Sermons found for the topic Forgiveness
Is Total Forgiveness Realistic? - Ephesians 4:29-32
A few days ago I received an e-mail with a comment about these sermons on forgiveness:Since you started this series, I have made some important discoveries in my life, but am enjoying it all the same. Maybe ‘enj More
How Can I Learn to Forgive? - Matthew 18:21-35
Here are some of the questions people asked about forgiveness: • What really is forgiveness? • How can one do it? • What does it do for the forgiver? • How do you find it in yourself to forg More
Unless You Forgive - Matthew 6:12
When we pray, “Forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors,” we are asking God to forgive our sins according to the same standard we have used in forgiving the sins of others. When you pray this prayer you are really saying, “O God, deal with me as I deal with other people.” More
Forgiveness: Healing the Hurt We Never Deserved - Matthew 18:21-35
This is the first sermon in a series I never planned to preach. The story of how it came to be starts in February when I spent a week preaching at Word of Life Florida. One day I ate lunch with George Theis, former ex More
The Year of Good Riddance - 2 Corinthians 2:5-11
Maybe we should make 2010 a Year of Good Riddance in which we say farewell to anger, bitterness, blaming, finger pointing, self-justification and a critical spirit, and ask God to grant us a fresh infusion of his grace in all of our relationships. More
When You Are Unfairly Accused - Matthew 5:11
You find out what you really believe when others mistreat you. Sometimes the real test of your faith is what you don’t do. More
Sleeping With the Enemy - Revelation 2:18-29
You can have the cheap thrills of the world and feel sick to your stomach the next morning. Or you can have Jesus now, a new life now, forgiveness now, real pleasure now, and you will one day rise to shine like the Morning Star. More
How Much Sin Will God Forgive? - Psalm 51
If God forgave David, he will certainly forgive you. If a murdering adulterer could find grace, there is hope for you and me. More
Why Christ Came - Luke 19:10
God has more grace in his heart than you have sin in your life. Jesus is a better Savior than you are a sinner. More
Press On! - Philippians 3:12-14
In the spiritual life, direction makes all the difference. True believers aren’t in heaven yet, but they aim their steps in that direction. More
The Church Christ Prefers - Revelation 3:7-13
Jesus wants his churches to be motivated by love, founded on the truth, strong under pressure, and unashamed of his name. More
A Desperate Man’s Desperate Prayer - Jonah 2
God will do whatever it takes to bring us to the place where we remember him. He’ll stop at nothing. Whatever it takes to get us on our knees is good for our spiritual growth. More
Dear Sarah: A Letter About Forgiveness at Christmastime
(A few days ago I received a letter that took over a month to finally reach me. It came from someone I have never met. Because of the unusual nature of the letter, I began to think about the question, “What does More
Letter From a Friend - Romans 15
To understand forgiveness, consider Jesus on the cross. In his dying moments He uttered words that still ring across the centuries: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Even as he said those words, the crowd laughed, mocked, cheered, jeered. They taunted him. When he died, the people who put him to death were quite pleased with themselves. No one seemed very sorry. No one said, “I was wrong. This is a mistake.” And yet he said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” That is precisely what we must say if we are going to follow Jesus. More
Unfading Glory - 2 Corinthians 3:7-11
You can have the fading glory of the law and all you’ll get for it is death and condemnation. Or you can come to Christ and you will have the unfading glory of life and righteousness forever. More
Rejoicing and Weeping - Romans 12:13-15
Here is God’s dream for every church. That through preaching the gospel men and women everywhere can experience the life-changing power of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. And to be the kind of place where, no matter what kind of week you’ve had, you can come in and say, “Ahh, I’ve made it.” More
Korazin: Knowing Too Much and Believing Too Little - Matthew 11:20-24
Don’t make the mistake of Korazin and take Jesus for granted. The day of grace comes to an end sooner or later. What will you say in the day of judgment if you have neglected the Son of God? More
Midnight Miracle - Luke 22:49-51
When Jesus is betrayed and arrested, Peter impulsively strikes with his sword to try to protect Him. Jesus rebukes Peter, heals Malchus’ ear and quietly submits, knowing that in the end, God’s will must be done. What should Peter have done? How does a follower of Christ react when all is lost? More
Why You Need Your Enemies and Your Enemies Need You—Part Two - Jeremiah 29:7
Our enemies are a gift from God. If we didnt need them He wouldnt send them. God has a beneficial purpose in sending enemies our way - to make us more like Christ. Therefore, the person we might consider an enemy is, in reality, our best friend. More
Choose Life! - Deuteronomy 30:19-20
Whoever occupies the Oval Office for the next four years will make decisions that will guide our nation far into the future. Which way will we go? How should we make up our minds? This sermon argues that we should “choose life” by taking our Christian convictions with us into the voting booth. More
What God Remembers That We Forget - Psalm 103:6-18
If you’re wondering what God thinks about you, let’s take a journey through Psalm 103 and discover seven liberating truths about God’s heart. These verses reveal that he shows mercy to those who don’t deserve it, he remembers that we are dust, and he links us with eternity by linking us with himself. More
The Blessed Benefits - Psalm 103:1-5
Many of us need to give God a “one-minute praising” for all his blessings. We’re sure good at telling the Lord what we want him to do for us. We need a good dose of Psalm 103 to wash out that complaining spirit and replace it with a heart of gratitude to the Lord. More
From Rahab to Jesus - Hebrews 11:31
God delights in saving notorious sinners. He proved it by saving Rahab, a prostitute in ancient Jericho whose faith saved her whole family. There is no pit so deep that the love of God is not deeper still. There is no sin so terrible that Jesus cannot forgive it. More
Father, Forgive Them
Here is part of an email from a friend:Do you have any suggestions for getting rid of bitterness? What do you do when you are dealing with a situation where you cannot go to the person and discuss the issue with them? More
Why You Need Your Enemies and Your Enemies Need You—Part One - Jeremiah 29:7
Our sovereign God allows enemies to enter our lives for our ultimate good. They are often people we are close to; family, people at work, or even in our church. Gods message to us is to love, bless, and pray for them. In doing this, He will bless us. We cannot be set free until we set them free to be blessed by the Lord. More
The Positive Power of Forgiveness: “I Believe in the Forgiveness of Sins” - Psalm 130:3-4
If you know a bit about church history, you know that before Martin Luther became the father of the Protestant Reformation, he was a Catholic priest. As part of his training, he spent years studying Greek, Hebrew, Lat More
In His Steps - 1 Peter 2:21-25
The Christian walk is synonymous with innocent suffering and pain, through which Christ our Lord suffered and died. He left us all an example of how to follow him in this. A Christian’s call to this behavior goes against the grain of his human tendencies: to suffer unjust treatment without retaliation, trusting only that God would be the judge of things ultimately. Jesus lived the sacrificial life to which he calls all his believers. It is a life that leads to the cross, and he has modeled how to live this sacrificial life for us. When we suffer unjustly, we share in a tiny portion of what happened to him. When we are mistreated, we are to turn the other check, bless those who curse us, and return good for evil. We are not to retaliate, not to threaten, not to get even. Jesus showed us how to live, and he showed us how to die. This response is a miracle in itself and is under girded and made possible only by the gift of grace from God. More
Forgiving the Unforgivable - Luke 23:34
Part one of a sermon series The seven last words of Christ - (The seven last words of Jesus) More
Faithful to the Fallen - Luke 22:31-32
Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers. Luke 22:31-32 This text gives us More
Forgiving the Unforgivable
The man called me on the phone and said, “Pastor Ray, could I come see you?” Then he told me his story. “My wife left me for another man and when she got tired of him, she decided to come back to me More
Did Mickey Mantle Go to Heaven? Why I Believe in the Forgiveness of Sin - Various
Like many others of my generation, Mickey Mantle was a household when I grew up. Back then, in the late fifties and early sixties, he was one of the most famous sports figures in America. Schoolboys by the millions More
SEVENTY TIMES SEVEN: HOW TO HANDLE ANGER AND BITTERNESS - MATTHEW 18:21-35
This is not the first itme I have preached this sermon at Northeast Bible Church. As a matter of fact, I have preached it twice before — the first time in the summer of 1983 and the second time in the summer of More
Forgiveness and the Lord's Prayer - Matthew 6:12
"Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors” (Matthew 6:12 KJV).The fifth petition of the Lord’s Prayer seems simple enough, but simple things can sometimes be very deep. Everyone agrees that this is a More
Healing the Hurts of the Past - Genesis 32-33
Which is more difficult? To forgive or to be forgiven? You could argue it either way.If you say it’s more difficult to forgive, you are right. When you forgive someone, you are doing at least two things: More
WMBI Easter Week Devotionals - Various
The Final Step: Blessing Your Enemies - Luke 6:27-36
"But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes More
On the Victory Side - 2 Corinthians 2:12-17
We are still the aroma of Christ to the saved and to the lost. Some believe and are saved. Others reject and are lost. That was true 2000 years ago, and it is still true today. More
Do Not Grieve the Spirit - Ephesians 4:29-32
It is so easy for us to be unkind and ungracious. Ephesians 4:29-32 shows us that we grieve the Holy Spirit first by rotten speech (v. 29) and second by rotten attitudes (v. 31). But these two things are not separate. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. We must stop making the Holy Spirit weep because of our unkind words and inner ugliness. Cry out to God for his help. Ask the Lord to open your eyes and see the uncleanness within. Pray for a fresh vision of Jesus dying for you. More
Marriage Conference - Various
Forgiving Without Repentance
FORGIVING WITHOUT REPENTANCE by Ray Pritchard After last Sunday's message, a friend sent the following e-mail: The sermon was a hard one for me this Sunday. Forgiving someone when they refuse to apologize is where I am struggling. I have been hurt too much. Tough! My friend is right. Forgiving is hard enough eve… More
Calvary in the Park: Faith/Hope/Love - Various
The Day God Died: “Crucified, Died” - Hebrews 9-10
The Apostles’ Creed contains four phrases that refer to the death of Jesus Christ:Crucified,Died,Buried,Descended into Hell. If you think about it, this seems redundant, especially in a Creed where the enti More
Overcoming Lingering Bitterness - Genesis 45
On Thursday morning, November 21, as the sun was peeking over the horizon in the port city of Sidon in southern Lebanon, Bonnie Penner Witherall was up early. On this day she was going to work at the prenatal clinic t More
Sinners in the Hands of a Merciful God - Romans 11:30-32
Earlier this week I received a copy of John Ensor’s book More
Repent! The Forgotten Doctrine of Salvation - Acts 17:30
In 1937 the American Tract Society sponsored a contest in which they offered a prize of $1,000 for the best new book written on one of the “essential evangelical doctrines of the Christian faith.” Sixty-on More
The Day Before the End of the World - 1 Peter 4:7-11
“The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one anoth More
What If - 1 Corinthians 15:12-20
This sermon reveals the four disastrous consequnces if the resurrection is not true. If Christ did not rise from the dead, our preaching has no purpose, our faith has no forgiveness, our death has no deliverance, and our service has no significance. More
Where Grace and Wrath Meet: What the Cross Meant to God - Romans 3:24-26
Easter comes in just six weeks. In order to prepare our hearts we are going to take the five weeks leading up to Palm Sunday to focus on the cross of Christ. I do not intend to repeat the details of what happened on G More
Does Israel Have a Future? - Romans 11:25-26
This sermon argues that the term Israel in Romans 11 always refers to ethnic Israel and that Paul foresees a day when Israel as a nation will come to Christ for salvation. Events in the Middle East remind us that Jesus Christ may come back sooner than we think. More
What Happened to Judas? The Man Who Kissed the Door of Heaven But Went to Hell - Acts 1:15-26
"Woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born." Mark 14:21b“If you are not born again, the day will come when you will wish you had never been born at all." Warr More
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Should I mention all my sins?
I was hurt very badly by my best friend from church. I was devastated and couldn’t believe she did this to me after the time we spent together and how close we had become. We were like sisters. I am one who needs to talk things out, so I frequently discussed this with some of my family members who also go to church with us in order to sort it out. I was trying to figure out how she could do this to me. This went on for about a year. I admit out of unforgiveness (anger and resentment), I said and felt some pretty bad things toward my friend. I listened to your teaching on forgiveness. It really helped me and I have since forgiven her and even apologized to her for everything that happened between us and for the way I handled things. In my apology, I did not specifically name that I had said things or felt bad toward her. I realize it was because of the unforgiveness, but it bothers me. Am I being picky and worrying about it needlessly. Or do I need to name that specifically to her and ask her forgiveness for that? This has been sort of an ongoing issue between us and I don’t want to keep it going, you know? Seems like we just can’t get on the same page. Everything is alright between us now. No grudges, no cold shoulders, etc. I’m just bothered because I didn’t specifically mention in my apology that I said things about her before I forgave her. What should I do? Thanks for your time.
The Unforgiving Christian
Jesus taught that if we don’t forgive others God won’t forgive us. Does this mean a person who is a Christian will lose his salvation if he refuses to forgive someone?
Forgiveness and the Christian
Could you articulate a good way of explaining this: When we are justified when we receive Christ, all our sins are forgiven—past, present, and future. So, when we sin after receiving Christ, do we really “ask for forgiveness", are we simply confessing sin, or what is it that we do as those already in a state of forgiveness? Thanks!
We Choose Not to Remember
I hear people say, “If you haven’t forgotten, you haven’t forgiven.” Is that true?

RELATED BOOK
The Healing Power of Forgiveness
When we learn to forgive in the way
God - the Supreme Forgiver - forgives,
then well know true freedom, peace,
and emotional healing




