Offered
Forgiven – Part 2
October 9-10, 2021
Steve Tanner
Matthew 18:21-35 (p.749)
Series Memory Verse: “Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.”
Colossians 3:13 (p.904)
- Unforgiveness Makes Me Miserable.
- Remember how much you have been forgiven.
“’Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt.”
Matthew 18:33-34 (p.749)
“…be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:32 (p.897)
- Remove the option of revenge.
“Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt.” Matthew 18:27 (p.749)
“…Dear friends, never avenge yourselves. Leave that to God. For it is written, ‘I will take vengeance; I will repay those who deserve it,’ says the Lord.” Romans 12:19 (p.866)
“Love keeps no record of when it has been wronged.” 1 Corinthians 13:5 (p.878)
- Replace bitterness with blessing.
“But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment.”
Matthew 18:28 (p.749)
“Love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.” Luke 6:27b-28 (p.786)
- Repeat the process.
“Then Peter came to him and asked, ‘Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?’ ‘No!’ Jesus replied, ‘seventy times seven!’”
Matthew 18:21-22 (p.749)
“My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 (p.888)
My Next Step This Week:
_____ I will pray daily for God to show me who I need to forgive, and I will forgive them.
See also the Life Transformation Bible Discipleship Reading: Page A-74 “Forgiveness”
Discussion/Groups Guide
Weekend Talk of October 9/10, 2021
Forgiven – Part 2: Offered
Life Groups use this guide in their discussion and study of the Weekend Talk. Use this also as a discussion guide with your family and friends.
Find out more about Groups (in person and online) at alivechurch.com/groups.
Conversation Starters
- As a kid, did you ever fight with a friend and then you were playing with them again that same day? Why can kids do that but adults struggle to do so?
- We are fast approaching the time when we may watch Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. The story is one of repentance and restoration. Do you remember Marley’s chains and what they symbolized?
- Have you ever had a loan or debt canceled unexpectedly? What impact did it have on you?
Quick Review
Looking back at your Talk Notes, was there anything you heard in the service that stood out, challenged, or maybe even confused you?
Discussion Starters from the Weekend Talk
Refer to the Talk Notes and Bible verses from the Talk Notes.
This week’s One Thing: The key principle that Pastor Steve Tanner emphasized is:
Unforgiveness Makes Me Miserable.
Series Memory Verse: Colossians 3:13 (p.904)
- Have you experienced the misery of living in unforgiveness or holding a grudge?
- Steve cited a Mayo Clinic study that speaks to the negative impact of being an unforgiving person. What are some effects you have seen in yourself or others?
Steve challenged us to consider three actions we must take in order to begin to live on a foundation of forgiveness:
- Remember how much you have been forgiven. (Matthew 18:33-34 (p.749); Ephesians 4:32 (p.897))
- Why is it important to remember how much we’ve been forgiven?
- What does it mean to be tenderhearted?
- Have you experienced the feeling of “torture” by handing on to unforgiveness?
- Remove the option of revenge. (Matthew 18:27 (p.749); Romans 12:19 (p.868); 1 Corinthians 13:5 (p.878))
- Have you seen (or heard about) this in practice? Corrie Ten Boom is one example. Her sister, Betsy, died while they were in a Nazi concentration camp. Later she forgave the guard from the camp. Can you think of others?
- What are some practical things you can do INSTEAD of “keeping record” of wrongs?
- Replace bitterness with blessing. (Matthew 18:28 (p.749); Luke 6:27b-28 (p.786))
- When have you acted on Jesus’ words of Luke 6:27-28? How did it affect you?
- Steve said he often challenges people to pray for those with whom they have an issue. Have you ever done that?
- Pray within the Life Group – When the people of God agree on something and pray about it becomes a powerful weapon.
- Repeat the process. (Matthew 18:21-22 (p.749); 1 Corinthians 12:9 (p.888))
- What steps can/do you take to keep your “backpack” empty?
- When have you seen God’s grace work powerfully in your weakness?
Digging Deeper (usually to study on your own)
This week’s Next Step encourages us to pray. Here are some things that can help you go deeper in your time of prayer regarding forgiveness.
- Carrying the burden and bitterness of unforgiveness weighs on us. Read Matthew 11:28-30 (p.742) to be reminded of how much Jesus is here to not only lift our burden but to carry it for us. How can you live this in your Group?
- Read Galatians 6:2 (p.893). How does this encourage you? How does it challenge you?
- Pray through Psalm 103:1-12. Pause at every verse to thank God and ask for His power to help you live in forgiveness.
My Next Step This Week
- _____ I will pray daily for God to show me who I need to forgive, and I will forgive them.
Use the link on the app or the Connection Card at www.alivechurch.com/card.
Note: Page numbers are from the Alive Church Life Transformation Bible. It is the New Living Translation of the Bible, with many useful tools to help you better understand God’s Word, including our own Alive Church Life Transformation Discipleship Plan. They are available FREE. Let us know if you’d like to have one. We also have a Spanish and Kids Edition of the Bible.