Time: Oct. 15th, 2020 08:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
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******Meeting ID: 856 7843 9137
Objectives:
1. Understanding why Hurt People Hurt People.
2. Generational Failures and Hurts.
3. Learning the Single Most Powerful Thing we can Do.
4. Learning how to Let It Go.
5. Making the Decision to Pray and Bless your Enemies
POWERFUL Discussion Questions:
1. Name 2 people in the Bible that Hurt People because they were going through issues themselves?
2. Have anyone hurt you because of something they’ve gone through?
3. Have you hurt anyone as a result of you being hurt?
Introduction
A. The most powerful thing on this journey that God may ask us to do is: Forgive the people who hurt us!
B. We normally only think of how much WE are hurting and then proceed to be angry with the people who have hurt us, but most of the time, THEY ARE HURTING, TOO.
C. When someone is hurting and that hurt has not been dealt with, they hurt other people (most times, its the people they love. They don’t realize that their actions are hurting others.
Question: How old was Joyce Myer’s father when he admitted his wrong to Joyce for the child abuse? 80 Years old
(He said that he didn’t realize that he was hurting his daughter!). Any thoughts?
The History of Joyce Myer’s Dad:
1. He came from a family full of incest (it was not uncommon).
2. Her dad’s father tried to molest Joyce.
3. Her dad’s two brothers tried to sexually molest Joyce.
(The sexual abuse traits were present in her dad’s family history)
4. Her dad was bitter towards her grand-dad so he was hurting.
5. He incorporated addictive behaviors.
6. Maybe Joyce’s dad was molested.
7. Joyce’s dad did not forgive his father for hurting Him.
8. Joyce’s dad became angry and violent towards Joyce’s mother before they were married. (Anger and rage from an early age).
9. Joyce’s dad hit Joyce’s mom - He was abusive.
(Rooted bitterness)
Question: What would it take to be courageous during our hurting moments?
Forgiveness
1. It doesn’t mean that a person is not responsible for their actions.
2. It is refusing to be angry with that person.
3. Being angry does not help you nor that person to change.
4. If you remain angry, you are giving them permission to keep hurting you over and over again through your memories and bitterness.
5. Forgive because it’s God’s Command. (Scripture tells us we must forgive)
6. When you don’t forgive, you stand in the way of your HEALING.
7. We cannot go forward if we are bitterly hanging on to the past.
The Single Most Power Thing You Can Do - page 57
Most powerful thing you can ever do? Forgive all the people who hurt us is the most single POWERFUL thing we will ever do.
Why? Because it releases us from emotional torment and frees us to get on with life.
Is the Process easy? No. It’s difficult. But when you make the decision to truly forgive and let go of the bitterness, anger and resentment you’ve had toward others, it will save you from years of misery.
Question? What kind of life do you want to have?
a. One that is FREE and ENJOYABLE
b. OR one that is bitter and keeps you tethered to the past.
1. Forgiving our enemies is nonnegotiable for anyone…who wants to enjoy the promise of God for Restoration.
2. Forgiving is something God teaches us to do.
3. Forgiving is somethign that Jesus modeled in His own life.
NOTE: Jesus prayed for those crucifying him on the cross. He wanted them to be forgiven.
NOTE: He knew they were hurting Him out of their own hurt and confusion.
God is Merciful - What does Mercy do?
A. It always look beyond that someone did to why they did it. There is always a why.
Question? What is the Devil’s Plan?
1. It is for us to continue living with pain of our past and to wound others from generation to generation, preventing us from enjoying what Jesus died to give us.
Question? How can we defeat the Devil so he want have authority in our History or Destiny?
1. Let It Go!
Matthew 6:12 says…. “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors!”
Jesus taught that we should ask God to forgive our Sins.
Forgive means to Let It Go!
The wounds and pain we hold on to become a heavy burden to carry, and we carry it constantly until we make the decision to let it go.
Biblical Review
1. Do you remember the story of Saul and David?
2. Why did Saul pursue David’s life?
3. What did David do to Saul?
4. What actions did Saul take against David because he was holding this unforgivness?
** Carrying these burdens can be the root cause of many mental and physical illnesses and disorders.
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2 Encouraging Scriptures - 1 Peter 5:7 and Psalm 55:22 - Page 59
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Powerful Thoughts from Page 59
A. Don’t Keep holding on to something that you cannot do anything about.
B. Don’t allow unforgiveness to keep hurting you.
C. Help Yourself and Let It Go!
D. There is nothing fair about forgiving someone for abusing or misusing you, but then again it wasn’t fair for Jesus to die for our sins.
E. God will never ask us to forgive anyone for more than He has forgiven us.
Forgiving Others
1. Will never be something we “feel” like doing?
2. God will help us through it.
3. It takes effort.
4. It may lead the person who hurt you directly to the heart of God.
Letting Go means…
Involves making a commitment to stop thinking and talking about the things that people have done to you, unless, of course, you are receiving counseling or sharing your victory over it in order to help someone else.
Keep replaying the Hurt
Keeps you in Bondage
**Our minds affect our emotions, and when we rehearse abusive events over and over, it brings back the original pain as if it were a current event.***
**God doesn’t want us to live in captivity to our own bitterness or heartache!”**
Question: What should we do with our negative feelings?
Give them to God.
Read: Isaiah 61:
(Do you remember the story about Joseph and His brothers during the years of famine?)
When we Obey God.
1. When we obey God, He always brings a reward.
2. Letting go may be difficult, but looking forward to your reward makes it easier.
3. God gives us the ability to forgive.
4. We can’t have FREEDOM until we let it GO.
Repressed Anger and Secrets
1. Our secrets make us sick inside.
2. They fester in our souls and seep out into our behavior.
3. People are explosive when they are angry.
4. Sometimes you can’t see anger directly.
5. We become good at hiding from our problems and repressing the anger we feel over our disappointing lives. (It’s like a beach ball - it keeps popping back up - Page 62)
6. Sometimes repressed anger is worst than expressed anger.
Question: How does Anger manifests?
A. Anger can manifest depression, anxiety, mood disorders, eating disorders, alcoholism, drug addiction, violence, and many other things.
B. The only things we can do with anger is to “let it go!”
C. Perhaps it is time for you to get to root cause of some of the problems that you deal with rather than merely continuing to treat symptoms that never completely go away.
D. Getting to the root of our problems is what the Healing of the Soul is all about.
E. When things are brought out into the light, they lose their power over us.
F. The Bible says that when anything is exposed and reproved by the light, it is made visible and clear. (Ephesians 5:13)
1st Step - Forgive Your Enemies
— Let go of the bitterness and anger
Pray for Your Enemies and Bless Them
God’s Instruction to us:
1. Pray for and bless our enemies.
What happens when you pray and bless your enemies?
1. We are releasing them so God can bless them with the truth that has the power to make them free from their abusive nature.
2. We pray for God to open their eyes so they can know and receive Him as Savior and Lord.
3. God wants us to be open to helping those who have hurt us in a practical way when they need help.
Forgiving Your Enemies is one of the most powerful things you can ever do.
It opens the door to mulitple blessings in your life, including peace, joy, and the recompense of God.
God will bless our obedience.
We can overcome evil with good! (Romans 12:21)