In Sermon Illustrations: "Forgiveness General"

Overwhelming Forgiveness

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 31, 2022

A wonderful example of how to practice the lifestyle of grace comes from an incident in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, on October 2, 2006, when a man entered an Amish schoolhouse and murdered 5 girls while wounding 5 others before killing himself. As horrific as this was, the greater story was the ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 65:3

Tags: Grace, Forgiveness

Strength To Forgive

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Aug 12, 2024

Some of life's hurts are so deep and painful that to forgive the people who caused them seems impossible. Yet Jesus says that we can't experience His forgiveness if we have an unforgiving spirit. In World War II, Corrie Ten Boom and her sister Betsie were arrested for concealing Jews and ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:9-15

Tags: Forgiveness, Lord's Prayer, God's Strength, Forgiving Others, Corrie Ten Boom, Enemies  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Power Of Forgiveness

Contributed by John Bright on Mar 10, 2025

Our sins, transgressions, and iniquities can manifest in our physical bodies. In Matthew 9:2, Jesus tells a paralyzed man, "Your sins are forgiven. Take up your bed and go." He got up! In 30+ years of ministry, I have seen plenty of folks receive healing from physical problems caused ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 9:2, Ephesians 4:32

Tags: Forgiveness, Healing

Denomination: Methodist

Before Her Death, Judy Lawson Became A Spiritual ...  PRO

Contributed by James Wilson on Nov 23, 2000

Before her death, Judy Lawson became a spiritual Mother of scores of hardened criminals. "On her last Mother’s Day," according to Bill Myers, "she received 40 Mother’s Day cards from men whose life she touched." Her prison ministry began eighteen months after her son was brutally murdered. She knew ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness For Others, Forgiveness General, God's Forgiveness

Denomination: Baptist

Leonardo Da Vinci, Just Before He Commenced Work ...  PRO

Contributed by Jeeva Sam on Mar 20, 2001

Leonardo Da Vinci, just before he commenced work on his "Last Supper" had a violent argument with a fellow painter. Leonardo was so bitter that he determined to paint the face of his enemy, the other artist, into the face of Judas, and thus take his revenge by handing the man down in infamy and ...read more

Scripture: Luke 6:27-36

Tags: God's Forgiveness, Forgiveness For Others, Forgiveness General

Denomination: Methodist

Dr. Karl Menninger, The Famed ...  PRO

Contributed by Larry Sarver on Apr 30, 2001

Illustration: Dr. Karl Menninger, the famed psychiatrist, once said that if he "could convince the patients in psychiatric hospitals that their sins were ...read more

Tags: God's Forgiveness, Forgiveness For Others, Forgiveness General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

New York Events  PRO

Contributed by John Gullick on Sep 12, 2001

New York events. It was the day of the tragic events in America when the New York twin towers and the Pentegon had suffered such terrible attack. That night I took the church annual meeting - He came into the meeting late. He was stooped and grey yet young for his eighty five years. The former ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness For Others, Forgiveness General, God's Forgiveness

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Famous English Preacher Charles Spurgeon ...  PRO

Contributed by Ray Navarro on Dec 12, 2001

The famous English preacher Charles Spurgeon once said, "Forgive and forget. When you bury a mad dog, ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness For Others, Forgiveness General, God's Forgiveness

Denomination: Adventist

Leave Your Guilt Behind—communion Meditation  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 3, 2002

LEAVE YOUR GUILT BEHIND--COMMUNION MEDITATION In their book Fearfully and Wonderfully Made, Dr. Paul Brand and Philip Yancey write: "Amputees often experience some sensation of a phantom limb. Somewhere, locked in their brains, a memory lingers of the nonexistent hand or leg. Invisible toes curl, ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness General, Forgiveness For Others, God's Forgiveness

There Was Once An Absent-Minded Professor Who ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 15, 2001

There was once an absent-minded professor who became so absorbed in his work that he forgot the simplest details. One morning his wife said, "Now Henry, remember, we are moving today. Here, I’m putting this note in your pocket. Don’t forget." The day passed by and the man came home to his house. He ...read more

Tags: Leadership General, Forgiveness General, Forgiveness For Others

A Little Girl’s Prayer: A Little Girl Was ...  PRO

Contributed by Brian Mccutchen on Jan 26, 2001

A little girl’s Prayer: A little girl was being punished by eating alone in the corner of the dining room. The family paid no attention to her until they heard her pray: “I thank Thee, Lord, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 18:21-35, Matthew 5:16-18, Matthew 6:3-20, Psalm 145:8-21

Tags: Compassion, Forgiveness General, Forgiveness For Others

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Abe Lemmons Was Head Basketball Coach At The ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 4, 2001

Abe Lemmons was head basketball coach at the University of Texas for years. Asked if he was bitter at Texas Athletic Director Deloss Dodds who fired him as the Longhorn’s basketball coach, he replied, "Not at all, but I plan to buy ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness General, Forgiveness For Others, Anger

Going Down The Highway A Bumper Sticker Was ...  PRO

Contributed by Gary Merillat on Jun 4, 2001

Going down the highway a bumper sticker was observed that said, "I’m a Pearl Harbor survivor." The unique thing about this bumper sticker was that is was on the back of a Toyota truck. That driver ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness For Others, Forgiveness General, Emotions

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Let Go Of The Rope  PRO

Contributed by David Yarbrough on Sep 17, 2001

LET GO OF THE ROPE Corrie ten Boom told of not being able to forget a wrong that had been done to her. She had forgiven the person, but she kept rehashing the incident and so couldn’t sleep. Finally Corrie cried out to God for help in putting the problem to rest. "His help came in the form of a ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness General, Forgiveness For Others, Anger

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Wonderful Illustration Of How Our Lives Can Be ...  PRO

Contributed by Michael Elmore on Nov 29, 2001

A wonderful illustration of how our lives can be transformed by God’s peace is found in the life of Archbishop of the Chicago diocese, Joseph Cardinal Bernardin’s. In his little book, The Gift of Peace, which he was working hard to complete just a year ago, there is a gripping and moving account of ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness General, Forgiveness For Others, Compassion

Denomination: Methodist

Lilies That Fester  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 20, 2002

Lilies that fester smell far worse than weeds. — ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness For Others, Forgiveness General, Holiness

A Woman Testified To The Transformation In Her ...  PRO

Contributed by Darren Ethier on May 9, 2002

A woman testified to the transformation in her life that had resulted through her experience in conversion. She declared, "I’m so glad I got religion. I have an uncle I used to hate so much I vowed I’d never go to his funeral. But now, ...read more

Scripture: Luke 19:1-10

Tags: Anger, Forgiveness For Others, Forgiveness General

Denomination: Pentecostal

A Waste Of Life  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 12, 2002

A WASTE OF LIFE You can’t waste a life hating people, because all they do is live their life, laughing, doing more evil." ALPHA ROBERTSON,whose daughter was one of four girls killed in the bombing of a Birmingham, Ala., church in ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness For Others, Forgiveness General, Anger

Dragging My Sin  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 6, 2005

DRAGGING MY SIN In this award winning film called “The Mission,” Robert DeNiro plays a mercenary who has taken asylum in the local church after killing his brother in a fit of jealous rage. He eventually leaves the church and heads to a mission post located above the waterfalls in a South American ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 32:1-11, Psalm 32:1-11, Mark 5:1-19, Mark 5:1-19

Tags: Forgiveness General, Forgiveness For Others, Character

Richard Calson On Forgiveness

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 2, 2010

RICHARD CALSON ON FORGIVENESS Let me conclude with in the words of Dr. Richard P. Carlson, Professor of Biblical Studies at Gettysburg Seminary: "God’s forgiveness in Jesus Christ is a scandal. It goes out to sinners regardless of their religious or social standing. It breaks into human existence ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 1:7

Tags: Wholehearted, God's Forgiveness, Commit