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Abi Stumvoll Shares Powerful Lessons of Forgiveness After Betrayal

by Christel Berns
written by Christel Berns

The host of The Connected Life Podcast, Abi Stumvoll, shared profound insights on forgiveness after personally experiencing betrayal and choosing to forgive the person who had hurt her.

Forgiveness Amidst Betrayal

Abi Stumvoll recently shared a moving message with her followers regarding the transformative power of forgiveness. Drawing from her own encounters with betrayal, she highlighted how the individuals who had wronged her could never fully repay the emotional toll they had inflicted upon her.

Forgiveness

Abi Stumvoll | The Connected Life Podcast [@abistumvoll]. Abi Stumvoll. Instagram, 1 Mar. 2024, https://www.instagram.com/reel/C383Nb2vF3p/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

“Even if they come and they cry and they repent, they can’t pay me back for the identity wrestle I had to go through,” she said. “They don’t have the ability to give me what they took from me.”

The Pain Gained Interest

Moreover, the podcast host stressed that it’s not just that they couldn’t pay back, but also the pain they’ve caused have already multiplied over the years.

“The original pain that somebody caused doesn’t show all the stuff you had to walk through to get out of it,” she explained. “And so I’ve looked to this idea of forgiveness. Where it’s like ‘God, here is the debt!’ And then I say ‘I know they can’t pay it. So God, would You cancel their debt? But God I do need it paid back.’ So, it becomes ‘Jesus, will You pay back the debt that is owed to me?’”

Jesus Paid The Debt

Abi elaborated that Jesus bore the debt for all, not just for one individual. Consequently, when God forgives someone, that individual must also recognize that Jesus paid the price for those who had caused him harm.

MAN WHO HAD TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCES TESTIFIED HOW HE RECEIVED THE LOVE OF GOD

“He wants to pay my price when I owe a debt. And He wants to pay the price for the debts that are owed to me,” she said. “It’s a Kingdom that is full of repayment, full of restoration, full of redemption.. It’s a Kingdom where you actually get to encounter the God that takes every messy, broken thing, either done to you, or done by you. And He says ‘that’s not the end of the story.’”

Furthermore, Abi added profound insights in her caption. It could helpful to those struggling releasing forgiveness towards those who caused them pain.

Read the full message below.

Reference | Instagram – Abi Stumvoll | The Connected Life Podcast

Header Image: Abi Stumvoll | The Connected Life Podcast [@abistumvoll]. Abi Stumvoll. Instagram, 1 Mar. 2024, https://www.instagram.com/reel/C383Nb2vF3p/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

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She forgives predator
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Woman Sexually Assaulted For 9 Years Meets Jesus & Forgives Her Predator

by Christel Berns
written by Christel Berns

A woman who was sexually assaulted during her entire childhood met Jesus in her most broken state and forgave her predator who happens to be her dad.

Predator Father

Alicia Nicholas had a dark childhood. Even when she had both parents present in their home, she wasn’t safe. Unfortunately, her father started molesting her at five years old. He threatened her to keep quiet or he’ll harm her. And so, since then, the molestation and sexual assault continued for the next several years.

The 700 Club. (Screenshot). (2024). Forgiving Sexual Predator Brought Healing, Retrieved May 7, 2024 from: https://youtu.be/njPEcOtDzyA

For nine long years, Alicia endured her dad’s abuse. What’s even worse was that her mother blamed her when she confessed it to her. As a child, the young Alicia felt helpless and broken. Moreover, her shame and guilt grew bigger as she grew older.

At 14, Alicia got pregnant with her dad’s baby. She went through an abortion because of it. That’s when suicidal thoughts began to cloud her mind. She would often try to harm herself. Then, at 15, her parents abandoned her.

Turning To Drugs And Alcohol

Soon after, Alicia turned to hard drugs and alcohol to drown her pain. At 20 years old, she was in a car accident where she begged God to save her. And indeed, God saved her life. After the incident, she stopped using drugs. But she couldn’t give up on her addiction to alcohol because of her painful childhood memories. Her thoughts of ending her life never left as well.

She forgives predator

The 700 Club. (Screenshot). (2024). Forgiving Sexual Predator Brought Healing, Retrieved May 7, 2024 from: https://youtu.be/njPEcOtDzyA

Later, Alicia tried different religions to seek love and validation. She also tried Santeria, but none of them satisfied her.

One day, a Christian childhood friend invited Alicia to church. She attended the Easter Sunday service where she felt the Presence of God for the first time. As the worship was ongoing, she asked God to deliver her from all her sins. Then, she felt a huge weight off her lifted.

Watch what happened next in the video below.

Forgiving Sexual Predator Brought Healing

Reference | The 700 Club

Header Image: The 700 Club. (Screenshot). (2024). Forgiving Sexual Predator Brought Healing, Retrieved May 7, 2024 from: https://youtu.be/njPEcOtDzyA

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Sarah Villareal Talks About How Paul Chose To Forgive Himself
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Sarah Villareal Talks About How Paul Chose To Forgive Himself For Condemning Christians

by Kriza Jo Tanduyan
written by Kriza Jo Tanduyan

Sarah Villareal talked about how Paul chose to forgive himself for killing Christians. She mentioned that Paul stood by what God had said about him.

Sarah Villareal

Christian podcast host Sarah Villareal joined Annika Stevie and talked about the gift of forgiveness. Annika first mentioned that sometimes, the hardest obstacle that people face is forgiving themselves. Then Sarah shared the life of Paul, the man who persecuted and killed many Christians before he came to know Jesus.

She emphasized, “Imagine what would have happened if Paul was not able to forgive himself for killing Christians. We have some of the best books in the New Testament because of a man who forgave himself. And moved forward and didn’t look back. He stood on the Promises of God. He stood on what God said about him.”

The Story Of Paul

Then, she explained that Paul literally took the lives of God’s people, but still, God forgave him. Paul chose to accept, embrace, and believe in God’s forgiveness. At the same time, he also chose to walk in righteousness.

Sarah Villareal Talks About How Paul Chose To Forgive Himself

Faith on Fire. (Screenshot). (2024). The Gift of Forgiveness. Retrieved April 25, 2024: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woA53Hwy1xI

Furthermore, she highlighted, “If God can forgive him and lift him up to such a high place. Give him so much joy. Enough joy to be joyful in a prison cell writing letters to the church. Like that is who I want to emulate. That is how I want to be.”

God’s Forgiveness

Moreover, she shared that people’s stories were different. There would be instances where they would walk along the path of unrighteousness. However, one thing that wouldn’t change was the unwavering love of God.

Lastly, Annika stressed, “Paul is the perfect example that God’s forgiveness is limitless. There is nowhere that it won’t go. There’s no sin it won’t wipe clean… It’s not held by temporal, earthly circumstances or limitations or feelings.”

Watch the full video here.

Reference | Faith on Fire

Header Image: Faith on Fire. (Screenshot). (2024). The Gift of Forgiveness. Retrieved April 25, 2024: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woA53Hwy1xI

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Forgiving The Man Who Killed Their 5-Year-Old Son

by Le-Jovale Vallejo
written by Le-Jovale Vallejo

The Haleys lost their son while he was out playing. It was so tragic and unexpected that the couple was full of anger and pain. But God led them to forgive the man who killed their 5-year-old son.

The Accident

When Jack and Rene Haley’s oldest son, Austin, woke up on August 3, 2007, he was in a very serious mood. Austin, 5, and his younger brother Dalton, 2, went fishing at the pond behind Rene’s house later that same night with their dad. Austin bid goodbye to his parents, and they left.

“That morning he said, ‘Mama this is going to be a very bad day. Mama I’m going to miss you, Daddy, and Dalton so much.’ And he wept. I thought that maybe he had had a nightmare of some sort,” Rene recalled.

Later that day, Rene’s dad told her terrible news: Someone shot Austin in the head.

The Man Who Killed Couple’s 5-Year-Old Son

“What I’m feeling at that moment is just sheer anguish and anger,” Jack said. Rene recalled, “I had no idea how to even take that information. My mind could not comprehend it. Who shot my son!?”

When Austin arrived at the hospital, he was already declared dead. They also found out who had killed their son at that time. A neighbor called the police to report a snake in a birdhouse, and a new cop and his partner went to the scene. Two shots were fired at the snake by the rookie, and one of them hit Austin in the head.

READ: ACHIEVING ‘THE DREAM’ MADE HER FEEL EMPTY, UNTIL SHE ENCOUNTERED GOD’S LOVE

Rene couldn’t help but ask, “‘God, why did it have to happen to us? Why us? Why? Why didn’t you stop the bullet? Why didn’t you put a stop to what happened? I just didn’t understand.’”

Forgiving The Man Who Killed Their 5-Year-Old Son

After eight months, the Haleys went to court to hear the decision against the police officers charged with second-degree manslaughter. The judge said that both officers would have to take a class on how to handle snakes and have their certifications taken away. This was on top of the 90 days of community service they had already done. Still, this was very, extremely difficult for the parents who had lost their child.

At the back entrance of the building after the hearing, Jack and Renee ran into the person who killed their son. He suddenly fell to his knees and said, “Please forgive me, I did not mean to shoot your son.”

Restored

“His tears were streaming. What do we do at that moment? He shot and killed our son. And we have to make a decision right then,” Rene recalled. “I call out, ‘Oh God, please help me make this decision. What do we do?’ Immediately, I got this vision, a definite vision of Jesus hanging on the cross. There were tears draining from His cheeks like there were tears draining from mine. He said, ‘Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.’ And I knew just without a doubt in my mind I had to forgive.”

That was more than 15 years ago, on July 15, 2007. Since then, the Haleys have had two more children, Gabriel Jeremiah and Michaela Ruth, in addition to Dalton. They still miss their son very much. They all keep forgiving each other through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Reference: The 700 Club

Couple Struggles to Forgive Man Who Killed 5-Year-Old Son

Header image: 5-year-old Austin [The 700 Club]. YouTube, 10 March 2024, https://youtu.be/53KpbXP0SdI

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Forgiving his absent father testimony
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He Felt Like A Horrible Christian Until He Released Forgiveness To His Absent Father

by Christel Berns
written by Christel Berns

A man struggled with alcohol addiction despite knowing Jesus. He felt like a terrible Christian and considered himself a bad son to his Heavenly Father. However, he later realized that he had to forgive his absent father in order to break free from his struggle.

Absent Father

Hermes Giannis did not grow up with a father; he had only his mother to take care of him. As a young child, he saw baseball as a path to success, which became his identity. Consequently, he grew into an arrogant and cocky teenager. Soon, he began spending time with his older teammates who introduced him to smoking pot, drinking, and partying in bars. His grades eventually plummeted, he was expelled from the baseball team, and he lost his college scholarship.

The 700 Club. (Screenshot). (2024). Forgiving Absent Father Brought Healing, Retrieved March 26, 2024, from: https://youtu.be/3w0KANZagXs

At that point, Hermes’s life crumbled. He then turned to drinking alcohol to cope with the pain.

“I was literally drinking my life away, I was committing suicide slowly,” he recalled.

Then, one night, Hermes was involved in a car accident while driving drunk. He survived the terrible crash, and one of the Christian paramedics who rescued him said, “God saved your life. Nobody usually survives an accident like this.”

Hearing The Gospel

Hermes disregarded what the Christian man had told him and continued with his life. He persisted in his drinking and partying lifestyle even after recovering from the accident. However, one day, a friend invited him to church. That’s when he heard about Jesus for the first time. The pastor’s message resonated with him, especially when he preached about sin. What truly impacted him was when the pastor shared a word of knowledge at the end of his sermon, describing Hermes’s experiences over the past years. He realized it was about him.

Touched deeply, Hermes found himself crying and surrendered his life to Christ at that moment. Since then, he has been a Christian. It took eight years before he finally broke free from his alcohol addiction, realizing that he needed to forgive his earthly father.

Watch what happened in the video below.

Forgiving Absent Father Brought Healing

Reference | The 700 Club

Header Image: The 700 Club. (Screenshot). (2024). Forgiving Absent Father Brought Healing, Retrieved March 26, 2024, from: https://youtu.be/3w0KANZagXs

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Ben Foote Uncovers A Tough Truth About Unforgiveness
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Ben Foote Uncovers A Tough Truth About Unforgiveness

by Kriza Jo Tanduyan
written by Kriza Jo Tanduyan

Ben Foote revealed a hard truth about unforgiveness that Christians needed to be aware of.

Ben Foote

Teaching Pastor Ben Foote delivered a sermon about forgiveness at Flatirons Community Church. He revealed a harsh truth that people would face if they didn’t forgive. According to him, those who hurt others were not typically burdened by their mistakes. If they were, they would have tried to make amends. Instead, it was usually the victims who bore the burdens on their shoulders. They defined themselves by the pain of their past, often reliving the hurtful moments repeatedly.

He highlighted, “They already took something from us that cannot be undone and cannot be made right again. Why would we let them take more from us by continuing to just focus and let that moment dominate and control our thoughts and emotions?” Then, he encouraged the congregation to choose freedom through forgiveness, as Jesus taught. He reminded them that forgiveness doesn’t always require an apology. Sometimes, it didn’t even necessitate speaking to their offenders because it wasn’t a wise step.

Ben Foote Uncovers A Tough Truth About Unforgiveness

Flatirons Community Church. (Screenshot). (2024). Understanding of Forgiveness , Retrieved March 21, 2024 from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEujQzymkQo

Forgiveness

Furthermore, he shared that forgiveness was not about labeling a bad thing as good and permissible. He explained, “Forgiveness is about saying, ‘Even though what you did to me was wrong, I will not let it continue to dominate my spirit. I will not remain imprisoned by it, and so I forgive you.’” For him, forgiveness was about letting go of anger and bitterness so that people could freely receive hope and compassion.

Moreover, he emphasized that he only learned to forgive when he fixed his eyes on Jesus. The only way to forgive others was to remember how Jesus forgave him.

“Jesus is saying death to non- forgiveness. And He’s saying that it leads to a life of freedom. Because forgiveness has always been all about freedom,” he remarked.

Watch the full sermon here.

Reference | Flatirons Community Church

Header Image: Flatirons Community Church. (Screenshot). (2024). Understanding of Forgiveness , Retrieved March 21, 2024 from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEujQzymkQo

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An Amazing Illustration Of God’s Forgiveness And Grace Offered For All

by Christa
written by Christa

Cliffe Knechtle shared an amazing illustration of God’s forgiveness and grace offered to all human beings, regardless of what they have done.

God’s forgiveness and grace

In one interview, apologist Cliffe presented how God is so wonderful and no one is too far gone or too dirty for His mercy and grace. He recalled his experience ministering to a prison in Lawrence, Massachusetts, specifically to one inmate who was incarcerated due to sexual abuse against young boys.

Cliffe ministered to a man in protective custody because he used to kidnap boys and sexually assault and murder them. Other inmates questioned Cliffe about his decision to be with the man, but he only shared the kindness and mercy of God, which the man needed.

He said, “I know what he did. Pretty horrendous, grotesque, and evil. But he is still a human being, created image of God, and God offers him forgiveness, as horrible as that is.”

Moreover, Cliffe pointed out that not committing any crime doesn’t make one person superior to the one who has committed one. Everyone is in desperate need of God’s grace because everyone has sinned against God. And everyone needs the Savior who will save them from the death of their sins.

He said, “Now, there’s a part of me that doesn’t like that ’cause I’ve never kidnapped little boys, sexually molested and murdered them. So, I think I’m better. No, unfortunately, I’m not better. Because in my own sophisticated and erudite way, I have rebelled against God. I am in desperate need of God’s grace His forgiveness. And for me to look down on a guy like that and say, oh, you’re just so inferior. You’re just a piece of dirt. No, he’s a human being, created image of God.”

Cliffe’s story teaches us to be humble and to look at others and honor them as created in the image of God.

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Singer-Songwriter Brandon Heath Opens Up About Forgiving His Dad

by Le-Jovale Vallejo
written by Le-Jovale Vallejo

In this exclusive Healing Out Loud video, Brandon Heath talks about his battles with addiction and depression, as well as how forgiveness helped him on his path to recovery. He was able to forgive his father for his past actions and understood that forgiveness is a lifelong process.

Brandon Heath

When he was struggling, Brandon Heath began to withdraw from his loved ones. He stopped attending men’s groups and counseling sessions and didn’t open up to anyone.

“I started to turn to places on the internet that I knew that I shouldn’t go to,” he said. “Social media all of a sudden became this place where I would compare myself to other people. I was allowing myself to watch movies that were dark in content.”

Brandon Heath felt that he was going “dark.” He distanced himself from his wife and everybody else, and his secrets grew deeper.

“In early July, I confessed to my wife that I had been hiding and that I was not really feeling like myself anymore. So, we stayed up until the light came up. And called my best friends and told them that I just needed them. I needed help,” he said.

A Husband And A Father

Everyone listened to him and offered to help. He finally opened up to them about his struggles and vulnerably admitted that he wanted to focus on being a husband and a father rather than on his career. Additionally, he started attending therapy sessions.

READ | WOMAN SURVIVES FROM A RUPTURED CAROTID ANEURYSM; DOCTOR CALLS IT A MIRACLE

“One of the things that I realized with the help of a therapist is that I needed to forgive my dad. It’s hard to forgive someone who’s gone, who you can’t speak with,” he said.

Brandon’s dad married four times. As much as he loves him, he couldn’t deny the fact that he felt he wasn’t good enough for him.

“My core wound is not feeling good enough,” he said. “I’ve found that that has filled a little bit of a void, but it can’t fill the void that only God is really meant for. That He is the one that tells me my worth and who I am. I did forgive my dad when I was in college.”

Brandon Heath Talks About Forgiveness

Brandon Heath said that he had a misconception about forgiveness before. He thought it was a one-and-done kind of situation.

“I think maybe God is the only one-and-done forgiver out there,” he said. “Jesus is the one-and-done. For the rest of us, there is the ‘seven times 70 times.’ So I’ve learned that there is a reason that Jesus said that. Because for me, even though I’ve forgiven my dad and when he passed away, we were in a really great place.”

But even beyond his death, Brandon Heath said that he should forgive his dad over and over again.

“Some of the wounds that I’ve had as a kid are coming up in different ways. The best way through those wounds is just to say, ‘I know what this is. Dad, I forgive you. God, I know that you forgive me.’ And then to walk through that in light and in hope and know that there really is restoration on the other side of forgiveness,” he concluded.

Reference: 99.1 JOY FM

Wrestling to forgive someone? Listen to this.

Header image: Brandon Heath [99.1 JOY FM]. YouTube, 12 March 2023, https://youtu.be/cOav8po2iWA

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Forgiveness
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Pastor Tim Timberlake: “Forgiveness Does Not Change The Person That Hurt You’

by Christel Berns
written by Christel Berns

Senior Pastor Tim Timberlake of Celebration Church delivered a profound message on the topic of forgiveness, emphasizing that it “does not change the person who hurt you.” This message holds great significance as it may provide the encouragement and guidance that some Christians require to attain true freedom in their lives.

The Faith To Forgive By Pastor Tim Timberlake

In his message titled “The Faith to Forgive,” Pastor Tim Timberlake thoroughly explained the impact of forgiveness and unforgiveness on a believer. He emphasized the transformative power and liberation that accompany the act of choosing to forgive, as well as the potential dangers that unforgiveness can pose in someone’s life.

Forgiveness

Celebration Church. (Screenshot). (2023). The Faith To Forgive | Tim Timberlake, Retrieved January 23, 2024 from: https://youtu.be/Q4Xq7G9gLdA

During his sermon, the pastor made a powerful analogy, likening unforgiveness to “experiencing internal bleeding that no one else can see.” Pastor Tim highlighted the potential damage this hidden condition can have on a person’s heart, emphasizing how it can ultimately hinder the fulfillment of God-given destiny if left unresolved.

“Forgiveness is a reset button of an overcomer,” he remarked. “Forgiveness is when we press reset on our lives and don’t allow people that have impacted us in a traumatic way to hold us hostage to something that they did. If we continue to focus on the hurt or the impact, we will continue to suffer.”

Forgiveness Changes You

Then, he imparted advice to the church, encouraging them to shift their focus onto the lesson rather than constantly dwelling on and meditating on the pain. Pastor Tim clarified that even if one chooses to extend forgiveness, there is no guarantee that the other person will change. However, he emphasized that this act of forgiveness can bring freedom to one’s own heart.

“Forgiveness does not change the person that hurt you,” he said. “Forgiveness doesn’t change that person, forgiveness changes you.”

Furthermore, the 39-year-old explained that forgiveness does not require a person to forget. He dismissed the notion of the “forgive and forget” theory as an unrealistic expectation.

PASTOR VLAD SAVCHUK: ‘WE SLIP INTO BUSYNESS BUT LACK SPIRITUAL FRUITFULNESS’

“You don’t forget, but you do have the opportunity to forgive every time you remember,” he said. “There are some things in my life and there are some people in my life that every time I remember, I have to forgive them again.”

“Forgiveness is not a one-time fix all. It is a daily sacrifice that I have to implement so that I can receive what it is that God has for me. If I don’t put into practice forgiveness for those that have hurt me and those that impacted me in a negative way, then I hold myself hostage to a prison that God never intended for me to stay put in.”

Listen to Pastor Tim’s full message in the video below.

The Faith To Forgive | Tim Timberlake | Celebration Everywhere

Reference | Celebration Church

Header Image: Celebration Church. (Screenshot). (2023). The Faith To Forgive | Tim Timberlake, Retrieved January 23, 2024 from: https://youtu.be/Q4Xq7G9gLdA

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How To Know You Have Forgiven Someone According To Pastor Peter Tan-Chi

by Christa
written by Christa

A forgiving heart is one of the attributes of God that He desires His people to emulate. However, how can one truly claim to have forgiven someone? Pastor Peter Tan-Chi provides biblical insights into the telltale signs of genuine forgiveness.

How do you know you’ve forgiven someone?

According to Pastor Peter Tan-Chi, the founder of Christ’s Commission Fellowship (CCF), forgiveness is not merely a feeling but a conscious choice. It is not contingent upon one’s emotions or mood but rather a deliberate decision to embrace. Pastor Peter explains that a true indication of having completely forgiven someone is when you are genuinely willing to pray for them, despite the wrong they have done to you.

“You know you’ve forgiven the person if you are willing to pray for God to bless him. You’re willing to say, ‘Lord, You take care of this person.”

He continued, “You are willing to let him go. You are no longer always thinking about how to take revenge. You don’t gossip about him anymore.”

As Luke 6:27-28 says, “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who persecute you.”

However, the senior pastor emphasized that forgiving someone does not necessarily imply forgetting. He said, “You won’t have amnesia. You may still remember, but you don’t make it a habit of just rehearsing, ‘This is what he did, this is what he did.”

“But if you are still angry every time you think about it, and you keep thinking about it, you better check your heart,” he added.

But why does God require us to forgive? The Bible provides various reasons for this. One significant reason is that forgiving others is a prerequisite for receiving God’s forgiveness.

Mark 11:25 says, “And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”

Let us strive to emulate the act of forgiveness, just as Christ did.

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