A hostage is a person or entity which is held against their will by an adversary.
My first memory of a hostage situation was the Iran hostage crisis, where more than sixty American diplomats and citizens were held hostage for 444 days (November 4, 1979, to January 20, 1981) after a group of radical Islamic terrorists overran and took control of the American Embassy in Iran.
Over the years we have heard news reports of abductions, of teenage girls who are held against their will by their captors who are then raped, tortured and threatened with death.
Now God forbid, none of us will ever have to endure such terror but there are other evil forces which attempt to steal, kill and destroy our emotional and spiritual lives, holding us as hostages.
In this series we will look at what may be your captor? Maybe you are being held hostage by fear, pride, lust, or even jealousy. But I’ve got good news for you. The good news is that our ransom has been paid in full. In the weeks ahead we are going to learn how to truly break free, once and for all, from the shackles that bind us.
Are you bitter? Bitter at God and blaming Him for the bad things that has happened to you?
Maybe you are bitter at a mate, blaming them for what they did to you perhaps ending a marriage in divorce. Maybe you are bitter at a parent who abandoned or abused you, or an employer who mistreated you or passed you over for a promotion.
Every one of us has had someone do something which you found difficult to forgive. Every time their very name is brought up, even if it was years ago, it still sours your stomach, raises your blood pressure rising as if you were reliving the offence again just thinking about it!
If so, it may be that you are a hostage of bitterness. Throughout this week we will be looking at how to be set free from bitterness.
Your pastor and partner in ministry,
Kyle
My first memory of a hostage situation was the Iran hostage crisis, where more than sixty American diplomats and citizens were held hostage for 444 days (November 4, 1979, to January 20, 1981) after a group of radical Islamic terrorists overran and took control of the American Embassy in Iran.
Over the years we have heard news reports of abductions, of teenage girls who are held against their will by their captors who are then raped, tortured and threatened with death.
Now God forbid, none of us will ever have to endure such terror but there are other evil forces which attempt to steal, kill and destroy our emotional and spiritual lives, holding us as hostages.
In this series we will look at what may be your captor? Maybe you are being held hostage by fear, pride, lust, or even jealousy. But I’ve got good news for you. The good news is that our ransom has been paid in full. In the weeks ahead we are going to learn how to truly break free, once and for all, from the shackles that bind us.
Are you bitter? Bitter at God and blaming Him for the bad things that has happened to you?
Maybe you are bitter at a mate, blaming them for what they did to you perhaps ending a marriage in divorce. Maybe you are bitter at a parent who abandoned or abused you, or an employer who mistreated you or passed you over for a promotion.
Every one of us has had someone do something which you found difficult to forgive. Every time their very name is brought up, even if it was years ago, it still sours your stomach, raises your blood pressure rising as if you were reliving the offence again just thinking about it!
If so, it may be that you are a hostage of bitterness. Throughout this week we will be looking at how to be set free from bitterness.
Your pastor and partner in ministry,
Kyle
Do you know of a Dad or Granddad with a school age girl? Invite them to C3’s Daddy/Daughter Date Night this Saturday at 6pm.
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