A simpler church
Early in the pandemic, Matt Dabbs found himself preaching a…
Putting your sin into perspective
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We all have wounds and scars from sin. Some of us are just better at hiding them than others.
What a blessing it would be to have a guide who has been through the messiness of sin-induced pain and brokenness and has found the way to reconciliation.
Steve Ridgell. “Wounds Into Scars: Turning Your Sin Wounds into Spiritual Scars.” 21st Century Christian. 2022. 152 pages. $14.99.
You don’t want someone who has never been through hard times and certainly not someone who thinks sin isn’t a big deal. You want someone who has fallen and found their way back again to walk alongside you.
Steve Ridgell is exactly that person because he has some deep-seated and (apparently) self-induced spiritual wounds from which he was able to recover.
In “Wounds Into Scars: Turning Your Sin Wounds Into Spiritual Scars,” Ridgell never tells you exactly what he did, but he does demonstrate that he has been through the hard work he recommends in the book and has come out on the other side.
Ridgell has helped many others go through healing the wounds of sin to produce the spiritual scars that characterize the healed. Here is the good news: He can help you too!
Who would find this book useful? Three groups come to mind: First are those who have unresolved sin (addiction, past sin that never got addressed, etc.).
The second group are those who are trying to understand the sinful choices of a loved one — maybe a spouse or a friend at church. This book can help put into words what you may be struggling to understand and articulate.
The third group are those who are actively helping people resolve the mess of their sin. Each chapter ends with a section called “A Word to the Helpers” to give advice on aiding those who are trying to find reconciliation.
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This book is scripturally informed and highly practical. Many books are good at one or the other — this one is exceptionally good at both. There are Scriptures and stories from the Bible used throughout to help us understand what the Bible has to say about resolving the impact of our bad decisions and sins and finding healthy resolution.
Last, there are lots of stories of people in the book to help you connect with the principles being shared. These real, raw stories show what is being taught lived out. You will begin to see that no matter what you have done, you aren’t the first, and there is always hope!
“You will find yourself in this book. There were many times I thought to myself, ‘That is exactly what I needed to hear today.’”
You will find yourself in this book. There were many times I thought to myself, “That is exactly what I needed to hear today. Thank you God for this book and for Steve!”
A book of this size (152 pages) would be a pretty quick read for many people, but it will most likely cause you to slow down, take in what is being said and reflect on areas of your life of unresolved conflict and brokenness.
If you need help putting your sin in perspective or helping others do the same, I hope you will pick up a copy of this book to read and share with others. It will undoubtedly save someone’s life, marriage and ministry.
MATT DABBS is a disciple maker and church planter at Backyard Church in Auburn, Ala. His mission is moving people to prayer, making disciples and planting house churches.
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