The Power of Forgiveness

CROWD Church Livestream

Discover how forgiveness can set you free from the prison of resentment and transform your relationships. Sharon Edmundson shares powerful insights about what forgiveness really means and practical steps toward experiencing this radical freedom in your own life.

Timestamps

• 00:00:00 - Welcome and introduction with Matt and Dan
• 00:04:00 - Sharon Edmundson begins her talk on forgiveness
• 00:05:40 - Setting the record straight: What forgiveness isn't
• 00:08:00 - Sharon's personal journey with anger and unforgiveness
• 00:13:48 - Unpacking Jesus' parable of the unforgiving servant
• 00:21:00 - The practical accounting sheet for processing forgiveness
• 00:28:00 - Conversation Street: Q&A about real-life forgiveness challenges

Episode Summary

In this powerful message, Sharon Edmundson tackles one of Christianity's most challenging teachings: forgiveness. While many of us have heard about forgiveness our entire lives, truly understanding and practising it remains a struggle, especially when facing deep hurts.

Sharon begins by clarifying common misconceptions, emphasising that forgiveness is not the same as reconciliation, excusing wrongdoing, or denying justice. Rather, it's a choice to release someone from the debt they owe you—similar to how God has forgiven us through Christ.

Through vulnerable personal stories about her relationship with her mother, Sharon illustrates how suppressed anger can lead to depression and unhealthy coping mechanisms. She points to Ephesians 4:26-27 as a biblical framework for handling anger appropriately without allowing it to become sin.

The heart of the message explores Jesus' parable in Matthew 18:21-35 about the unforgiving servant, revealing how our inability to forgive others often stems from not fully grasping how much we've been forgiven. Sharon introduces a practical five-column worksheet to help listeners process forgiveness by identifying who hurt them, what happened, how they feel, what they believe they're owed, and ultimately a prayer of blessing for the person.

Key Insights

• Forgiveness is a process, not an event: Sharon emphasises that true forgiveness often takes time and emotional processing rather than being an instant decision.
• Identifying what you're "owed" is crucial: Understanding what you feel someone has taken from you (respect, trust, security, etc.) helps clarify what you're being asked to release.
• Connecting with emotions matters: Simply trying to forgive intellectually without processing your feelings rarely leads to genuine forgiveness.
• Forgiveness benefits the forgiver most: As Matt noted, "Unforgiveness is like drinking poison and expecting it to hurt the other person." The freedom of forgiveness is primarily for you.
• The gospel provides our model for forgiveness: Just as Christ cancelled our immeasurable debt on the cross, we're empowered to forgive others through his example and strength.

Practical Application

Sharon shared a practical five-column worksheet approach to processing forgiveness:

1. Who hurt me? - Name specific individuals
2. What did they do? - List specific incidents or actions
3. How do I feel about it? - Connect with the emotions involved
4. What do they owe me? - Identify the perceived debt
5. My prayer of blessing for them - After choosing to release the debt

This framework gives listeners a concrete tool for working through unforgiveness rather than simply being told to "just forgive."

Recommended Resources

• Books: "Forgive Release and Be Free" by Joff Day and "Boundaries" by Cloud and Townsend
• Podcast: Tim Keller's "Praying Out Your Anger"
• Scripture: Ephesians 4:26-27, Matthew 18:21-35, and Philippians 3:13

Join us next week as Dave Connolly continues our wholeness series, exploring how we can "let go of the past" as described in Philippians 3:13.

For more information, including the forgiveness worksheet mentioned in this talk, visit our website.

Keywords: forgiveness, emotional healing, Christian forgiveness, releasing resentment, biblical forgiveness, unforgiveness, emotional freedom, forgiveness process, Matthew 18, forgiving others, spiritual freedom, Christian teaching, wholeness series, Crowd Church Liverpool