What Do I Actually DO to Forgive? | Oct 25TH, 2026

What does it actually mean to forgive someone who has genuinely hurt us? This message cuts straight to the heart of one of the most challenging aspects of the Christian life by dismantling a misconception we all carry: that forgiveness is a feeling we have to wait for rather than a decision we make right now. Drawing from the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, we are walked through a practical, step-by-step action plan that begins not with the person who wronged us, but with ourselves. We start by admitting that holding onto bitterness and the desire for revenge is not a right we have earned but a sin we must confess. From there, we ask God for cleansing, then for help, and then we begin the hard work of seeking a new attitude entirely. The insight that it is easier to act your way into a new way of feeling than to feel your way into a new way of acting reframes the entire struggle. Forgiveness is not a noun waiting to be discovered inside us. It is a verb we choose to perform, one prayer, one deed, one word at a time. If we have been waiting to feel ready before we forgive, this message gives us permission to stop waiting and start moving.