1. WHY SHOULD I FORGIVE?
1. BECAUSE GOD FORGAVE ME!
*** Col.3:13 "Be gentle and ready to forgive; never hold grudges. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others." [Living Bible]
*** Psalm 130:3-4 "If you, God, kept records on wrongdoings, who whould stand a chance? As it turns out, forgiveness is your habit, and that's why you're worshiped." [The Message]
2. BECAUSE FORGIVENESS IS GOOD FOR ME!
*** Job 5:2 "Resentment kills a fool..." [NIV]
*** Job 5:3 "To worry yourself to death with resentment would be a foolish, senseless thing to do." [Today's English Version]
*** Job 18:4 "You are only hurting yourself with your anger!" [TEV]
3. BECAUSE I WILL NEED TO BE FORGIVEN!
*** Mk.11:25 "And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins." [NIV]
*** Mt.18:32-35 "And the king called before him the man he had forgiven and said 'You evil-hearted wretch! Here I forgave you all that tremendous debt, just because you asked me to - shouldn't you have mercy on others, just as I had mercy on you?' Then the angry king sent the man to the torture chamber until he had paid every last penny due. So shall my heavenly Father do to you if you refuse to truly forgive your brothers." [NIV]
2. HOW CAN I FORGIVE?
1. DON'T IGNORE THE HURT!
*** Ps.32:3 "When I kept silent, my bones wasted away..." [NIV]
"When forgiveness denies that there is anger, acts as if it never happened, smiles as though it never hurt, fakes as though it's all forgotten - Don't offer it. Don't trust it. Don't depend on it. It's not forgiveness. It's a magical fantasy!"
--- David Augsburger in Caring Enough to Forgive
2. DON'T RUN FROM THE HURT!
*** Ps.55:6 "I said, 'Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest'" [NIV]
3. DON'T HIDE THE HURT!
*** Galations 6:2 "Carry each other's burdens..." [NIV]
*** 1 Cor.12:26 "If one part hurts, every other part is involved in the hurt, and in the healing." [Msg]
"REVEALING YOUR FEELINGS IS THE BEGINING OF HEALING!"
4. DON'T RETALIATE AGAINST THE HURT!
*** Proverbs 20:22 "Don't say, 'I will get even for this wrong.'   Wait for the Lord to handle the matter." [NILT]
5. DO DEAL WITH IT QUICKLY!
*** Ep.4:26 "If you are angry, don't sin by nursing your grudge. Don't let the sun go down with you still angry - get over it quickly..." [Living Bible]
*** Matthew 5:24 "...leave your gift there in front of the altar. Make peace with that person, then come back and offer your gift to God." [Contemporary English Version]
6. DO REALIZE YOUR RESPONSIBILITY!
*** Luke 17:3-4 "So be carefull! If another follower sins, warn him, and if he is sorry and stops sinning, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in one day and says that he is sorry each time, forgive him." [New Century Version]

• STEP  1 : You've been wronged!
• STEP  2 : You still must view the wrong-doer as a brother!
• STEP  3 : You warn and confront wrong-doer!
• STEP  4 : You forgive him if he sincerely asks forgiveness!
• STEP  5 : You're wronged again by the same brother in the same way!
• STEP  6 : You repeat step 4 (without holding past grudges)!