LETTING GO OF WHAT WON’T LET GO OF YOU
Unfinished Business – Part 3
Springcreek Church | Pastor Keith Stewart
November 19, 2023
#realspringcreekchurch #unfinishedbusiness #lettinggo #stuck
https://www.springcreekchurch.org/
If you’ve struggled with the idea of forgiving those who’ve hurt you in the past, you’re not alone. But the primary reason we stay stuck in unforgiveness has to do with erroneous understandings of what it means to forgive. This message will separate fact from fiction but more importantly, free you up to release a past you’re powerless to change in order to move into the future untethered from those who hurt you most. Don’t miss this liberating conclusion to our series on Unfinished Business.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Pastor Keith shared four myths that are popularly believed in regard to forgiveness but are untrue.
- MYTH: Forgiveness releases offenders from consequences
- MYTH: Forgiveness means to invite new injury on top of the old
- MYTH: Forgiveness requires reconciliation
- MYTH: Forgiveness and forgetting are synonymous
Have any of these myths ever been something you believed? If so, which one(s)? Why do you think people believe these myths? What did you learn today that helped dispel these myths? Of all the myths, the one that has become most prevalent is the last one that equates forgiveness with forgetting. Why is this not true? Why is it not true even of God? Some things are literally impossible to ever forget, what do we do instead of forgetting that is helpful?
2. Forgiveness is a process we commit to. It’s never just a matter of saying the right words or a singular moment in time. Instead, every time a past injury, hurt or injustice comes to mind, we should use that as an opportunity to do something other than dwell on it. Pastor Keith suggested a couple of things, maybe you can think of a few others. What might we do instead of reinforcing the hurt through more stewing or rehearsal of the painful event?
3. Corrie Ten Boom is a holocaust survivor and one with a lot of first-hand experience when it comes to having something to forgive and needing help to do that. What stood out most to you about her story? What did you find most helpful from her perspective? How can you apply the things she learned to your story in order to deepen your own experience of forgiveness?
4. What was your biggest takeaway from today’s message? How does that apply personally to you or to someone you care about? How has unforgiveness been a problem for you in the past? How were you able to get past your unwillingness to forgive OR if you are still there, based on the things Pastor Keith shared today, what’s your next step?
5. Take some time to share with one another in your group what it means to you personally to be forgiven by God. How does your own experience of forgiveness translate over into forgiving others who have sinned against you?