Jesus commands: "Don't assume." He says it several ways: Don't assume you know what I'm going to say. Don't be surprised by what I say. Don't think like everybody else and assume that's right.

THREE TIMES JESUS SAID "DON'T ASSUME":

1. John 3 - Nicodemus: "Don't be surprised when I say you must be born ANŌTHEN" (from above OR again). Nicodemus heard "again." Jesus meant "from above."
2. Matthew 10: "Don't assume I came to bring peace. I came to bring a sword." Follow Him anyway—even if it brings division.
3. Matthew 5: "Don't misunderstand—I didn't come to abolish the Law. I came to accomplish its purpose."

THREE THINGS WE ASSUME:

1. WHAT WE'VE ALWAYS DONE IS RIGHT Mark 7: Pharisees got mad disciples didn't wash hands before eating. But the OT NEVER commanded this. Pharisees took a priest tradition and applied it to everyone, dividing people into "holy ones" and "sinners." Jesus called them HYPOCRITES. Yesterday's solutions become today's problems.

2. WE KNOW OTHERS' MOTIVATIONS Joshua 22: Two tribes built an altar. Israel prepared for WAR—assuming rebellion. But they TALKED first. Turns out it was a memorial, not for sacrifice. Israel assumed WRONG. Mind reading is NOT a spiritual gift.

3. INTELLIGENT PEOPLE AGREE WITH US Romans 12:2 - We're prone to GROUP THINK. We listen to people who agree until we're convinced everyone agrees. Paul says: Be TRANSFORMED. Let God change the way you think.

HOW TO AVOID ASSUMPTIONS:

1. Recognize mind reading is NOT a spiritual gift
2. Celebrate differences of opinion (Romans 14)
3. Believe the best of others until proven wrong (Romans 12:10)

BOTTOM LINE: Don't assume. TALK. COMMUNICATE.

Conversations may be awkward. Do them anyway.

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Jesus commands us: "Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us." Then He adds: "If you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins" (Matthew 6:14-15).

This is an incredibly dangerous prayer. If you harbor anger, if you choose not to forgive, you're literally saying to God: "I don't want you to forgive me either."

THE PROBLEM: WE'RE GETTING ANGRIER
Road rage is UP. Indiana ranks 3rd in the nation for fatal crashes from road rage. Shootings on roadways jumped from 9 in 2019 to 65 in 2021.
Anger at government: 70% of Americans are frustrated or angry (consistently since 2010).

Social media: "Rage bait" was Oxford's Word of the Year. Content designed to make you angry keeps you on the site longer. Studies show: more social media = more anger.

WHY WE'RE ANGRY: Fundamental Attribution Error
When YOU mess up: "Well, circumstances dictated..." When SOMEONE ELSE messes up: "That idiot! They're fundamentally flawed!"
We cut ourselves slack we're not willing to give others.

HOW TO FORGIVE:
Stop saying "I can't forgive" - That's a lie. You CHOOSE not to forgive. Forgiveness is a choice. So is anger.

Learn the difference between HURT and INJURY - Injury requires treatment. Hurt can be forgiven. Deal with injury appropriately, but recognize most offenses are hurt, not injury.

Forgiveness doesn't eliminate consequences - A thief can apologize, but legal consequences remain. Forgiveness doesn't erase effects.

Forgiveness benefits YOU, not them - If you choose anger, it consumes you. If you forgive, you're FREE from bondage to that offense.

Recognize how God has forgiven YOU - That slap on the cheek doesn't seem so big when you look at Jesus on the cross.

Choose to forgive DAILY - It's not one-time. Every day you can pick that offense back up. So every day, choose to forgive again.

BUT WAIT—Can We Rebuke AND Forgive?
Luke 17: "If another believer sins, rebuke that person. Then if there's repentance, forgive."

"Judge" has two meanings: (1) Come to a right decision, (2) Condemn. Jesus says don't CONDEMN. But DO judge (come to right decision). Rebuke the sin. Help them see what they did. Then FORGIVE.

BOTTOM LINE:
When something bad happens, DON'T choose anger. That's natural—but it's WRONG. When you choose anger, they get angrier, you get angrier, and it snowballs into a car-wrecking disaster.

Choose forgiveness. It's unnatural. It must be learned. But it sets YOU free.

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Jesus' disciples asked, "Lord, teach us to pray" (Luke 11:1-4). Jesus gave them a simple model: "Father, may your name be kept holy. May your kingdom come soon. Give us each day the food we need and forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. And don't let us yield to temptation."What strikes me about that prayer? It's SIMPLE. No flowery words. No "thee" and "thou." Just straightforward, everyday words, everyday needs. And it's SHORT—about 15 seconds.Prayer is simply a conversation with God, just like you'd talk to a friend.

WHY DID JESUS PRAY?

FIVE REASONS:
TO BUILD RELATIONSHIP - Luke 3: At Jesus' baptism, as He prayed, the Father said "You are my dearly loved Son." Do you just present a list of wants? Or build relationship?

FOR GUIDANCE - Four times Jesus spent ALL NIGHT in prayer before major decisions (choosing the 12, starting public ministry, Gethsemane). Are your big decisions informed by prayer?

TO GIVE THANKS - Luke 10: Jesus stopped mid-day to thank the Father. When you become aware of God's presence, do you stop and thank Him?

FOR PERSONAL STRENGTH - Gethsemane: Jesus was in such agony His sweat fell like drops of blood. An angel came and strengthened Him. When you need strength, do you pray?

FOR OTHERS—INCLUDING ENEMIES - Luke 6: "Pray for those who hurt you." Pray for everyone you contact. If they're not friendly, you DEFINITELY have something to pray for.

HOW SHOULD WE PRAY?
The Lord's Prayer is 15 seconds. It's just a conversation. In John's Gospel, it doesn't say Jesus "prayed" it says He "looked to heaven and said." That's prayer: talking to your friend.Jesus prayed FREQUENTLY but not always in scheduled blocks. The urge to talk to His Father came on Him, and He did it, sometimes in front of crowds, sometimes alone.

TRUE CONFESSION:
I struggle with extended prayer times. My mind wanders. But it hit me: Prayer is a CONVERSATION. I don't schedule times to talk to my wife. I see her and talk. The conversation lasts 3-4 minutes. An hour later, we do it again.That's what I do with God all day long. Driving, someone comes to mind, I pray. It's not a separate 15-minute block—it's CONSTANT.BUT WAIT—
Does that mean we shouldn't have 15-minute prayer times? Of course not! Jesus spent ALL NIGHT in prayer. We need BOTH: extended times AND constant conversation throughout the day. Be bold enough to stop and say, "May I pray for you right now?"FOUR QUESTIONS:
When and how do I pray to build my relationship with God? If you don't, start.

When and how do I pray for guidance and strength? I was taught I can do anything if I try hard enough. I can't. Neither can you. We ALL need strength.

When and how do I thank God? Keep a Thanksgiving journal. Write down what you thank God for. When you get depressed, open it up.

When and how do I pray for others? Friends, enemies—doesn't matter. Pray for those you can influence.

BOTTOM LINE: PRAY.Lord, teach us to pray like You prayed. We need You. We need that relationship. We need Your guidance, Your strength, Your empowerment to bless others.