Session 1 (February 23) | Why Forgiveness Is So Hard
Theme: Naming the resistance
Core Scriptures:
- Matthew 18:21–35 (The Unforgiving Servant)
- Psalm 51:1–4
Focus:
Forgiveness isn’t hard because we don’t understand it—it’s hard because it feels unjust. This session names the emotional, moral, and spiritual barriers that make forgiveness costly.
Key Questions:
- What do we fear we lose if we forgive?
- How does Jesus connect forgiveness with mercy received?
- Where do we confuse forgiveness with excusing harm?
Lenten posture: Honest self-examination
Week 2 (March 2) | Confession: Receiving Forgiveness from God
Theme: Before we forgive, we must be forgiven
Core Scriptures:
- 1 John 1:5–10
- Luke 18:9–14 (Pharisee and Tax Collector)
Focus:
This week centers on confession—not as shame, but as truth-telling. Forgiveness begins not with our generosity, but with God’s.
Key Questions:
- Why is confession essential to healing?
- What happens when we minimize or hide our sin?
- How does God’s forgiveness reshape our identity?
Lenten posture: Repentance and humility
Week 3 (March 9) | Forgiving Others: A Command, Not a Feeling
Theme: Forgiveness as obedience
Core Scriptures:
- Matthew 5:21–24
- Colossians 3:12–13
Focus:
Forgiveness in Scripture is an act of will grounded in Christ’s forgiveness of us—not emotional closure or reconciliation on our terms.
Key Questions:
- What does forgiveness require—and what does it not require?
- How is forgiveness different from reconciliation?
- How does forgiveness free the forgiver?
Lenten posture: Costly obedience
Week 4 (March 16) | When Forgiveness Feels Impossible
Theme: Forgiveness and deep wounds
Core Scriptures:
- Genesis 50:15–21 (Joseph and his brothers)
- Romans 12:17–21
Focus:
This is the most pastorally sensitive week. It acknowledges trauma, injustice, and ongoing harm, and refuses simplistic answers.
Key Questions:
- What does forgiveness look like when wounds remain?
- Where is God when forgiveness feels beyond us?
- Can forgiveness be partial, gradual, or unfinished?
Lenten posture: Trust without resolution
Week 5 (March 26) | Forgiveness at the Cross
Theme: The cost and power of forgiveness
Core Scriptures:
- Luke 23:32–34
- Isaiah 53:4–6
Focus:
Forgiveness reaches its fullest meaning at the cross—where sin is neither ignored nor excused, but borne.
Key Questions:
- What does Jesus’ prayer from the cross teach us about forgiveness?
- How does the cross redefine justice and mercy?
- How are we sent out as forgiven people?
Lenten posture: Gratitude and transformation