Hello, and thanks for joining us today on Pastor Rick's Daily Hope.

This is the Bible teaching ministry of Rick Warren, and today we are continuing in a series

called The Miracle of Mercy.

Rick will show us how God's mercy can lift your guilt, heal your wounds, and transform the

way you live.

So let's take a listen to part one of a message called showing mercy to your family.

You know, the sad fact is sometimes the hardest place to show mercy is at home with the people

you live with all the time. In fact, we're often harder on ourselves, harder

on our spouse, harder on our children than we are on total strangers. What's wrong with

that picture? That often we are more ungracious to our own family than we are to total

strangers. Have you noticed this? You could be in a

major argument in your home. And I mean it's a knock down, drag out fight, and the phone rings,

and you're at the top of your voice, you pick up the phone, and you pick up the phone,

hello? What just happened? So wait a minute, you could control your anger for a stranger, but you couldn't with somebody

you're having a conflict with. We are often harder on our spouse, on our kids than on anybody

else. I'm not proud to admit this. I don't like this.

But it bothers me.

I don't know if it bothers you.

It bothers me that sometimes we say the most ungracious things to those we love the most.

Does that bother anybody else?

Does that bother you that you can be the angriest or even the meanest to the people in your life you love the most?

Maybe you can identify with what David said.

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