets the final word. The offense becomes the headline, the identity, the center. It shapes the way we see people, trust relationships, and interpret the world. Even when…