Series Details
Forgiveness has a curative power greater than any medicine.
Forgiveness eases the ache of remorse and soothes the wounds of bitterness. When we hear, “I forgive you,” from those we’ve offended, forgiveness releases the poison of bitterness. When we say, “I forgive you,” to those who’ve wounded us, forgiveness frees us from the bondage of resentment. Whether we hear or say the words . . . forgiveness heals.
With this two-message set, Chuck Swindoll helps you discover that truth firsthand. In “Clearing Away the Trash We Regret,” Chuck starts you on your healing journey with biblical guidelines for repentance that leads to hope and lasting restoration with God.
The second message, “Finding Healing Through Forgiveness,” offers key strategies from Matthew 5 and 18 for asking and offering forgiveness. As a moving illustration, Chuck’s wife, Cynthia, shares the scriptural principles of forgiveness that helped her find relief from her years of battling depression and anger. That healing stream of forgiveness awaits you too.
“I have learned the unbelievable healing that comes when we forgive from our hearts.” —Cynthia Swindoll
Message 1: Looking Back: Clearing Away the Trash We Regret
Sermon Overview At the turn of a new year, it is vital to look back and clear away the unresolved “trash” and regrets of our past. Charles R. Swindoll uses the vivid imagery of a locust plague from the book of Joel to illustrate the devastating consequences of stubbornness and unconfessed sin. Just as locusts strip a land bare, unresolved guilt and fractured relationships devour our joy and productivity. However, God offers a magnificent promise to “make up for the years the swarming locust has eaten” if we genuinely repent. This message challenges believers to stop rationalizing their failures and provides three practical principles for biblical repentance: start immediately, return completely without reservation, and repent openly.
Key Facts
- Locusts of Discipline: God sometimes uses life’s devastating consequences as divine discipline to bring us to our knees when we stubbornly refuse to repent.
- Start Immediately: Biblical repentance means starting immediately without offering “plausible but untrue” rationalizations or shifting the blame to others.
- Return Completely: Repentance is incomplete if there are hidden reservations or carefully kept secrets; we must return to God and to the offended person completely.
- Repent Openly: True repentance requires putting pride aside and openly seeking out the individuals we have harmed to make things right, holding nothing back.
Scripture References
- Joel 2:12–17, 25
- Psalm 31:9–11
- Exodus 10:1–6
Message 2: Looking Back: Finding Healing through Forgiveness
Sermon Overview Forgiveness is a required course in the Christian life, not an elective. In this profound message, Swindoll explores both sides of the forgiveness coin: seeking it when we are the offender (Matthew 5) and granting it when we are the offended (Matthew 18). Jesus teaches that reconciliation is so critical that we should interrupt our worship to go make things right with an offended brother. Furthermore, through the parable of the unforgiving servant, Jesus warns that refusing to forgive others after God has forgiven our massive debt is not only hypocritical, but it turns us over to emotional “torturers”. The message culminates in a powerful, deeply personal testimony from Cynthia Swindoll, who shares how taking personal responsibility and seeking forgiveness freed her from a five-year abyss of severe depression.
Key Facts
- Stop and Go: According to Matthew 5, God is honored by immediate obedience. If we realize we have offended someone, we must prioritize reconciliation above even our acts of worship.
- Limitless Forgiveness: Jesus commanded Peter to forgive “seventy times seven,” indicating that forgiveness should be an infinite, ongoing habit rather than a carefully tracked quota.
- The Torture of Unforgiveness: Refusing to forgive does not punish the offender; rather, it inflicts agonizing inner torment and bitterness upon the offended.
- A Life-Changing Choice: Cynthia Swindoll’s testimony illustrates that letting go of blame, dropping unrealistic expectations, and seeking forgiveness from difficult family members—like her abusive father and distant mother-in-law—brings unbelievable emotional and spiritual healing.
Scripture References
- Matthew 5:23–24
- Matthew 18:21–35
- Isaiah 58:6–7
- Philippians 4:8
- Proverbs 23:15–16
