This morning, Pastor Dale helped us look at the importance of looking back in order to go forward. We're often told to forget the past, that God has made us new. And yet, both the blessings and sins of our families going back two, three, even four generations can profoundly impact who we are today. Discipleship requires putting off the sinful patterns of our family of origin and relearning how to do life God’s way in God’s family.

Your family and extended family are the most powerful influence/relationships into who you are as a human. The things learned, modeled, and normalized is in your bones. Each generation’s failures make the next generation’s environment in which they grow up even more difficult to be faithful to God and because of that, it’s like a compounding interest of sin and destructive family habits that continue to accumulate over generations.

“Unfortunately, it is not possible to erase the negative effects of our history. This family history lives inside all of us, especially in those who attempt to bury it. The price we pay for this flight is high. Only the truth sets us free.” ― Peter Scazzero, Emotionally Healthy Spirituality



Even as followers of Jesus we often bring all of the patterns, thoughts, and influences to how we read the Bible, how we see God, and how we relate to each other. The great news, the gospel is transforming, life-giving, and renewing.