Forgiven People Forgive People

<p>Key Points</p><p>Forgiven people forgive people.</p><p>Gratitude for our own forgiveness is the fuel for extending it to others.</p><p>The woman with the alabaster flask loved much because she had been forgiven much.</p><p>Taking forgiveness for granted produces little love; deep gratitude produces deep love.</p><p>Unforgiveness is a self-made prison that tortures the one who refuses to release the debt.</p><p>Jesus calls us to forgive not seven times, but seventy-seven (or seventy times seven) times; that’s radical, ongoing forgiveness.</p><p>Bitterness is a root that defiles many and gives the enemy a foothold.</p><p>We cannot be un-saved by unforgiveness, but we can live in torment and lose our freedom and joy.</p><p>Forgiveness does not mean forgetting what happened; it means releasing the person and bearing the cost ourselves, just as Jesus did.</p><p><br></p><p>Discussion</p><p>Pastor Bob said we either take forgiveness for granted or receive it with gratitude. Which one more accurately describes your current posture toward God’s forgiveness of you?</p><p>The sinful woman “loved much” because she had been forgiven much. How does remembering the depth of your own forgiveness change the way you view people who have hurt you?</p><p>In the parable of the unforgiving servant, the man who was forgiven a massive debt refused to forgive a tiny one. Where might you be holding on to a “small” debt while forgetting the enormous one Jesus canceled for you?</p><p>Jesus said the Heavenly Father will treat us the same way if we do not forgive from the heart. What does “from the heart” forgiveness look like in practical terms?</p><p>Have you ever experienced the “prison” or “torture” of bitterness and unforgiveness? What helped (or is helping) you get free?</p><p>Hebrews 12 warns that a root of bitterness can defile many. How have you seen unforgiveness spread and affect relationships beyond just the two people involved?</p><p>Is there anyone the Holy Spirit is bringing to mind right now whom you need to forgive, or ask forgiveness from? What is one step you can take this week?</p>