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Key Bible Verse: "Where two or three gather together because they are mine, I am there among them" (Matthew 18:20). Bonus Reading: Matthew 18:15-22

Evangelist Sammy Tippet grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Four courageous African-American girls endured humiliation to attend his all-white high school. One lunch hour, more than 100 students surrounded one of the girls, screaming racial slurs at her. Sammy didn't participate, but did nothing to stop this harassment.

After Sammy's conversion, he began praying for a chance to apologize for his cowardice to these girls—now probably married and scattered. But how to find them?

The Tippet family moved to San Antonio and, 21 years later, Sammy enrolled in a CPR class. "If you don't understand my accent," the African-American teacher began, "it's because I grew up in Baton Rouge." After class, Sammy approached her. She was one of those girls! He begged forgiveness for how she'd been treated.

"I accept your apology," she responded. "Most importantly, God accepts your apology. Thank you for speaking up now. The sadness I felt turned to joy, knowing there are people like you, lovers of God, making this right."

Jesus spoke [today's Key Bible Verse] in the context of reconciliation. Sammy's prayer was answered because God is in the reconciliation business.

—Erwin Lutzer in When You've Been Wronged

My Response: A wrong I need to pray about righting is ____.

Thought to Apply: Racial reconciliation is one of the best roads to humility we can take because of the opportunity to die to self. —Glen Kehrein

Adapted from When You've Been Wronged (Moody, 2007) by permission.

Copyright © 2008 by the author or Christianity Today International/Men of Integrity magazine.
Click here for reprint information on Men of Integrity.

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Prayer for the Week

I need Your courage, Lord, to bypass my pride, engage the one with whom I'm on the outs, probe for the root of our misunderstanding, and experience healing.

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