Introduction

“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” - Ephesians 4:31-32

Far too many people walk around carrying heavy baggage from years of mistakes, hurt, pain, bad choices, etc. In Jesus, there is no condemnation for our past mistakes because we are given the gift of eternal grace. It’s time to unpack all the worthless weight we‘re carrying around and learn to live free.

Some of the baggage we carry around with us is bitterness and anger because of past pain and frustration. This can spill over into our current and future relationships and create collateral damage. We have to let it go. We have to choose forgiveness and repentance in order to be kind, tenderhearted, and loving toward others.

Let’s begin our new 4-week series by learning to let it go.

It’s time to unpack all the worthless weight we‘re carrying around and learn to live free.

Main Teaching

Know the Issue

Obviously, to let go of an issue, we must first understand what the issue/problem is. In the Ephesians passage we read a few minutes ago, Paul identifies 7 specific things believers need to “get rid of.” They are: Bitterness, Rage, Anger, Brawling, Slander, Every form of malice, Unforgiveness

And honestly, this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the range of negative emotions, feelings and attitudes we often carry around with us. But where do they all come from? Surely it’s not like people just wake up in the morning and decide to be bitter or angry.

I’ve never heard anyone say, “I sure hope someone does something awful to me today - just so I can withhold forgiveness from them!” And yet, if we’re honest about it, there are many of us who silently hold bitterness, anger, envy, etc… in our hearts towards others.

So, the first step to letting it go is identifying what you’re carrying around.

Here are a few ideas to help get the identification process started: Bring the process to the Lord in prayer and ask that He help to reveal any areas holding you back ... View this full sermon with PRO Premium