This document discusses the importance and process of forgiveness. It notes that unforgiveness does more harm to the person holding the grudge than the offender. While forgiveness is difficult, it is a spiritual command and essential for emotional well-being and growth. The document outlines common misconceptions about forgiveness and explains that forgiveness does not condone wrong behavior, forget what happened, or restore trust, but rather allows people to move forward and prevents bitterness.

3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLz096xGSV8

4. MATTHEW 18: 21-35
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VUCK2MZty4

5. What is
unforgiveness/forgiveness
?
To err is human, to forgive is divine
Alexanda Pope

6. What happens to us
whenever we are hurt?
e.g from close friends, relations

7. Hard facts about unforgiveness
Life offers us plenty of opportunities to feel unforgiving.
Lack of forgiveness does more damage to us than to
the offender.
We want the person who wronged us to suffer. Those
negative feelings war against the love and
compassion that should characterize us as Christians,
and we hinder our own spiritual growth.
Ephesians 4: 26-27, 31

8. Why do we find it hard
to forgive?
The story of Joseph

9. Misconceptions
•It is NOT Condoning the Behaviour
•It is NOT Forgetting What Happened
•It is NOT Restoring Trust in the Person
•It is NOT Agreeing to Reconcile
•It is NOT Doing the Person a Favour
•It is NOT Easy
•It doesn’t guarantee change in the person
Matthew 18: 21-22

10. IMPORTANCE OF FORGIVENESS
•It is a command – Matthew 6:14-15
•It is at the core of emotional well-being
•We carry unnecessary stress and burden – rage and
depression that leads to obsessive behaviours - drinking,
smoking
•we grow hardened, untrusting, sour, and bitter. We
become vengeful
•It keeps us from moving forward
•We must admit we are also not perfect
•It is the very essence of our faith

11. UNFORGIVENESS
•It shows we really don’t love Christ
•Prevents God from forgiving us our own sins Mat 6:15
•It opens us up to the enemy
•It blocks God from answering our prayers Mark 11:24-25
•It defiles us – Heb 12:15
•It gives satan an advantage 2 Corinthains 2: 10-11
•It can make a man lose heaven

12. Vengeance is the Lord’s…only
if we allow Him!
Romans 12:19
Proverbs 24:17
Matthew 5:44-45

13. It is blessed to FORGIVE
The forgiveness process: How to forgive
•First choose to do so!
•Acceptance of the
•We conquer things by going through them
•Pray for them, call them, send texts
•Ask for grace from God to let go.

14. The key to forgiveness is to
grow in God’s love

15. 13:12:12
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