Piney Grove FWB

06/02/2026

Forgiveness
Ephesians 4:32 KJV
“32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”
Forgiveness is one of the hardest commands in the Christian life, but it is also one of the most Christlike.
It is easy to talk about forgiveness until we are the ones who have been hurt. It is easy to preach forgiveness until we are the ones who have been wounded, betrayed, disappointed, mistreated, or misunderstood.
Yet the Bible does not present forgiveness as optional. It is not a suggestion for when we feel like it. It is not something we only offer when the other person deserves it. Forgiveness is a command from God and a reflection of the grace we ourselves have received.
We forgive because we have been forgiven.
The Demand for Forgiveness
Jesus made forgiveness a serious matter.
Matthew 6:14–15 KJV
“14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
Those are strong words.
God is not saying that we earn salvation by forgiving others. Salvation is by grace through faith. But He is showing us that a heart that refuses to forgive is a heart that has forgotten how much it has been forgiven.
When we look honestly at Calvary, we lose the right to hold grudges.
Christ forgave us when we were guilty.
Christ forgave us when we were undeserving.
Christ forgave us when our sin had offended a holy God.
Christ forgave us fully, freely, and faithfully.
So how can we receive mercy from God and then refuse mercy to others?
Forgiveness does not mean the hurt was not real.
Forgiveness does not mean the wrong was acceptable.
Forgiveness does not always mean trust is immediately restored.
Forgiveness does not mean there are no consequences.
But forgiveness does mean we release the debt into the hands of God. It means we refuse to let bitterness rule our spirit. It means we choose obedience even when our feelings are still wounded.
The Danger of Not Forgiving
Unforgiveness is dangerous because it never stays small.
What begins as a hurt can become a grudge.
What begins as a grudge can become bitterness.
What begins as bitterness can poison the heart.
Hebrews 12:15 KJV
“15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;”
Bitterness is called a root because it grows underneath the surface before it is ever seen outwardly. A person may smile, work, serve, sing, and go through the motions, while bitterness is quietly growing in the heart.
And bitterness does not only trouble us. The verse says, “thereby many be defiled.”
Bitterness affects our attitude.
Bitterness affects our worship.
Bitterness affects our family.
Bitterness affects our friendships.
Bitterness affects our church.
Bitterness affects our testimony.
Bitterness affects our walk with God.
Someone once said bitterness is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. The truth is, bitterness usually hurts the bitter person most.
It keeps old wounds fresh.
It replays old conversations.
It rehearses old offenses.
It steals present joy.
It blinds us to present blessings.
The person who hurt you may have moved on, but bitterness keeps you chained to the moment of injury.
That is why God calls us to forgive. He is not trying to ignore our pain. He is trying to free our soul.
The Delight of Obedience
There is a peace that comes when we obey God.
Forgiveness may not be easy, but obedience always brings blessing. When we forgive, we are not saying the hurt did not matter. We are saying God matters more. We are saying peace matters more. We are saying obedience matters more. We are saying our fellowship with the Lord matters more.
Colossians 3:13 KJV
“13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.”
The greatest motivation for forgiveness is not that the other person deserves it. The greatest motivation is that Christ forgave us.
When we forgive, we become more like Jesus.
Think about our Lord on the cross.
Luke 23:34 KJV
“34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do...”
They mocked Him, beat Him, rejected Him, and crucified Him. Yet Jesus prayed for their forgiveness.
That is the spirit God wants to produce in us.
Forgiveness brings freedom.
Forgiveness brings peace.
Forgiveness clears the heart.
Forgiveness restores joy.
Forgiveness honors Christ.
Forgiveness protects our spirit.
Forgiveness allows us to move forward.
You may not be able to change what happened. You may not be able to make someone apologize. You may not be able to undo the damage that was done.
But by the grace of God, you can forgive.
You can lay it down.
You can give it to the Lord.
You can refuse bitterness.
You can walk in obedience.
You can choose peace over poison.

06/01/2026

When Jesus Shows Up
Luke 19:5 KJV
“5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchæus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.”
There are many moments in the Bible where everything looked bleak, barren, desperate, and dark—until Jesus showed up.
Zacchaeus was up a tree, lost in sin and hated by many.
Lazarus was in a grave, dead and beyond human help.
The man brought by four friends was disabled and unable to get to Jesus on his own.
Mary Magdalene was bound by demons and tormented by darkness.
Peter, James, and John were fishermen with empty nets after a long, frustrating night.
But then Jesus showed up.
And when Jesus shows up, everything changes.
Zacchaeus came down from the tree a changed man.
Lazarus came out of the grave alive.
The disabled man rose up, took up his bed, and walked.
Mary Magdalene was delivered and became a faithful follower of Christ.
Peter, James, and John saw empty nets become overflowing nets.
The situation may have looked impossible, but it was not impossible for Jesus.
Luke 1:37 KJV
“37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.”
I do not know what your circumstances look like today. I do not know what burden you carried into this Monday. I do not know what has left you discouraged, weary, afraid, or uncertain.
But I do know Christ.
And I know that when Jesus shows up, He can make the impossible possible.
He can bring hope into hopeless places.
He can bring peace into troubled hearts.
He can bring life into dead situations.
He can bring deliverance where there has been bo***ge.
He can bring provision where there has been emptiness.
He can bring strength where there has been weakness.
Sometimes we look at our circumstances and say, “There is no way.”
But faith looks to Christ and says, “He is the way.”
John 14:6 KJV
“6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
The answer is not found in our ability, our resources, our strength, or our understanding. The answer is found in Him.
So today, do not quit. Do not despair. Do not let the darkness convince you that God is finished.
Jesus still shows up.
Jesus still speaks peace.
Jesus still saves sinners.
Jesus still restores the broken.
Jesus still opens doors.
Jesus still changes lives.
And when He shows up, He does not just show up—He shows out.

05/31/2026

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWI2WRXqk7c

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

05/31/2026

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TytbGvWnZXI

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

05/29/2026

Friday Devotion:
Pure
1 John 3:3
“And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.”
There is something powerful about hope.
Hope affects how we think. Hope affects how we live. Hope affects what we are willing to endure. When a person is looking forward to something, it changes the way they handle the present.
A child waiting for Christmas morning acts differently because he knows something is coming. A family preparing for company cleans differently because someone is coming. A bride preparing for her wedding day lives with that day on her mind because the groom is coming.
For the Christian, we have a greater hope than any earthly event.
Jesus is coming again.
The Bible says in 1 John 3:2,
“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”
Then the very next verse says,
“And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.”
That means the return of Christ is not just a doctrine to study. It is a truth that should shape the way we live.
If we really believe Jesus could come again, we ought to want to be found faithful. If we are truly longing for His appearing, we ought to desire a clean heart, clean hands, clean speech, clean motives, and a clean life.
The hope of Christ’s return should not make us careless. It should make us careful.
It should not make us lazy. It should make us watchful.
It should not make us worldly. It should make us holy.
The verse does not say that every man who has this hope talks about prophecy. It does not say every man who has this hope argues about timelines. It says every man that has this hope “purifieth himself.”
That is the evidence of a heart truly looking for Jesus.
We are not saved by living pure, but because we are saved, we should desire to live pure. We are not trying to earn His coming, but we ought to be ready for His coming.
There are some things we would lay down quickly if we knew Jesus was coming today. There are some attitudes we would repent of. Some words we would not say. Some places we would not go. Some bitterness we would not hold. Some sins we would not excuse.
But the truth is, He could come today.
So let us live today with eternity in view.
Let us live like people who belong to another world.
Let us live like people who are watching for the Savior.

05/28/2026

Thursday Devotion
When Tears Mark the Trail
Proverbs 14:34 KJV
“Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.”
On this day in 1830, President Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act into law. What followed became one of the darkest and most sorrowful chapters in American history. Thousands of Native Americans were forced from their homes, driven away from familiar lands, separated from what they had known, and sent westward under great hardship. Many suffered. Many died. That painful journey would become known as the Trail of Tears.
Just the name itself ought to make us pause.
A trail of tears.
It reminds us that decisions made in pride, power, selfishness, or injustice can leave sorrow behind for generations. Sin never travels alone. It always leaves something behind. It leaves broken homes, wounded hearts, bitter memories, ruined testimonies, and tears that often outlive the moment of the decision.
The Bible says, “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.” God does not judge right and wrong by popularity, politics, profit, or power. God judges according to truth. What a nation excuses, God still examines. What men justify, God still sees. What history records, heaven has never missed.
The Trail of Tears reminds us that people are not obstacles to be moved out of our way. They are souls created by God. It reminds us that when men forget righteousness, they often forget compassion. It reminds us that power without godliness can become cruelty. It reminds us that sin, whether personal or national, always carries a cost.
But there is another trail marked by sorrow we must remember.
Jesus walked a trail of suffering for us. He walked from Gethsemane to Calvary. He was betrayed, falsely accused, mocked, beaten, rejected, and crucified. His trail was marked not only by tears, but by blood. Yet the trail Christ walked was not a trail of injustice for His own sin, but a trail of mercy for ours.
Man’s sin leaves a trail of sorrow.
Christ’s sacrifice opened a way of salvation.
So today, let us ask ourselves: What kind of trail are we leaving behind?
Are we leaving a trail of bitterness, pride, selfishness, anger, and regret? Or are we leaving a trail of mercy, truth, forgiveness, compassion, and faithfulness?
Every life leaves a trail.
May ours point people to Jesus.

05/27/2026

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTfBxTFRBz8

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

05/27/2026

Join us tonight at 7pm for lesson four in our exciting series. Jesus is coming soon. All are welcome.

05/27/2026

Wednesday Devotion
Watch and Pray
Verse:
Matthew 26:41 (KJV)
“Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus gave His disciples a simple but serious command: “Watch and pray.”
He knew temptation was coming. He knew their faith would be tested. He knew their intentions were good, but their flesh was weak.
That is still true of us today.
We may want to do right, speak right, think right, and live right, but good intentions are not enough. The flesh is weak. The devil is real. Temptation is near. That is why we must stay spiritually alert.
To watch means to pay attention. Watch your heart. Watch your attitude. Watch your words. Watch your influences. Watch where you are drifting.
But watching alone is not enough. Jesus said, watch and pray.
Prayer keeps us depending on God instead of trusting ourselves. Prayer gives strength before the battle, not just help after the fall. Prayer reminds us that we cannot overcome temptation in our own power.
1 Peter 5:8 (KJV) says,
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”
Today, do not live careless. Stay awake spiritually. Stay close to the Lord. Before temptation comes, pray. Before bitterness grows, pray. Before discouragement settles in, pray.
A watchful Christian sees the danger. A praying Christian finds strength in God.