Follow Along with the Message

I Believe in God, but Won't Forgive

Pastor Tom Lundeen

This all-church spiritual journey is all about understanding what it looks like to be a Christian Atheist, which sounds like a  contradiction until you unpack its meaning and realize it's a real issue in the lives of millions of people today...

A Christian Atheist is someone who  some kind of belief in God, but lives their life as if God doesn't exist.

Note Titus 1:16a

1. Forgiving Others is a  to God

Note Matthew 6:12; 18:21-22, 23-25; John 21:15; Luke 23:34a

Forgiving others is  something God tells us Jesus follower to do (note Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:13).

And Hebrews 12:14-15 adds an  to forgiving others. 

Forgiving others should never be  to only a doctrinal question to debate. 

2. Forgiving Others Makes it Possible for Us to  the  of Faith (note Hebrews 12:1) 

Note Hebrews 12:1-15

Following Jesus is a race...not a short , but a long-distance race. 

And one of the biggest  for you and me when it comes to following Jesus is forgiving others. 

It doesn't matter who you are, sometime in your life you will be , disappointed, or frustrated by someone. 

You'll be hurt both intentionally and unintentionally by those who recognize what they've done and by those who are . 

Unforgiveness becomes a sin that easily trips us up in our race; it can  us emotionally and spiritually.

Note Hebrews 12:7-11

...unforgiveness can  and weaken our lives and relationship with Jesus. 

Doing forgiveness also puts us on the right course for . 

Note Hebrews 12:14

Forgiveness makes us . 

3. Forgiveness Rescues Us from  

Unforgiveness soon  into bitterness. 

God's  and bitterness don't work together (note Hebrews 12:15).

Bitterness takes us into dark and  places. 

Resentment clouds our vision and we embrace the  of holding grudges. 

Feelings of hostility become our daily companion and we  about how to settle the score with someone who hurt us because bitterness pushes us towards justifying . 

To be consumed by bitterness is to always live in the  of life, to no longer enjoy the warmth and brightness of life forgiveness produces...

Bitterness profoundly  our lives and damages us spiritually, emotionally, socially, and physically. 

Note Ephesians 4:31-32

We get rid of bitterness through the power of God's grace through the  of forgiveness. 

Making every effort to forgive people is God's  for the cancer of bitterness...

...it is so crucial because if we allow bitterness to build up in our hearts, it ends up choking our heart for God and our love for people until our heart just  up. 

Embracing God's grace dissipates bitterness and helps us develop relationships that are both whole and . 

So are you sure?:

• What's the next step God wants you to take when it comes to forgiveness?
• First step = You need to be forgiven by God (forgiven people  people).
• What is God urging you to do in forgiving someone else who's hurt you? 
• What next step is God speaking to you about to deal with bitterness? 

Tell someone about the next step you took today in your spiritual journey! Let us know, too, and fill out our digital connect card and fully engage in this all-church spiritual journey.