Thursday Thoughts for Parents | "A Song of Forgiveness"

This post is based on Nathan Smith's sermon, A Song of Forgiveness, given on March 19, 2017.

 

The Psalms of Ascent are songs that the Israelites sang traveling from their homes to the Temple in Jerusalem. The songs were meant to fill their hearts with anticipation and wonder for all God had done for them. As a Psalm that reminds us of our own sin and the magnificent grace of God, Psalm 130 is a wonderful song to add to the playlist of our lives.

Read Psalm 130

In verses 1 and 2 the Psalmist is drowning under the weight of his own sin and guilt before a holy God.

  • How often do you feel the weight of conviction of your sin? Describe what it is like?
  • Should we, like the Psalmist, feel the burden of our sin? Why or why not?
  • What is the result in the Christian life of an increasing awareness of the depth of our sin?

As Nathan served us with his gift of preaching, he mentioned the many ways he, as a human being, tries to cover his own sin: excuse it, justify it, deny it, lie about it, blame it on others, cover it up, and many more.

  • What are the ways you commonly use to try to cover your own sin?

The turning point for the Psalmist comes in verse four, where he awakens to the fact that with God there is forgiveness. He does not have to try to cover his sin, but can look upward for mercy. In verse seven, he goes even further, calling to mind the fact that with God there is “plentiful redemption.” God’s forgiveness is comprehensive, available at all times, and appropriated by faith.

  • Do you ever doubt that God’s forgiveness is comprehensive, that there are some sins you commit that He will not forgive? Why do you think that is?
  • What is the result when we lose sight of the comprehensive nature of God’s forgiveness?
  • Do you ever take for granted the wonder of God’s forgiveness? How does that happen?
  • What can we do this week to incorporate Psalm 130 into the playlist of our lives by growing in amazement at the forgiveness given to us at the cross?

 

[post written by Rich Humphrey]