Getting even isn't the goal—opening your heart is. In this powerful sixth message of the "Kingdom Paradox" series, Pastor Ryan reveals why God sometimes feels distant even when we haven't done anything majorly wrong, and reminds us that the measurement tool we use for others becomes the measurement tool we're stuck with for God. From "bless your heart" in the American South to the first-century marketplace, this teaching will challenge you to ask the hard question: Is my heart clenched or open? Whether you've been holding grudges and expecting to get even or ready to release judgment and trust God with justice—this message is packed with biblical truth, honest vulnerability, and a kingdom truth that will change everything: Tightfisted living creates tightfisted spirituality. What we give is what we receive.
Scripture Reference: Luke 6:27-38
Big Idea: The measurement tool we use for others becomes the measurement tool we're stuck with for God. Our capacity to receive God's love doesn't change His supply—it changes our ability to hold it.
Key Quote: "We don't feel far from God because we stop believing in God. We feel far from God because something in our life has gradually started closing our heart to receive it."
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Topics in this Message:
Why God sometimes feels distant (and it's not always obvious)
The small adjustment that fixes your spiritual swing
Love your enemies: choosing agape love over feelings
Why "bless your heart" means something different in the South
How relationships work: the life we experience is shaped by the heart posture we choose
The first-century marketplace and the measurement tool
What we give is what we receive (not transactional, but capacity)
How judgment, condemnation, and bitterness close our hearts
Four practical steps to enlarge your capacity again
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