Discover how forgiveness can set you free from the prison of resentment and transform your relationships. Sharon Edmundson shares powerful insights about what forgiveness really means and practical steps toward experiencing this radical freedom in your own life.
In this powerful message, Sharon Edmundson tackles one of Christianity's most challenging teachings: forgiveness. While many of us have heard about forgiveness our entire lives, truly understanding and practising it remains a struggle, especially when facing deep hurts.
Sharon begins by clarifying common misconceptions, emphasising that forgiveness is not the same as reconciliation, excusing wrongdoing, or denying justice. Rather, it's a choice to release someone from the debt they owe you—similar to how God has forgiven us through Christ.
Through vulnerable personal stories about her relationship with her mother, Sharon illustrates how suppressed anger can lead to depression and unhealthy coping mechanisms. She points to Ephesians 4:26-27 as a biblical framework for handling anger appropriately without allowing it to become sin.
The heart of the message explores Jesus' parable in Matthew 18:21-35 about the unforgiving servant, revealing how our inability to forgive others often stems from not fully grasping how much we've been forgiven. Sharon introduces a practical five-column worksheet to help listeners process forgiveness by identifying who hurt them, what happened, how they feel, what they believe they're owed, and ultimately a prayer of blessing for the person.
Sharon shared a practical five-column worksheet approach to processing forgiveness:
This framework gives listeners a concrete tool for working through unforgiveness rather than simply being told to "just forgive."
