09/06/2026
Sunday Sermon Recap
Today we had a new face delivering the message. Heather Ferguson Robertson provided a heartfelt message coming from the book of Philemon titled: “When Grace Changes a Relationship.”
Philemon 8–18
- Grace changes the way we see people.
We often label people by their worst moments. While Jesus does not rewrite history, He DOES change our identity! Scripture is full of people that have received this wonderful gift of grace.
A person’s worst chapter does not get to name the whole book.
- Grace doesn't pretend the hurt never happened.
Forgiveness doesn’t mean the offense wasn’t real, and it doesn’t always mean immediate trust or restored access. There still may be consequences and boundaries.
Forgiveness and wisdom are not enemies.
What happened was real. But refuse to allow what happened to have the final word.
- Grace changes what we believe people owe us.
Hurt makes us keep emotional ledgers: You owe me an apology. You owe me an explanation.
But Paul tells Philemon, “If he owes you anything, charge it to me.”
While it's unlikely that Paul was using an allegory to relate this back to Jesus; it's hard not to recognize the connection to Jesus who took on a debt he didn't owe (and we could never repay) and essentially said, "Put that on My account.”
- Grace may not recreate the old relationship but it may redeem it into something new.
Onesimus returned to Philemon not merely as he had left, but now as a beloved brother in Christ.
Maybe God isn’t trying to recreate the past. Maybe He’s trying to redeem it.
- Grace changes how we receive people.
People can change. We as Christians need to give someone room to demonstrate they have changed when God moves them to reconcile with us.
Grace eventually has to leave the church pew and enter our real relationships.
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Who is your Onesimus? Are you willing to see them through the eyes of grace?
But what if you're Onesimus? You're the one who failed, betrayed, or hurt someone? Then good news - Jesus has an incredible ability to give people new names and identities! Jesus is still working on and changing you.
And what if you're Paul? The peacemaker. The person in the middle that is trying to establish reconciliation.
Maybe you, like Paul, are risking something by putting your relationship on the line for someone. It takes courage and strength to stand between two hurting people and try to bring peace to a situation.
BUT ABOVE ALL THREE STANDS JESUS CHRIST!
His blood covers us all!
If the grace of Jesus has changed your relationship with God, where does that grace need to change one of your relationships with someone else?
Receive grace. Believe in the grace. Live the like of grace and extend it to others.
The grace of Jesus was never meant to stop with us.
It changed our relationship with God, yes; but little by little it changes our relationships with each other.
And isn't that a beautiful thing?!
