“FORGIVE!”

Season: Jesus’ Sermon on the Mountain
Episode 7: “Forgive!”
Today’s Bible Bite: Matthew 6:14-15

Video Story:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtBjdIO4AnI (Veggie Tales – “God Wants Me to Forgive Them”)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cG_WLYUN_Hw (Douglas Talks – “Forgiveness”)

“Forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.” (Matthew 6:12, NLT)

God wants to forgive us. When we recognize that we’ve made a mistake and tell God that we’re sorry—really sorry—He forgives us, just like that, because of what Jesus has done for us! But there is one catch—God also wants us to forgive others. If we refuse to forgive others, every time we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we are literally asking God not to forgive us…Jesus told us that we should pray to be forgiven in the same way we forgive! When we refuse to forgive someone who has hurt us, we forget what it cost God to be able to forgive us—the death of Jesus. God gives His free gift of forgiveness to us and expects us to share that gift, just as we are to share His love, His mercy and His good news with everyone. God’s gifts aren’t to be selfishly hoarded; they are to gratefully shared with everyone.

Think about it...
• All of us make mistakes, but God will always forgive us when we’re sorry and ask Him to. Why will He?
• Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for sin. Who can receive God’s forgiveness?
• We can’t ever be good enough to go to heaven; we can only go there when we accept what Jesus has done for us. Why is it selfish not to tell others?
• Because we have experienced God’s free gift of forgiveness, we need to forgive others when they hurt us. What does Jesus warn us will happen if we refuse to?
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Prayer: Thank you, God, for allowing us to be forgiven and to become your children. Please help me follow your example and forgive others in the same way you forgave me. Help me to remember that it is not my job to judge others—that’s yours!