Forgiveness is a foundational characteristic of God’s kingdom. We understand this easily when we consider our own forgiveness, but how often do we recognize this is also true of our forgiving one another? This month, we seek to respond to God’s invitation to forgive as we have been forgiven.
Week 1: Surrendering Our Right to Get Even
We began our journey exploring the parable of the unmerciful servant in Matthew 18. Jesus teaches us in this parable how radical forgiveness is a fundamental characteristic of God’s kingdom.
Kingdom Practice
This month, we are responding to God’s invitation to forgive as we have been forgiven. Let’s continue to reflect and seek to join God’s kingdom work. If there is a wound that has been significant in your life, will you allow yourself to walk with Jesus in Smede’s stages of forgiving (Rediscovering the humanity of the one who hurt us, surrendering our right to get even, and revising our feelings toward the one we forgive)? If no significant wound comes to mind, how might you approach this week seeking to join God’s work of forgiveness in smaller ways in the midst of every day offenses?
Week 2: Received When Given Away
This week, Father Michael continued our examination of Christ’s teaching on forgiveness as we considered Matthew 6:14-15. Father Michael reminded us that unforgiveness restricts the flow of grace into our lives and invited us to “receive the forgiveness and grace only God can bestow, received when given away.”
Kingdom Practice
This week, let’s continue to walk in the journey of forgiveness whether that is in smaller, everyday hurts or larger, more significant wounds. If you found it helpful, you may return to the practice Father Michael guided. You can find the guided practice in a specific podcast episode below.
Week 3: Cutting Ties with the Hurt
This week, Casey Tygrett invited us to consider how Mark 11:25 invites us to cut our connection to the anger, disappointment, and hurt we so often hold onto that holds us back from a fruit-filled kingdom life.
Kingdom Practice
This week, let’s continue to walk in the journey of forgiveness whether that is in smaller, everyday hurts or larger, more significant wounds. If any of the practices we engaged in this series were helpful, perhaps you might return to them as you seek to walk in the process of forgiveness.
Additional Resources
Books
The Art of Forgiving by Lewis Smedes
Forgive and Forget by Lewis Smedes
The Sunflower by Simon Wiesenthal
Don’t Forgive Too Soon by Matthew Linn and Sheila Fabricant Linn
The Book of Forgiving by Desmond Tutu
The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom
Songs
Tasting Forgiveness by Robbie Seay Band
Other Resources
Keys for Prayer Ministers: Forgiveness an article by Norma Daering
How to Release Resentment an article by Nathan Foster
Give Me Your Forgiveness an excerpt from The Hiding Place
A Practice for Freedom and Forgiveness from Conversatio
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