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Sermons on Worship

Forgiveness and Healing – part 5

Susan Segawa, Pastor Drew’s wife, shares publicly for the first time, her painful past of child sexual abuse and her road to forgiveness and healing. It’s wise to remember that we can grant forgiveness right away to someone who has hurt us, however the path to our healing from their sin may take some time.

While Joseph was in Egypt, God gave him grace and wisdom to forgive – and to also figure out, that what others used as evil against him, God is able to use for His good and to help many people (Genesis 50:15-21). In a similar way, God used Susan’s tremendous pain to draw her close to Him so that she could receive Christ’s forgiveness and to also forgive others and heal. Thus, from her youth, she developed a personal relationship with the LORD, a love for God’s Word and the ability to become a worshipper. Today, Susan is not only a victor in Christ and a survivor, but God used the pain and suffering – in His hands – to direct her into her calling in the ministry of Worship. “And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me; Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD.” (Psalm 27:6)

One of the songs Susan wrote as a teenager that was produced as fruit from the pain of her childhood years, is In God’s Own Time, which is shared in this audio message. This song comes from Psalm 27:14 – “Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!”

Love for Jesus versus Love of Money

Once more, we find Mary, sister of Martha and Lazarus, as a worshipper at the feet of Jesus. Her motive here? It was her pure love for Jesus. As a contrast for comparison, we also find Judas Iscariot, a false follower of Jesus. His motive? It was his love of money, which eventually causes a person to be selfish, to reject and to betray Jesus. If you’re a Christian, watch and pray that the love of money never creeps into your heart. Instead, keep being a worshipper, and you’ll find you’ll become more and more like Jesus, who is a selfless giver.