Special Series: How Do You Forgive, What You Can't Forget - Question of Reflection

The everyday nature of receiving and giving forgiveness is as basic and essential as our daily need for food. Each day as we ask God, “Forgive us our sins,” we are admitting we are sinful and guilty. Sometimes we are guilty of the sin of not forgiving others, but the more we realize how much God has forgiven us and how he continues to forgive us, the more our hearts are softened over the things we might otherwise refuse to forgive. Forgiveness is a crucial issue for us, but it can be difficult. Forgiveness leads to forgiveness. Jesus is laying out a pattern: First we receive forgiveness from him and then we offer forgiveness to others. Jesus’ death to pay for our sins made it possible for us to be forgiven. The result is that, even as sinful people, we can also forgive others. That is why the Lord’s Prayer reminds us of both these things on a daily basis. We need to be forgiven. We need to forgive.

1. Have you received God’s forgiveness?

2. How has the forgiveness God freely offers you affected the way you think about forgiving others? If it hasn’t affected you, what might be blocking its impact?

3. Have you experienced forgiveness from others? If your answer is yes, list some things others have forgiven you for, both one-time events and repeated offenses. If your answer is no, what might be blocking your experience of being forgiven?

4. Have you had to forgive others? Describe a time when you forgave someone and its impact on your heart and the other person’s heart.

5. What are some ways that knowing how much God has forgiven you might change your perspective as you attempt to forgive others?

6. How can you identify what's stealing trust and vulnerability from your friendships? relationships?

7. How disempower the triggers hijacking your emotions?

8. How do you recognize things that blocks you from forgiving others daily?

9. Is forgiveness the foundation of our relationship with Christ? with family and loved one? with co-workers? with your neighbors?

10. How do you walk in the spirit of forgiveness?

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace" Ephesians 1:3-7 (NKJV).