SPEAKER: Assoc. Pastor Wa;;y Kocher

The sermon Button Pushers explores how God uses difficult people—those who know how to “push our buttons”—to shape our spiritual growth. Drawing from Daniel Miller’s book When Others Make Your Life Difficult, the message emphasizes that these challenging relationships are not interruptions but opportunities. The sermon focuses on three themes: Actions of Peace, Reciprocating Mercy, and Forgiveness. Peace is described not as the absence of conflict but the presence of Christ within it, requiring believers to take initiative in reconciliation, speak truth in love, and absorb wrongs without retaliation. Biblical examples such as Abraham, Joseph, and Jesus illustrate the power of peacemaking to bring healing and reflect God’s character.

The second half stresses mercy and forgiveness as essential marks of discipleship. Stories such as Corrie ten Boom’s forgiveness of a Nazi guard and Stephen’s prayer for his executioners highlight mercy and forgiveness that go beyond human strength. Forgiveness is shown not as excusing sin or erasing consequences but as releasing the debt and freeing ourselves from bitterness. The conclusion compares God’s refining work in relationships to gold tested in fire, urging listeners to embrace trials as invitations into deeper Christlikeness. Practical challenges are given: take one action of peace, extend one act of mercy, and take one step of forgiveness in the coming days.