Living Beyond Offense: Doing the Hard Work of Forgiveness God's Way - Paperback

by Yana Jenay Conner (Author), Elizabeth Woodson (Foreword by)

"Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." Ephesians 4:31-32

In a broken world with fallen people, we have all experienced the pain of offense. Though we have been forgiven through Christ, extending that same mercy to those who have wronged us can still feel difficult. How do we move through the pains of abandonment, betrayal, and abuse to obey Jesus' command to forgive?

Living Beyond Offense explores Jesus' teachings about forgiveness--what it is, how to do it, and what you gain when you put it into practice. Bringing together theology, Scripture, and pieces of her own life story, Yana Conner helps you

• honestly acknowledge and grieve the pain and loss that often comes with offense
• replace faulty cultural ideas about forgiveness with a biblical perspective centered on Jesus' teachings
• resolve conflicts by applying best practices for communicating your hurt to others
• thoughtfully engage in the work of forgiveness and, when possible, pursue reconciliation

Forgiveness is hard work, but with God's help, it's possible and worth it. Despite the pain you have experienced, you can live beyond offense and learn to trust again.

Author Biography

Yana Jenay Conner (MDiv, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary) is a writer and Bible teacher who seeks to help others think well about faith and culture. By God's grace, she has served in full-time ministry for 15 years and currently serves as the adult ministry director at Vertical Church in Hillsborough, North Carolina, where she creates disciple-making communities and develops leaders for transformative ministry.