"With God's Grace Our Worst Past
Becomes Our Best Future"
Becomes Our Best Future"
Photo by Soff Garavano Puw on Unsplash
If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you to some extent—not to put it too severely. The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient. Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him.
3 Corinthians 2:5-11
The man had committed a sin that even pagans do not tolerate. Paul grieved for the one who’d strayed from the church. But rejoiced when he repented.
Brings up the question of how we should intervene for the believer in our midst who wanders from the truth.
Paul understood, without a degree in psychology, that guilt and subsequent alienation are punishment enough. Sin creates a downward spiral that is destructive. Once someone has repented, more chastisement or criticism is not what restoration requires. Rather, exemplify patience and love as the one who erred is brought back into fellowship.
How should we manage restoring the one who left because of sin and now wants to return?
Do we grieve as Paul did?
Or do we shake our heads in dismay and say, “I’m not surprised.” Or if we are surprised, do we wonder why?
Or do we counsel?
Pray first.
Bring someone with us.
Gently approach in love, with the Spirit, so that the one who has erred does not feel condemned but loved, realizing that we, too, were weak in some way or at some time.
Trust God will go before and give us the right words to say.
Healing and restoration are a process.
GOD-GIVEN PATIENCE
Linda Wood Rondeau
6/15/2026
AS THE RIVER RUNS
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
6/1/2026
LEAVING THE SILENT MAJORITY
Linda Wood Rondeau
5/18/2026
GOD'S CHILD NEED NOT FEAR
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
5/4/2026
A RECIPE FOR CHURCHES
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
4/21/2026
THE CALL AGAINST THE JITTERS
TERRI WANGARD
4/6/2026
LIVING LIKE GOD'S CHILD
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
3/23/2026
DON'T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF
LAURA EDGE
3/9/2026
FREEDOM FROM CONDEMNATION
Linda Wood Rondeau
2/23/2026
THE POWER OF THE WORD
DARLENE CORBETT
2/9/2026
IMMEASURABLY MORE
MELISSA HEILAND
1/19/2026
RESTORATION IS A PROCESS
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
1/5/2026
HIS PLANS FOR ME
ALICE H. MURRAY
12/29/2025
Finding Faith in the Storm
Pebbles Wireman
12/15/2025
No Condemnation
Linda Wood Rondeau
12/1/2025
IS THERE PURPOSE IN YOUR TROUBLES?
Linda Wood Rondeau
11/1/2025
GOD GOES BEFORE US
Linda Wood Rondeau
10/6/2025
AN EVER-PRESENT GOD
Linda Wood Rondeau
9/23/2025
BE OF GOOD CHEER
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
9/10/2025
ACCORDING TO HIS PLANS
BETH WESTCOTT
8/25/2025
Constantly Abiding
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
8/11/2025
SHINE FROM WITHIN
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
7/28/2025
THE TRUE WORK
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
7/14/2025
AS IN THE DAYS OF THE APOSTLES
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
7/2/2025
It's A Good Thing I Love You
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
6/16/2025
NO ONE EVER SAY I PRETTY
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
5/5/2025
Do All You Have in Mind
Mark David Pullen
4/21/2025
Managing Our Negative Emotions
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
4/7/2025
PERSEVERE BY MOVING FORWARD
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
3/24/2025
POINTS TO PONDER
Frank Ball
3/17/2025
CHRIST IS TRUTH
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
3/11/2025
The Intimacy of God
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
2/10/2025
WHEN YOUR GET UP GO GETS UP AND GOES
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
1/27/2025
EVEN TO MY GRAY HAIRS
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
1/13/2025
BIG FOOT AND DOUBT
KATHY HOWARD
11/21/2024
SHEPHERD OF THE AGES
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
8/22/2024
NOT ALONE
SHARON ARPANA EDWARDS
7/24/2024
OUT OF THE WHIRLWIND
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
7/11/2024
GET OUT OF OUR COMFORT ZONE
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
6/27/2024
Stop Grumbling
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
6/6/2024
ENCOURAGEMENT EVEN IN OUR FAILURES
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
5/9/2024
WHAT TOMORROW MAY BRING
Linda Wood Rondeau
3/28/2024
THE BEAUTY OF GOD'S WORD
Linda Wood Rondeau
3/14/2024
GOD IS OUR REFUGE AND STRENGTH
Linda Wood Rondeau
3/14/2024
THE PRAYER OF JABEZ
Linda Wood Rondeau
2/29/2024
LET GOD DIRECT YOUR STEPS
Linda Wood Rondeau
2/15/2024
BARREN PLACES
Linda Wood Rondeau
1/30/2024
SUMMATION OF THE LAW
Linda Wood Rondeau
1/11/2024
IS GOD FORGETFUL?
Linda Wood Rondeau
12/28/2023
MUSIC MEMORIES
Linda Wood Rondeau
12/4/2023
WHEN THE WEAKER WINS
Linda Wood Rondeau
12/2/2023
MONUMENTS OF BLESSINGS
Linda Wood Rondeau
11/23/2023
WHAT IS TRUE PROSPERITY
Linda Wood Rondeau
11/17/2023
FINDING CONTENTMENT
Linda Wood Rondeau
11/15/2023
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL OF JEWELS
Linda Wood Rondeau
11/14/2023
THE KEY TO ANSWERED PRAYER
Linda Wood Rondeau
11/13/2023
