It's Above Me Now | Dr Dharius Daniels | Sermon Notes — Hello Pastor

Sermon Notes

It's Above Me Now

Dr Dharius Daniels

Change Church • Nov 5, 2023 • 58 min

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Take this message with you through a journey of Scripture, reflection, and prayer.

Summary

In this message, Dr. Dharius Daniels teaches on the transformative power of forgiveness, explaining that God has given believers the superpower to facilitate their own emotional and spiritual healing. Forgiveness is not a sign of weakness or an endorsement of mistreatment, but a act of self-love and spiritual strength that releases bad debt and frees us from the past. By extending grace to others and learning to forgive ourselves for past mistakes, we allow God to turn our regrets into valuable lessons rather than permanent prisons.

Themes

Forgiveness and HealingSelf-Forgiveness and GraceRelational Wisdom and BoundariesRedemption of Wasted TimeGod's Divine Providence and Timing

Pastor's Points

1.

God didn't say that reconciliation regarding the issue means reconnection with the individual.

2.

God did not say that wasted time was lost time.

Key Points

1.
Great men and women are born for the exact time they are needed most, meaning your birth and timing are intentional.
2.
God has given every believer spiritual superpowers, including the power to facilitate your own healing through forgiveness.
3.
Living in an imperfect world means you will inevitably suffer from other people's flawed decisions due to proximity and vulnerability.
4.
Forgiveness is pardoning a debt and releasing bad debt because the person who hurt you is incapable of paying back what they took.
5.
Unilateral forgiveness allows you to extend grace to someone without waiting for an apology, releasing you from being held hostage by their lack of awareness.
6.
Reconciliation regarding an issue does not automatically mean reconnection with the individual; forgiveness can coexist with healthy boundaries.
7.
There is a crucial difference between remorse (feeling sorry) and repentance (demonstrable fruit of change).

Sermon Moments

“Your praise is the bat signal—the way you send notice to God that you need Him to come by and tabernacle here.”

“You have the ability to facilitate your own healing when God gives you the superpower called forgiveness.”

“You do not forgive as a sign of weakness; you forgive as a sign of strength and because you love yourself.”

“The analogy of a broken pinky bone that healed crookedly without pain: being out of pain does not automatically mean your heart is fully healed and functioning normally.”

“Unilateral forgiveness is forgiving someone when they don't even ask for it or realize what they did wrong.”

“Dr. Henry Cloud quote: 'Never go back if the reason you left is still there.'”

“Paul choose Silas over John Mark because he needed a stable partner who would pray and sing praises with him at midnight in prison.”

“Your past can be a prison that incarcerates you or a school that educates you, and God lets you decide.”

This Week

Identify a past hurt where you are still holding a debt, and choose to write it off as bad debt through unilateral forgiveness this week.

Evaluate your current relationships to distinguish between people who demonstrate genuine repentance versus those who are merely remorseful.

Set healthy relational boundaries without harboring unforgiveness or bitterness toward those who are not safe to reengage with.

Stop waiting for an explanation or an apology from someone who hurt you to experience emotional closure.

Pray for God to send stable, faithful companions ('Silases') into your life for your current season.

Write down past mistakes or regrets that still cause you guilt, declare 'It's above me now,' and intentionally release yourself from self-punishment.

Reflect on past difficult seasons and list three key lessons God taught you so those experiences act as a school rather than a prison.

Remember This

Forgiveness is a divine superpower that facilitates your own healing, releasing the debts of others and freeing you to forgive yourself so your past becomes a school that educates you rather than a prison that incarcerates you.

A Challenge for You

Take a moment right now to forgive yourself for past mistakes and decisions, declaring 'It's above me now,' and trust that God will redeem wated time and propel you forward.

These are personal sermon notes shared to help you remember the message — not a replacement for Scripture, your church, or your pastors.