The Hardest Thing Jesus Ever Asked Us to do

Are you trapped in the prison of shame—or the prison of blame? In Part 5 of our series "Unlocking Prayer with Jesus," Pastor Josh Hawkins dives into what may be Christ’s most challenging teaching: "Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us" (Matthew 6:12).

Sharing a powerful prophetic encounter, Pastor Josh reveals how the blood of Jesus acts as a divine "plumb line." Anything in our lives that doesn't align with the cross—our self-righteousness, our grudges, our claims of entitlement, and our accusations—is crooked and must be brought to the blood. Discover why you have earned nothing from God, why forgiveness is a choice followed by a process, and how both shame and blame find their final end at the foot of the cross.

📖 SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:

• Matthew 6:12 (Luke 11:4) – The Lord’s Prayer: Forgiveness

• Hebrews 12:24 – The blood that speaks a better word than Abel

• Romans 3:23 & Romans 6:23 – All have sinned; the free gift of grace (charis)

• Colossians 2:13–14 – Canceling our legal debt, nailing it to the cross

• 1 Corinthians 11:23–29 – Aligning our hearts at the Lord's Table

• Numbers 6:24–26 – The Aaronic Blessing

🔑 KEY TAKEAWAYS:

1. The Blood is the Plumb Line: Just as a builder uses a plumb line to ensure walls stand true, the blood of Jesus is the sole standard for righteousness, order, and peace in the kingdom of God.

2. Nailing Our Righteousness to the Cross: Grace (charis) cannot be earned. True repentance means surrendering not only our sins but also our attempts to justify ourselves by our moral resumes.

3. The Two Destructive Prisons: The Accuser (Ha-Satan) traps people either in shame (dwelling on what we’ve done) or in blame (dwelling on what was done to us). Both prisons are broken at Calvary.

4. Forgiveness is a Choice Followed by a Process: Forgiveness does not mean an immediate feeling or tolerating toxic abuse; it means releasing someone’s debt before God so bitterness cannot poison your soul.

💬 DISCUSSION & ENGAGEMENT:

• What is one assumption or grudge that you need to bring to the plumb line of Jesus’ blood this week?

• Tell us in the comments where you are watching from today! If you need prayer, drop a comment or reach out to our prayer team.