This Week’s Message Notes (filled-in)
March 2, 2025
The Seven Greatest Words of Love, pt 1 -
“The Words of Forgiveness”
Luke 23:26-34
Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” Luke 23:34a
What we usually do with our guilt…
· We hide it.
You will never succeed in life if you try to hide your sins.
Proverbs 28:13a (GNT)
· We blame others
People's own foolishness ruins their lives, but in their minds they blame the LORD. Proverbs 19:3 (NCV)
· We beat ourselves up.
My guilt overwhelms me—it is a burden too heavy to bear.
Psalm 38:4
What Jesus wants us to do with our guilt…
1. Admit it
Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord. Lamentations 3:40 (NIV)
2. Accept responsibility
Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. James 5:16a
3. Ask for forgiveness
If we freely admit that we have sinned, we find God utterly reliable...he forgives your sins and makes us thoroughly clean from all that is evil. 1 John 1:9 (Ph)
What Jesus does with my guilt…
· He forgives me INSTANTLY
“Let the wicked leave their way of life and change their way of thinking. Let them turn to the Lord, our God; he is merciful and quick to forgive.” Isaiah 55:7 (GNT)
· He forgives me COMPLETELY
Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. Colossians 2:14
· He forgives me FREELY
he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. Titus 3:5
(Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation second edition, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. Message adapted from pastors.com