Bible Teaching: Forgiveness in Relationships

Last week, I was invited by a life group leader in the church to teach what I thought as a single lesson about relationships. At least, I thought it was a single teaching.

When she first asked me to do the teaching, I immediately thought that forgiveness was the most appropriate topic for this particular life group, and, later, I became concerned about making this particular teaching relevant to the group. With over 25 to 30 members in this life group, I was not certain if all participants were going to receive anything from this teaching, but I was so glad that A__ was present to assist with the discussion to offer vignettes for illustration and give meaning to my examples.

Here is the outline I used for the Sunday teaching:

I. Relationships, what are they?
*How do we define our relationships?
*What are the kinds of relationships?

II. What is forgiveness?
*How do you know when you have forgiven someone?
*Forgiveness is a decision.

III. Why do we forgive?

IV. What happens when we do not forgive others?

The life group leader added this aspect into the discussion.

V. Forgiving ourselves

VI. How do we help others to forgive.
I handed out a couple worksheets on Aspects of forgiving and helping people to forgive.

The biblical references used in the teaching were Matthew chapters 5 and 6, the forgiveness chapters in the New Testament. I used various authors and books for this teaching. The authored works by Craig Lockwood and Andrew Comiskey were especially helpful with this topic.

I was surprised by the depth of the discussion as people gave their testimonies about bitterness, anger, and frustration in their own relationships. In particular, I noticed that some members of the life group had deep running issues with family members, especially with their spouses/ex-spouses and parents. Then, they talked how God had pulled them through their relational issues and how they eventually forgave their family members.

Even for those group members who didn't feel the need to forgive, a couple participants approached me to tell me that they knew people who would benefit from this teaching.

By the way, I thought this Christianity Today article on forgiveness would be relevant to this post.

J______, the life group leader, wants me to continue to do a series on relationship aspects for the next Sunday lessons. At this time, the direction where I feel God is allowing me to teach is within the context of Christian maturity and outreach opportunities.

technorati tags: Life groups; Bible teaching; Forgiveness; Relationships

Today's Scripture: Psalm 130:3-5 (New International Version)

³If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins,
O Lord, who could stand?

⁴But with you there is forgiveness;
therefore you are feared.

⁵I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
and in his word I put my hope.