Crossroads at Baggage Boulevard - Six Crossroads for the Journey Ahead

Session 5

CROSSROADS AT BAGGAGE BOULEVARD

To run the remaining laps victoriously, you can’t run with a backpack full of rocks!

Before the “new thing” God has for you, there’s “forget the former things; do not dwell on the past” (Isaiah 43:18)

Hebrews 12:1, 2 is how to get ready for the run of a lifetime!

Unpacking “rocks” that you’ve carried or buried too long.

Two encumbrances to unpack on the threshold of the journey ahead. They both cause you to see things through a dirty window. So everything looks dark.

Thanks to Jesus, you can be free of that baggage and run the rest of your life unhindered! Hands free to grab God’s “new thing!”

So we’re at . . . Crossroads # 5 - LET IT GO OR LET IT GROW?

What you’ll need to let it go is yours for the asking at the most powerful spot in the universe . . .

Hebrews 4:16 - The place where you unleash grace!

For the first encumbrance – receiving grace. For the second encumbrance, giving grace!

Encumbrance # 1 - Unworthiness

Lies failure makes us believe

“I’m a failure."

No! Failing may be what you did, but is not who you are!

Luke 15:21 . . . 24 Never stopped being his son!

‘I’m unworthy.”

You got your worth before you were born! Ephesians 2:10

“It’s over.” Micah 7:8 Luke 22:60-62 Acts 2:14… 41

Believing failure’s lies is to miss laying claim to the “more” God has in store.

The prodigal plot - Go after the child to neutralize the parent spiritually.

How to pray for a child away from God (Hosea 2:5-8)

“Lord, frustrate their sin . . . block their exits . . . send them a voice . . .

remind them of Jesus . . . do what it takes.”

There is someone who wants you to never forget your failures . . .

Revelation 12:10.

And Someone who wants you to live forgiven of your failures!

Revelation 12:11 Hebrews 8:12

Feeling inadequate? II Corinthians 3:4-6

Grace trades our deficits for His surplus!

And our “can’t” for His “can!”

Feeling guilty and unworthy? Psalm 51:1-4; 7; 10-17 Romans 8:1

I Corinthians 6:9-11

That was you, but that’s not you anymore!

No longer living shackled to your failures.

Embrace the grace!

Jesus shatters the shackles of the past!

Encumbrance # 2 Unforgiveness

Living shackled to your wounds. And your wounder.

Unforgiveness is cancer of the soul. Hebrews 12:15

Forfeiting grace because you won’t give grace.

Matthew 18:32, 33 `

The answer to every forgiveness “yeahbut” - Colossians 3:13

Forgiving is about, not what they did to you, but what Christ did

for you!

Unforgiveness looks at my wounder and sees someone who hurt me deeply.

Grace looks at my wounder and sees someone Jesus thought

was worth dying for.

Who was probably someone else’s victim.

Because hurt people hurt people.

Forgiving is not excusing the wrong doing. It is a decision to treat them, not as they treated you, but as Jesus treated you!

Forgiving starts at the Cross.

The Issue Settled at the Crossroads . . .

Your Unsettled Past.

No longer living shackled to your wounds and your wounder.