Redemption, Reconciliation, and the Ministry of Peace

In this message Pastor Troy Smothermon urges us to follow the Bible’s way of handling offense by pursuing reconciliation, expressing expectations, and forgiving even without an apology. Drawing from James 5 he teaches that those who need healing should actively seek prayer and that faith is often built through persistent pursuit—asking, seeking, and knocking without quitting—illustrated by biblical examples like the woman with the issue of blood, blind Bartimaeus, and the persistent widow. The sermon then explains redemption as Jesus paying the price for sin and reconciliation as Jesus making peace and restoring relationship with God, giving believers the ministry and word of reconciliation. Using the prodigal son story, it emphasizes repentance, God’s welcoming mercy, and the call to forgive others, intercede for them, and live as witnesses.