Forgiving What You Can't Forget by Lysa TerKeurst
Week 5: Chapter 4 — "Why Does Forgiveness Have to Be So Hard?"
Read Chapter 4 of Forgiving What You Can't Forget. Key Scripture: Matthew 6:14–15; Ephesians 4:31–32.
Want the full guide for Forgiving What You Can't Forget?
Free Week 1 sample in 5 min · $24.99 for all 13 weeks · 7-day refund
This chapter gets to the honest, gut-level question most of us have asked but felt too guilty to say out loud: *Why does God ask this of me?*
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Lysa wrestles openly with the question of why forgiveness is so difficult — and why God seems to require it even in extreme circumstances. What is your gut-level response to God's command to forgive? Is it acceptance, resistance, or something more complicated?
2.She explores the tension in Matthew 6:14–15, where Jesus seems to link God's forgiveness of us to our forgiveness of others. This is one of the most unsettling passages in the Gospels. How do you interpret it — and how does it sit with you emotionally?
a.Is Jesus teaching that God's forgiveness is *conditional* on ours, or is he making a different kind of point about the character of someone who has truly received grace?
b.How does Lysa help you think through this passage in a way that is both faithful and livable?
3.Lysa is honest that forgiveness is hard partly because it can feel deeply *unfair* — especially when the other person has not repented or suffered consequences. Where does your sense of justice fit into the forgiveness equation? Is there a way to honor your need for justice without letting it block forgiveness?
You're on Week 5 of 13
Don't lose momentum — get the rest of Forgiving What You Can't Forget
All 92 questions across 13 weeks, with closing prayers and a downloadable PDF for your group.
One-time purchase · 7-day refund · Covers your whole group