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TITLE: The Path to Forgiveness

TEXT: Matthew 6:14-15
PROPOSITION: We must learn how to forgive others.
QUESTION: What?
KEY WORD: Myths
SCRIPTURE READING: Same


INTRODUCTION:

  1. Forgiveness is a HUGE topic

  2. 3 levels of forgiveness

    1. Between individual and God

    2. Between two individuals

    3. Within ourselves

  3. We often are not as forgiving as we should be

  4. This sermon will focus on forgiving each other


Illustration to get us started

  1. Parents got a call – son hit and killed by drunk driver

  2. Visited the convicted drunk in jail

  3. Taught – cried – forgave – baptized

  4. Appealed to have sentence reduced

  5. Traveled together to schools to speak about drunk driving

  6. Question: Would you have been able to do that?


What Forgiveness is NOT:

  1. Forgetting

  2. Condoning

  3. Absolution

  4. Form of self-sacrifice

  5. Sign of weakness


What Forgiveness IS:

  1. Form of realism

  2. Sign of positive self-esteem

  3. Letting go of guilt

  4. No longer wanting to punish those who hurt us

  5. Moving on


Conclusion:

  1. Dr. Sidney Simon, “How to Make Peace with Your Past and Get On With Your Life”

  2. “You forgive so that you can Finally get rid of the excess baggage that has been weighing you down and holding you back; so that you can be free to do and be whatever you decide instead of stumbling along according to the script of painful past experiences wrote for you.”

  3. Is there someone you need to forgive?

  4. Bottom Line – You can't go to heaven until you learn to forgive.




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