The Power of Forgiveness

Discussion Questions:

1) Was there anything from the sermon or the passage that stuck out to you?

2) We often try to earn forgiveness through good deeds or making amends. This transactional approach to forgiveness is deeply ingrained in human nature and shapes how we view both giving and receiving forgiveness. What makes it challenging to accept forgiveness that comes without any requirements or conditions?

3) Our modern culture tends to reject the idea of inherent human brokenness. Instead, there's a strong emphasis on self-acceptance and viewing our desires and inclinations as fundamentally good and natural. How does acknowledging our fundamental brokenness actually lead to greater freedom than denying it?

4) When we see others struggling, our natural impulse is often to try to fix their problems through advice, solutions, or programs. We can feel pressure to have all the answers and make things better through our own efforts. What might change in our relationships if we focused on pointing people to God's restoration rather than trying to fix them ourselves?

5) Having received extraordinary forgiveness from God, we're called to extend that same kind of costly forgiveness to others. This often means absorbing the debt ourselves rather than demanding repayment. When has someone's unexpected forgiveness impacted you in a meaningful way?