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Living With Purpose Through Forgiveness and Grace · Voices Of Life

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  Welcome to the Voices of Life, a ministry of
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  the Church for Life, and I'm your host, Pastor
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  David. Today we continue our 12 -week journey
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  called, Living with Purpose, a God -Centered
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  Life. This is week seven, and today we're stepping
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  into one of the most transformative themes in
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  the entire Christian walk, forgiveness and grace.
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  If you've been carrying something heavy, if someone's
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  words or actions left a mark on your heart, if
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  you've struggled to forgive yourself or struggled
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  to forgive someone else, you're in the right
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  place today. Because forgiveness is not weakness.
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  Forgiveness is spiritual strength. Forgiveness
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  is freedom. It is healing. It is obedience. And
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  forgiveness is worship. And grace, the grace
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  of God gives us, is the power to make forgiveness
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  possible. I want you to take a breath right where
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  you are right now. Inhale deeply. Exhale slowly.
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  Let your shoulders relax. Let your mind settle.
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  Let your heart open. Because today, God wants
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  to speak to you about something that matters
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  deeply to your spiritual health and emotional
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  freedom. Forgiveness is not about pretending
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  something didn't hurt. It is not about saying
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  what happened was okay. Forgiveness is about
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  releasing the grip that pain has had on your
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  life. Forgiveness is about letting God be the
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  healer and letting God be the judge. Pergiveness
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  is about choosing freedom over bitterness. Let's
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  anchor ourselves in the Word of God. Jesus said
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  in Matthew 6, 14, and 15, for if you forgive
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  others when they sin against you, your Heavenly
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  Father will also forgive you. But if you don't
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  forgive others their sins, your father will not
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  forgive your sins. That's not a suggestion. That's
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  not a gentle encouragement. That is a command.
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  But it's also an invitation. An invitation to
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  freedom, healing, an invitation to peace. Forgiveness
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  is not something God asked us to do alone. He
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  gives us the grace to do what feels impossible.
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  Some of us have been carrying unforgiveness for
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  years, maybe even decades. A memory of a betrayal,
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  a wound, a disappointment, an embarrassment,
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  a moment that changed everything. And every time
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  you think about it, your chest tightens. your
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  jaws clenches, your heartaches. Unforgiveness
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  is a weight, a spiritual weight, an emotional
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  weight, a physical weight, and God never designed
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  you to carry that weight. Jesus said, come to
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  me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will
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  give you rest. Forgiveness is part of that rest.
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  Let us clear something up. Forgiveness is not
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  forgetting, excusing, minimizing, ignoring, reconciling
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  with when it's unsafe, pretending it didn't hurt,
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  allowing continued harm. That's not what forgiveness
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  is. And forgiveness is not about giving someone
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  access who has not earned Trust. Forgiveness
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  is not about removing boundaries. What forgiveness
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  is, is the ability to release bitterness that
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  poisons your heart. Forgiveness is about letting
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  God handle what only God can handle. Forgiveness
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  is a choice. There is a process. It's a spiritual
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  discipline. It is a surrender, a healing journey,
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  a reflection on God's grace, but a step toward
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  freedom. Forgiveness is choosing to stop rehearsing
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  the pain and start releasing the pain. Forgiveness
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  is choosing to let God write the ending instead
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  of the wound writing the story. Some of you listening
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  today don't struggle with forgiving others. You
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  struggle with forgiving yourself. Something you
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  said, something you did, something you didn't
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  do, or something you regret. And the enemy has
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  been whispering that you're unworthy. unusable,
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  unlovable, unredeemable. But hear me today. God's
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  grace is bigger than your biggest mistake. God's
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  mercy is deeper than your deepest regret. God's
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  love is stronger than the strongest shame. If
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  God has forgiven you, you can forgive you. I
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  want you to take a moment and bring to mind the
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  person or situation that God is highlighting
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  today. It may be someone else, maybe yourself.
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  Don't rush, don't force it. Just let the Holy
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  Spirit bring it to the surface. I at least say,
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  Lord, I give this to you. I release this to you.
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  I trust you with this. Help me forgive. Help
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  me heal. Help me walk in grace. Let's pray together.
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  Father, we come before you today with open hearts.
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  We ask for the courage to forgive. We ask for
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  the strength to release. We ask for the grace
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  to heal. Lord, where there has been pain, bring
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  peace. Where there has been bitterness, bring
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  freedom. Where there has been shame, bring restoration.
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  Teach us to forgive as you have forgiven us.
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  In Jesus' name, amen. If this pacing and tone
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  match what you want, I'll continue. And let's
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  think about where we're going to go. So as we
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  proceed, I want you to think about how we opened
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  our hearts. to the reality of forgiveness and
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  the healing power of grace. But we have to go
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  deeper. We're going practical and we're getting
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  personal because forgiveness is not just a concept.
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  Forgiveness is a process and a journey, but it
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  has to be a lifestyle. There are many ways to
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  describe forgiveness, but today I want to give
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  you a simple framework. that helps you understand
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  what God is doing in your heart. Look at it as
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  three stages. The first stage is recognition.
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  The second stage is release. And the third stage
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  is renewal. Let's walk through each one. Recognition
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  is when you finally admit that something hurt
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  you. Not in a dramatic way, not a self -pitying
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  way, but in an honest way. You can't forgive
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  what you refuse to acknowledge. Recognition sounds
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  like that hurt me, that affected me, that changed
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  me, or that wounded me. Recognition is not weakness.
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  Recognition is clarity. It's the moment you stop
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  pretending and begin the healing. Release is
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  the heart of forgiveness. Release is when you
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  say, God, I give this to you. I release this
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  person. I release this memory. I release the
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  pain that came with it. Release doesn't mean
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  you feel better instantly. Release means you
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  stopped carrying the weight that was never yours
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  to carry. Release is surrender, obedience, and
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  most of all freedom. Which leads us to renewal.
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  Renewal is the work God does in your heart after
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  you forgive. Renewal is the peace That returns
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  to your spirit to your mind your heart Renewals
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  the joy when joy returns when clarity returns
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  purpose returns Forgiveness opens that door and
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  grace walks you through it Some of you listening
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  today are dealing with a wound that is still
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  fresh The conversation just happened the betrayal
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  just happened the disappointment just happened
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  and you're thinking Pastor, I can't forgive yet.
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  It's too raw. It's too painful. It's too soon.
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  Well, hear me gently. Forgiveness is not instant.
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  Forgiveness is intentional. You don't have to
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  feel ready to begin the process. You just have
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  to be willing, willing to let God in, willing
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  to let God heal, and willing to let God lead.
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  Forgiveness and reconciliation are not the same
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  thing. Forgiveness is a command, reconciliation
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  is a possibility. Forgiveness takes one person,
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  reconciliation takes two. Forgiveness is about
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  your heart, reconciliation is about the relationship.
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  There are times when reconciliation is wise.
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  There are times when reconciliation is unsafe.
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  Forgiveness does not require you to return to
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  a harmful situation. It does not require you
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  to trust someone who has not earned your trust.
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  Forgiveness is not the removal of boundaries.
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  Forgiveness is the removal of bitterness. The
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  enemy loves unforgiveness because unforgiveness
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  keeps you stuck. It keeps you wounded and distracted
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  and spiritually drained. Unforgiveness is one
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  of the enemy's favorite tools to steal your joy,
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  your peace, and your purpose. But forgiveness
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  breaks his grip. Forgiveness breaks the cycle.
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  It breaks the lie. Forgiveness is the spiritual
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  warfare. Grace is the fuel that makes forgiveness
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  possible. Grace is God giving you what you do
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  not deserve. Grace is God empowering you to do
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  what you cannot do alone. Grace is not passive.
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  Grace is active. It's strength. It's power. Grace
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  is God saying you don't have to do this in your
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  own strength. I will help you. I will carry you.
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  I will heal you. I want to guide you through
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  a simple exercise. It's symbolic, but it's powerful.
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  Hold your hand out in front of you with your
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  palm up. Imagine the hurt, the memory, the weight.
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  Now slowly close your hand into a fist. Feel
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  the tension. Feel the tightness. Feel the strain.
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  This is what unforgiveness does. Now slowly open
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  your hand. Let the fingers relax. Let your palm
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  open up. Let the tension go. Say quietly, Lord,
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  I release this. I give this to you. That is forgiveness.
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  That is surrender. That is grace at work. Let's
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  pray. Thank you for your grace. Thank you for
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  your mercy. Thank you for your healing. Today
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  we ask for the courage to forgive. For the strength
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  to release for the peace that comes from trusting
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  you. Heal our hearts, restore our joy, renew
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  our purpose. In Jesus' name, Amen. Let's begin
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  with identity. When you hold Unto forgiveness,
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  your identity becomes tied to the wound. You
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  start to see yourself through the lens of the
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  hurt. You start to define yourself by what someone
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  did to you, instead of what God says about you.
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  But forgiveness breaks that. Forgiveness says,
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  I am not what happened to me. I am who God says
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  I am. Forgiveness restores identity. It restores
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  dignity. And it restores that clarity so you
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  can see exactly what's going on. Let me speak
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  this over you today. You are forgiven. You are
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  redeemed. You are chosen. You are loved. You
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  are renewed. You are strengthened. You are held
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  by God. Forgiveness aligns your identity with
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  truth of scripture instead of the pain of your
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  past. When you forgive, you step back into who
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  you truly are. Being yourself is so important.
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  Forgiveness doesn't just change you, it changes
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  the way you relate to others. Forgiveness softens
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  your tone, opens your heart. It removes your
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  defenses or defensiveness. Forgiveness restores
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  compassion. Forgiveness rebuilds trust when trust
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  can be rebuilt. It makes room for healthier relationships
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  in your life. Because when bitterness leaves,
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  love has space to grow. Now, forgiveness and
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  boundaries are not enemies. Forgiveness says,
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  I release you. Boundaries say, I will protect
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  what God is healing in me. Forgiveness is spiritual
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  and boundaries are practical. Forgiveness is
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  about the heart and boundaries are about wisdom.
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  Forgiveness is unconditional but access is not.
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  You can forgive someone and still choose distance.
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  You can forgive someone and still say no. You
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  can forgive someone and still protect your peace.
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  That is not unloving. That is stewardship. Forgiveness
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  is one of the clearest signs of spiritual maturity.
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  Not how much scripture you know, not how long
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  you've been in church, not how many ministries
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  you've served in. Forgiveness reveals the depth
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  of your walk with God because forgiveness requires
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  humility, surrender, obedience, trust, compassion,
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  and courage. Forgiveness is spiritual growth
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  in motion. When you forgive, you become a mirror
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  of God's mercy. People see Christ in you when
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  you forgive. People see grace in you when you
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  forgive. People see the gospel in you when you
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  forgive. Forgiveness is not just personal healing.
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  Forgiveness is evangelism. because forgiveness
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  is the language of Jesus. Let's be honest. There
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  are days when forgiveness feels impossible. Days
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  when pain is too deep. Days when the memory is
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  too sharp. Days when the anger is too real. And
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  on those days, you don't need to feel forgiveness
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  to begin forgiveness. Forgiveness begins with
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  the willingness. A simple prayer, Lord help me
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  want to forgive. Think about it, Lord help me
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  want to forgive. That prayer is the seed of healing.
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  Forgiveness is not always a moment. Sometimes
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  forgiveness is a journey. You forgive today,
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  you forgive tomorrow, you forgive again next
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  week, next month. Not because the wound is still
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  open, but because the memory still echoes. Forgiveness
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  is not a one -time event. Forgiveness is a repeated
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  surrender. And every time you surrender, God
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  heals a little more. I want to guide you through
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  another reflection. Imagine an empty chair in
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  front of you. Picture the person you need to
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  forgive sitting in that chair. You don't have
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  to speak to them. You don't have to relive the
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  moment. You don't have to justify anything. Just
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  imagine them there. Now quietly say, I release
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  you, I forgive you, I give this to God. You may
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  not feel anything yet, but that's okay. Forgiveness
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  begins with obedience, not emotion. Let's pray.
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  Father, thank you for your work. you are doing
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  in our hearts. Thank you for shaping our identity.
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  Thank you for healing our relationships. Thank
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  you for growing our maturity. Teach us to forgive
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  as you have forgiven us. Teach us to walk in
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  grace as you walk with us. We surrender our wounds.
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  We surrender our memories. We surrender our pain.
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  Heal us Lord. Restore us. Renew us. In Jesus
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  name, Amen. Forgiveness is not something you
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  do once in a while. Forgiveness is a way of living,
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  a way of thinking, a way of responding, and it's
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  a way to see people. Forgiveness becomes a posture
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  of heart. A heart that forgives quickly. A heart
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  that releases easily. A heart that refuses to
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  hold onto the bitterness. A heart that is shaped
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  by the grace of God. Grace is not something God
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  gives you. Grace is something God grows in you.
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  Grace becomes a habit, a reflex, a rhythm. Every
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  day, you will have opportunities to extend grace.
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  A harsh word of misunderstanding, a moment of
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  frustration, a careless comment or disappointing
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  action, and in those moments, you get to choose.
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  Bitterness or grace? Resentment or grace? Retaliation
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  or grace? Silence or grace. Love or grace. Grace
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  is the language of a transformed heart. It's
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  not easy to let go. I think most people feel
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  that I have to respond. I have to do something.
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  But you don't have to. You may want to. But having
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  to do something and wanting to do something are
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  two different things. Now sometimes you have
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  to do things to keep yourself safe and you do
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  them. But never forget, your purpose is not just
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  what you do. Your purpose is who you become and
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  forgiveness shapes you into someone God can use
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  in powerful ways. Forgiveness makes you more
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  compassionate. It makes you more patient and
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  understanding. It makes you humble, more Christ
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  -like. Forgiveness prepares you to serve others
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  with a clean heart and a clear spirit. Forgiveness
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  removes the weight that keeps you from running
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  the race. God has set before you. There is nothing
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  more freeing than a clean heart. A heart not
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  carrying grudges, not replaying the past over
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  and over again. A heart not holding resentment
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  or a heart that is just weighed down by old wounds.
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  A clean heart is a powerful heart. A peaceful
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  heart. a purposeful heart. David prayed, create
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  in me a clean heart, O God. Forgiveness is part
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  of that cleansing. And as we practice forgiveness
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  on a regular basis and we get into our rhythm,
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  forgiveness will be tested. Someone will say
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  something or do something or disappoint you or
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  misunderstand you. And in that moment, you will
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  feel the old reflex rise up inside you. But now
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  you have a new reflex, a reflex shaped by grace,
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  a reflex shaped by surrender and shaped by the
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  Holy Spirit. Forgiveness becomes your first response
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  instead of your last resort. One of the greatest
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  gifts you can give yourself is the decision to
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  live unaffended. Not because people won't do
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  offensive things, they will. But because you
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  refuse to let the offense take root in your heart.
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  Living unaffended is not denial, it's discipline.
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  It's choosing peace over pettiness. It is choosing
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  grace over grudges. And it is choosing purpose
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  over pride. Yes, pride. That's one of those things
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  that can really take a toll on a person. But
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  it's also something that a person takes as personal
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  and a powerful Letting go is one of the hardest
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  things you will ever do, but it is also one of
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  the holiest things you will ever do. Letting
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  go is trusting. Trusting that God sees, He knows,
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  heals, and restores. Trusting that God redeems.
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  Letting go is an act of worship. I want you to
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  imagine a door in front of you. A simple door.
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  A quiet door. A door that leads to peace. Now
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  imagine yourself standing at the door. with something
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  in your hands. It may be a memory, a wound, a
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  name, a moment, a regret. Now imagine yourself
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  placing that burden on the ground outside the
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  door and now open the door and step through it.
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  Leave the burden where it is. Walk into the room
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  of peace, of grace, of freedom. That is forgiveness.
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  Let's pray. Father, thank you for the journey
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  you've taken on us today. Thank you for the healing
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  that has begun. Thank you for the freedom that
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  is unfolding. Thank you for the grace that is
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  growing. Teach us to live a lifestyle of forgiveness.
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  Teach us to walk in a daily grace. Teach us to
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  love as you have loved us. We surrender our hearts.
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  We surrender our wounds and our past. Make us
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  people who carry forgiveness into every room
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  we enter. In Jesus' name, Amen. This concludes
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  week seven of our 12 -week journey, Living With
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  Purpose at God -Centered Life. You've taken a
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  powerful step today, a step toward healing, toward
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  freedom, purpose. Forgiveness is not easy, but
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  forgiveness is holy. Forgiveness is healing.
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  It's worship. And you are not walking this journey
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  alone. God is with you. Grace is with you. Purpose
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  is with you. Thank you for joining me today on
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  Voices of Life, the ministry of the Church for
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  Life. I'm Pastor David and we'll see you next
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  week as we step into week eight.