Forgiveness - Week 5
INTRODUCTION
Open in prayer, and then read this passage of Scripture with your Group. Jesus said:
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Colossians 3:12-14
MAIN IDEA
Let’s face it. People are rotten. They do selfish things that hurt others, and they even sometimes self-destruct which also hurts other people. If there’s one thing we can count on, it’s that we’re going to experience pain due to the bad behavior of others. But here’s the catch – we’re people too.
Our ability to forgive others begins with our understanding of what it took to buy our forgiveness. What Jesus did for us on the cross – the overflow of His mercy on us gives us the ability to extend forgiveness to others. Jesus talked often about the power and need for forgiveness. The command to forgive is not meant to condone or minimize what may have been done to us. We weren’t created to be a doormat. But forgiveness is designed for us – so that we can be healed and find freedom from what was done.
Forgiveness moves in three directions:
- We need to be forgiven.
- We need to forgive ourselves.
- We need to forgive others.
That’s the cycle of forgiveness, and our discussion today will touch on all three areas.
DISCUSSION
- What is your usual response when someone hurts you?
- How does recognizing your need for forgiveness change the way you view yourself and others?
- Why do you think forgiving yourself can be more difficult than forgiving others?
- How do you handle recurring thoughts of past failures, even after you've forgiven yourself?
- What is one “open wound” you could share with the Group that needs to be forgiven?
MONDAY TEST
- Remember! Before you pick up an offense, take a moment to remind yourself of the decisions and actions you have chosen that brought hurt to someone else. Remember that you are forgiven, so now you can forgive. Ephesians 4:32
- Relinquish the right to get even! Instead of settling the score, leave vengeance to the Lord. Choose the way of mercy and peace over the impulse to get even. Romans 12:19
- Apologize! We all have an outstanding record of poor behavior with someone in our lives. What better time to reach out, and extend a contrite and authentic apology? Psalm 51:17
THIS WEEK’S PRAYER
Thank You, God, for forgiving me every time I did or said things I wasn’t created to say or do. Because of that, I now have the capacity and faith to forgive others. Fill me with Your mercy so that I can always remember Your sacrifice and relinquish the desire to get even. Help me to identify every area in my life where I need to extend forgiveness, and remind me to own and apologize for the hurt I’ve caused others. I surrender it all to You, and trust You with my healing. In Jesus’ mighty name I pray. Amen.
LEADER TIP
As you wrap up this final week of the series, it’s a great time to encourage your Group to take their next step by leading a Connect Group. They can sign up to lead at https://thechapel.cc/groups/.