WEEK 6 - OUTLINE

FORGIVE US OUR DEBTS

Theme: Learning to Receive Grace

Main Scripture: Matthew 6:12

“And forgive us our debts…”

Supporting Scriptures

Psalm 103:10–12 • 1 John 1:9 • Romans 8:1 • Ephesians 1:7 • Luke 15:11–24 • Hebrews 8:12

BIG IDEA

Prayer doesn’t just bring our __________________ to God; it brings our

__________________ into the light of His grace.

Jesus has taught us:

Our Father.

Your kingdom.

Your will.

Our daily bread.

And now: __________________ us.

Jesus knows something about us:

We’re going to __________________ and He gives us a way __________________.

LOOKING BACK

Last week we talked about daily __________________.

What did God show you about trusting Him one day at a time?_____________________________________________________________________

Did the “Today” challenge change the way you handled worry?_____________________________________________________________________

ICEBREAKER

“THE WORST APOLOGY”

What’s the worst apology you’ve ever heard?

What makes an apology feel genuine?

Before forgiveness can be experienced, something has to be _____________________________________________________________________.

DISCOVER

Matthew 6:12 — “And forgive us our debts…”

1 John 1:9 — “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to ____________________________ us…”

THINK ABOUT IT

What do these verses tell us about God’s response when we admit our sin?________________________________________________________

POINT 1

FORGIVENESS STARTS WITH HONESTY

We can’t receive what we’re unwilling to admit we ________________________.

Confession isn’t informing God about something He doesn’t know.

God already ___________________________.

Confession is __________________________ with God about what we’ve done.

Confession isn’t telling God something He doesn’t know. It's admitting something we've been trying to ________________________________________.

God doesn't need information. We need ________________________________.

Personal Reflection

Is there something you’ve been hesitant to honestly bring before God?__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

POINT 2

GOD'S GRACE IS GREATER THAN OUR GUILT

Romans 8:1 — “There is therefore now no __________________ for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

There is an important difference between conviction and condemnation.

CONVICTION SAYS: “That was __________________. Come back.”

CONDEMNATION SAYS: “You are __________________. Stay away.”

God’s Spirit convicts us to __________________ us.

The enemy condemns us to __________________ us.

God doesn’t expose your sin to shame you. He exposes it to ________________________ you.

Think About It

Have you ever confused conviction with condemnation? What is the difference?__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

POINT 3

FORGIVENESS IS A GIFT, NOT A WAGE

We don’t __________________ forgiveness. We __________________ it.

Ephesians 1:7 — “In him we have redemption through his blood, the

__________________ of our trespasses…”

You can’t work your way into forgiveness.

You can’t be good enough to _______________________________ it.

You receive what Jesus _____________________________________.

You don’t clean yourself up so God will forgive you.

God’s forgiveness gives you the __________________ to become clean.

Remember:

Forgiveness is something Jesus purchased, not something you earned.

POINT 4

FORGIVENESS CHANGES HOW WE SEE OURSELVES

The enemy wants your greatest failure to become your ___________________________.

We might say:

• “I’m an addict.”

• “I’m a failure.”

• “I’m a terrible parent.”

• “I’m unforgivable.”

But Jesus says: _____________________________.

Your sin can be part of your __________________ without becoming your identity.

Your worst moment doesn’t get the final ____________________. Jesus does.

Complete this:

Instead of defining myself by my _______________________________,

I can define myself by what Jesus says about _________________________.

DISCUSSION

1. Why is admitting that we've done something wrong so difficult?_____________________________________________________________________

2. Why do you think people sometimes struggle more with receiving forgiveness than asking for it?_____________________________________________________________________

3. What does God's forgiveness tell us about God's character?_____________________________________________________________________

4. What would change if you really believed Romans 8:1?_____________________________________________________________________

5. Is there something you need to bring honestly before God?_____________________________________________________________________

APPLICATION

“LEAVE IT THERE”

Take a quiet moment to reflect. You do not have to share what you write.

God, I need Your forgiveness for…_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

God, I've been carrying guilt about…_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Today I receive Your ________________________________________________.

PRAYER

Take a moment to pray honestly before God.

Father, we come honestly. We confess what we've done. We confess where we've fallen short. We confess what we've tried to hide. Thank You that Your grace is greater than our sin. Thank You that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. Thank You for forgiving us.

My personal prayer:_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE

THE “RECEIVE GRACE” CHALLENGE

Every morning this week pray:

“Father, thank You that Your grace is greater than my ________________________________________.”

Whenever guilt comes back, don't rehearse the failure.

Rehearse the ______________________________.

“I have confessed it. Jesus has forgiven me. I don't have to keep carrying what He already __________________________________.”