StoneBridge Community Church
Forgiveness in a World of Disappointment
Pastor Jeff Cheadle
Locations & Times
StoneBridge Campus
4832 Cochran St, Simi Valley, CA 93063, USA
Saturday 5:30 PM
Sunday 7:00 AM
Sunday 9:00 AM
Sunday 10:30 AM
Online "Connection Card"
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The Text in Context
Bob Utley, "Matthew 6" From the series The First Christian Primer: Matthew.
https://bit.ly/2ctS1u8You can't be the me you want to be as long as you're haunted by past hurts, obsessed with old injuries, and insist on reliving them.
Forgiving Difficult People
"I allowed bitterness a seat at the table of my life…" —Brady Boyd, "Forgiving Difficult People— Is It Possible?" Outreach Magazine, July 5, 2017.
https://bit.ly/2IcR0pC1. Acknowledge…
1. Acknowledge your hurt.
9 Myths About Forgiveness
Carrie Dedrick, "9 Myths about Forgiveness That Fool the Best Christians," Crosswalk, February 15, 2017.
https://bit.ly/2Fq9fmFFor Reflection/Discussion: How is learning to forgive related to our becoming the people we want to be? Have you ever allowed an old hurt or injury to undermine your happiness? Why did you allow that to happen? Why is it important to acknowledge but not obsess over our hurts? Why do people assume that forgiving a sin means excusing that sin?
2. Consider…
2. Consider your options.
Spite Houses
"A spite house is a building constructed or substantially modified to irritate neighbors or any party with land stakes. Spite houses may create obstructions, such as blocking out light or blocking access to neighboring buildings, or can be flagrant symbols of defiance. Because long-term occupation is at best a secondary consideration, spite houses frequently sport strange and impractical structures…" —Article "Spite House" in Wikipedia.
https://bit.ly/2CDBSP3For Reflection/Discussion: What is the primary choice facing us when we have been hurt or injured by someone? What are your thoughts about Harry Havens, the man who decided to stay in bed for seven years because he felt hurt by something his wife had said to him? In what ways does refusing to forgive someone limit our freedom? How does forgiveness make us free?
3. Ask…
3. Ask God to forgive you.
For Reflection/Discussion: Spend some time here. In what ways does our unwillingness or inability to forgive another person reveal our own sin and our need to ask God for forgiveness? Forgiveness for what? Be specific. Read Matthew 18:21-35. How does Jesus' parable speak to you?
4. Choose…
4. Choose to forgive.
You will never feel like forgiving.
Forgiveness is a decision, followed by a process.
For Reflection/Discussion: What are your thoughts on the statement "You will never feel like forgiving"? If forgiveness isn't a feeling, what is it? How can you tell if you have truly forgiven someone? How can you tell if someone has truly forgiven you?
5. Quit…
5. Quit picking your wounds.
For Reflection/Discussion: Why do we obsess over old hurts and ancient injuries? How is rehashing old injuries like picking at a scab? What strategies have you developed to keep you from becoming focused or fixated on past hurts?
6. Trust
6. Trust the Lord to set things right.
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