Divorce Addendum by Pastor Dustin
Hello again Redemption Church
First, I would like to take a moment to thank everyone who provided encouragement in the wake of our discussion and the message surrounding divorce taken from Matthew 5:31-32. Many of you approached me with after the sermon with encouragement and with questions, both are
always a blessing to me, it let’s me know that you were listening for more than just the latest
cheesy (though hilarious) snippets of humor that find their way into all of my preaching, so thank
you for listening. In light of those responses, I recognize that I missed a significant opportunity
to glorify God through sharing more of my own story and especially His hand of grace, comfort and redemption as He carried me through my own divorce and its aftermath.
I have known first hand the damage a divorce creates. Felt the personal hurt and loss that each
member of the marriage suffers. Grieved the confusion and trauma to any kids that are involved.
And witnessed the harm to families and churches who watch what God has joined
together with the intent of permanency being torn apart by sin and unwillingness to confess and forgive and work toward reconciliation. The pain of divorce is only loosely comparable to the
death of a loved one, but carries the added hurt of knowing that you are part of the cause and
own some, if not all, of the responsibility for the loss, which only serves to make the pain that
much greater. Yet I also know the extreme length to which God’s grace and mercy extends,
how deep into sin and hurt the gospel of Jesus Christ reaches, and how marvelous is His ability
to redeem even the worst moments of our lives.
He has brought me through such moments healed but not without scars, reminders that I have
learned to be thankful for. The scars we bear mean that God has graciously preserved us
through some terrible times, and they serve as living reminders of that ever-present grace when
we need to remember it most. The scars we bear also remind us of the sometimes terrible
consequences of our choices in life, the lasting testimonies to sinful or foolish choices made
and, hopefully learned from. The scars don’t define who I am, wounds don’t make us who we
are, the love of our God alone does that.
If you are living with the same manner of hurt, please hear that. God does not define you by
your sins or your scars but by your willingness to see and accept His great love made manifest
in the Gospel of His Son. To accept the free gift of forgiveness and mercy and grace and healing
and love and …on and on, given freely through Jesus’ sacrificial death for you. The joy in this
story is the never-ending, never-faltering, steadfast love of God. His grace made manifest
through the sacrificial work of our Lord Jesus covers even the sin of divorce. God is not done
showing any of us the depths of His love, the extent of His grace, the lengths He is willing to go
to in order to redeem and rebuild our lives. Take hope in knowing that the God who left heaven
to pursue you does not stop chasing even through the darkness of divorce.
May God bless you and keep you, and may He make you to know His boundless love.
Prayerfully
Pastor Dustin
First, I would like to take a moment to thank everyone who provided encouragement in the wake of our discussion and the message surrounding divorce taken from Matthew 5:31-32. Many of you approached me with after the sermon with encouragement and with questions, both are
always a blessing to me, it let’s me know that you were listening for more than just the latest
cheesy (though hilarious) snippets of humor that find their way into all of my preaching, so thank
you for listening. In light of those responses, I recognize that I missed a significant opportunity
to glorify God through sharing more of my own story and especially His hand of grace, comfort and redemption as He carried me through my own divorce and its aftermath.
I have known first hand the damage a divorce creates. Felt the personal hurt and loss that each
member of the marriage suffers. Grieved the confusion and trauma to any kids that are involved.
And witnessed the harm to families and churches who watch what God has joined
together with the intent of permanency being torn apart by sin and unwillingness to confess and forgive and work toward reconciliation. The pain of divorce is only loosely comparable to the
death of a loved one, but carries the added hurt of knowing that you are part of the cause and
own some, if not all, of the responsibility for the loss, which only serves to make the pain that
much greater. Yet I also know the extreme length to which God’s grace and mercy extends,
how deep into sin and hurt the gospel of Jesus Christ reaches, and how marvelous is His ability
to redeem even the worst moments of our lives.
He has brought me through such moments healed but not without scars, reminders that I have
learned to be thankful for. The scars we bear mean that God has graciously preserved us
through some terrible times, and they serve as living reminders of that ever-present grace when
we need to remember it most. The scars we bear also remind us of the sometimes terrible
consequences of our choices in life, the lasting testimonies to sinful or foolish choices made
and, hopefully learned from. The scars don’t define who I am, wounds don’t make us who we
are, the love of our God alone does that.
If you are living with the same manner of hurt, please hear that. God does not define you by
your sins or your scars but by your willingness to see and accept His great love made manifest
in the Gospel of His Son. To accept the free gift of forgiveness and mercy and grace and healing
and love and …on and on, given freely through Jesus’ sacrificial death for you. The joy in this
story is the never-ending, never-faltering, steadfast love of God. His grace made manifest
through the sacrificial work of our Lord Jesus covers even the sin of divorce. God is not done
showing any of us the depths of His love, the extent of His grace, the lengths He is willing to go
to in order to redeem and rebuild our lives. Take hope in knowing that the God who left heaven
to pursue you does not stop chasing even through the darkness of divorce.
May God bless you and keep you, and may He make you to know His boundless love.
Prayerfully
Pastor Dustin