Respond to Evil with Good

Current Teaching Series 40 Days of Love

Respond to Evil with Good By Rick Warren — Jul 13, 2017 “Do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you” (Luke 6:27b-28 NIV). The Bible says in Luke 6:27-28, “Do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you” (NIV). Notice these three verbs: “do good,” “bless,” and “pray for.” A big part of forgiveness is responding to evil with good. How do you know when you’ve genuinely forgiven somebody? You can pray for God to bless that person. You also start seeing that person’s hurt. When people are hurting inside, they take it out on others. Hurt people hurt people. When you learn to forgive, you not only see your own hurt but you see their hurt, too. Then you start to understand why they acted in such evil or selfish or hurtful or abusive ways. You can pray for them, and you can even pray for God to bless them. You say, “But you don’t know how they’ve hurt me.” No, I don’t. And I’m sorry for every hurt you’ve experienced. But I do know this: You’re never going to get on with your life unless you forgive and let it go. That doesn’t mean you have to forget. It means you relinquish your right to get even and respond to evil with good. How can you do that? There’s only one possible way: You have to be filled with the love of Jesus Christ. When you keep a record of wrong, you’re being unloving. But when you let it go and bless those who hurt you, then you’re letting God’s love work through you. You say, “I can’t do that!” You’re right! That’s why you need Jesus Christ. You can only do it with his help. PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >> Talk It Over How did Jesus model Luke 6:27-28 for us? Can you identify someone you need to forgive and ask God to bless? How can blessing someone who’s hurt you help you see that person’s hurt more clearly?

Our Gift: 40 Days of Love Study Kit Learn to love like Jesus! Pastor Rick wants to show you what it really means to love others like Jesus with his six-session study kit, 40 Days of Love. With a teaching DVD and study guide workbook, 40 Days of Love is a powerful resource for personal study or small groups. It will help you… • Make loving God and others your highest priority • Find true rest in forgiveness • Build healthier relationships • Love more authentically, even when it's difficult LEARN MORE

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Series Summary Session 1: It's All About Love Session 2: Love Matters Most Session 3: Loving Like Jesus Loves Me Session 4: Love Lets It Go Session 5: Love Is Not Easily Angered Session 6: The Secrets of Lasting Love PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST

Pastor Rick Warren

Enjoy today's Devotional? Listen instantly to the full radio message at Daily Hope Radio. Did someone forward this devotional to you? Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional. This devotional is based on the current Daily Hope radio series at pastorrick.com. Rick Warren has helped people live with hope and on purpose for more than 40 years. He’s the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Southern California and author of several books, including "The Purpose Driven Church" and "The Purpose Driven Life," read by more than 100 million people in 137 languages. He created the PEACE Plan (plant churches of reconciliation, equip servant leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, educate the next generation), which is used by churches in 196 countries. His radio teaching and daily devotional, Daily Hope, is offered around the world. This devotional © 2017 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe at any time by changing your e-mail preferences. Update your preferences  |  Unsubscribe