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LIFE GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE Wednesday Night, January 14, 2004 “The Transforming Power of Forgiveness” 5 Minutes Welcome & Prayer 10 Minutes OPEN How do you define grace? What do you first think about when you try to define grace? Consider this acronym for grace - God's Riches at Christ's Expense.
Does this acronym help you define grace?
The title of our study tonight is "The Transforming Power of Forgiveness." Why is forgiveness so transforming? In what ways does forgiveness transform people? Even more personal, how has forgiveness transformed you? What are some passages of Scripture that witness about this power? 15-20 Minutes DIG In 1944, a mortally wounded German SS officer named Karl who had committed many atrocities against Jews asked Simon Wiesenthal, a Jewish prisoner, for forgiveness so he could die in peace. Wiesenthal walked out of the room without saying anything. Yet for years his conscience troubled him. Should he have forgiven the Nazi or not? Wiesenthal asked 32 prominent religious leaders, Jewish, Catholic, and Protestant, if he should have forgiven the Nazi. Most said no.
How would you have counseled him?
What is the connection between grace and forgiveness?
God’s law for Israel recorded in Leviticus 19:17 contains this command: “Do not hate your brother in your heart.” Explain hatred of the heart. Who suffers the most? What is the only outcome?
Eventually, the failure to forgive will imprison and destroy and poison the next generation. Have you noticed this phenomenon? What affects do our "unforgiving" actions have on our families and friends? Who will be held responsible for those who are lost because of our actions? What actions are needed to remedy the situation? 15 Minutes REFLECT Chuck mentioned in his sermon that forgiveness can be brutally difficult. In what ways is forgiveness brutal? What does the passage in Matthew 5:38-42 have to say about the brutality of forgiveness?
Are you leading a life of grace empowered by your awareness of God's grace for you?
At this time in your life, is there someone you are struggling to forgive? Would it be helpful for you tonight to confess your struggle and ask for prayers to help you forgive? 10 Minutes PRAYER TIME Let’s truly watch our actions this week and notice how we receive, seek, and give forgiveness. Evaluate those situations as they are handed to us. Fervently ask Him for forgiveness in your life and for the power to offer the same grace to others.
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