Series: Don’t Take The Bait / Week 3 (9/27-10/4)

ICEBREAKER

What is something completely insignificant that you have a ridiculously hard time letting go of?

Maybe someone changed the thermostat, ate the leftovers you were saving, moved something you had put in the perfect spot, beat you at a game, or proved you wrong about something you were sure you were right about.

TRANSITION

Throughout this series, we've learned how easily offense can become a trap. But what happens when the offense isn't something small that we can simply step over? What do we do with the hurts that genuinely changed us?

This week’s message gives us the key: FORGIVENESS IS THE KEY THAT UNLOCKS YOU FROM THE TRAP OF AN OFFENSE.

DISCUSS

READ Ephesians 4:31–32
“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

1. Why do you think Paul connects getting rid of bitterness with forgiveness? What can happen when an offense is allowed to remain in our hearts?

2. The message says, “Forgiveness is the key that unlocks you from the trap of an offense.” Why can forgiveness sometimes feel harder than staying angry?

READ Matthew 18:21–22
“Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.’”

3. Why do you think Jesus refuses to put a limit on forgiveness?

4. Jesus tells the story of a servant whose enormous debt was completely forgiven, but that same servant refused to forgive someone who owed him much less. Why is remembering how much God has forgiven us so important when we're struggling to forgive someone else?

5. The message gives us several misconceptions about forgiveness. Which one do you think people struggle with most?
· Forgiveness is NOT saying what happened was okay.

· Forgiveness is NOT a feeling.

· Forgiveness is NOT forgetting or ignoring.

· Forgiveness is NOT the same as trust.

· Forgiveness is NOT dependent on someone saying, “I'm sorry.”

READ Matthew 18:15
“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.”

6. Why is going directly to someone often harder than talking about them to someone else?

GET PRACTICAL:

6. “Forgiveness isn't a feeling. It's a decision.” Why is that distinction important?

7. How might waiting until we feel like forgiving keep us trapped?

8. The message says forgiveness and trust are two different things: forgiveness can happen in a moment, while trust often happens over time. How can understanding that difference make forgiveness easier?'

READ Romans 5:8
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

9. God didn't wait for us to get everything right before He moved toward us. How should the grace we've received from Jesus influence the grace we're willing to extend to others?

10. The message defines biblical forgiveness as “to release—to let it go.” What might it look like to say, “What you did wasn't okay, but I'm releasing the debt. You don't owe me anymore”?

PRAYER

“Jesus, what happened wasn't okay, but I don't want to carry it anymore. Just as You have forgiven me, help me forgive. I release this offense to You, and I choose freedom.”