Breaking Free from Unforgiveness

[Breaking Free from Unforgiveness](JP8tMhYNA:m:1:2618166767:15186C1DEE60BC980D59DBF32FEC0842:r) Current Teaching Series [Walking Through the Door to Freedom](JP8tMhYNA:m:1:2618166767:15186C1DEE60BC980D59DBF32FEC0842:r) [Listen to Today's Broadcast](JP8tMhYNA:m:1:2618166767:15186C1DEE60BC980D59DBF32FEC0842:r) [Breaking Free from Unforgiveness](JP8tMhYNA:m:1:2618166767:15186C1DEE60BC980D59DBF32FEC0842:r) By Rick Warren — April 19, 2019 [Facebook](JP8tMhYNA:m:1:2618166767:15186C1DEE60BC980D59DBF32FEC0842:r) [Twitter](JP8tMhYNA:m:1:2618166767:15186C1DEE60BC980D59DBF32FEC0842:r) [Pinterest](JP8tMhYNA:m:1:2618166767:15186C1DEE60BC980D59DBF32FEC0842:r) [Email](JP8tMhYNA:m:1:2618166767:15186C1DEE60BC980D59DBF32FEC0842:r) [Devotional image from Rick Warren](JP8tMhYNA:m:1:2618166767:15186C1DEE60BC980D59DBF32FEC0842:r) “One person dies in full vigor, completely secure and at ease . . . Another dies in bitterness of soul, never having enjoyed anything good” (Job 21:23, 25 NIV). God will place opportunities in front of you, doors only you can open. But you can’t step through them if you harbor unforgiveness. Unforgiveness is a prison. Let me share a story with you that vividly illustrates this. On Christmas Eve 1979, when Danny Duchene was a young teenager, he learned his parents had been arrested and put in prison in Mexico for smuggling cocaine. The news filled him with fear and anger. He drove to an empty parking lot and got high on drugs in his car. Realizing that the drugs gave him temporary relief from the pain, he committed to doing it every day. As his addiction grew, so did his anger and anxiety, causing him to make riskier and riskier choices until one day he participated in a crime where he was responsible for the death of two men. Little did Danny know that prison would become a place of rescue. Before he received a double life sentence, Danny gave his life to Jesus. Eventually, through Celebrate Recovery, Danny learned to ask for forgiveness and accept forgiveness—from himself and his parents. On Christmas Eve 2014, 35 years after his parents were put in a Mexican prison, Danny walked out of prison and became a pastor at Saddleback Church. Today—more than three decades after being told he would spend the rest of his life in prison—he is helping prisoners across the nation find hope and healing through Jesus Christ. Before he could walk through that door of opportunity, Danny had to walk out of the prison of bitterness. The Bible tells us, “One person dies in full vigor, completely secure and at ease . . . Another dies in bitterness of soul, never having enjoyed anything good” (Job 21:23, 25 NIV). You have a choice. You can hold on to unforgiveness and bitterness, or you can experience the life God is calling you to live.You can’t have both. You may think the person who hurt you doesn’t deserve your forgiveness. You’re right—but you don’t deserve forgiveness, either. Ephesians 4:32 says, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (NIV). Forgiveness isn’t easy. But it’s the only way to step into the life God wants for you.[PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>](JP8tMhYNA:m:1:2618166767:15186C1DEE60BC980D59DBF32FEC0842:r) Talk About It - How has your life been affected by bitterness or unforgiveness? - When do you find it most difficult to forgive others? - What person do you need to forgive right now? What’s keeping you from it? What one step can you take toward forgiveness this week? [Facebook](JP8tMhYNA:m:1:2618166767:15186C1DEE60BC980D59DBF32FEC0842:r) [Twitter](JP8tMhYNA:m:1:2618166767:15186C1DEE60BC980D59DBF32FEC0842:r) [Pinterest](JP8tMhYNA:m:1:2618166767:15186C1DEE60BC980D59DBF32FEC0842:r) [Email](JP8tMhYNA:m:1:2618166767:15186C1DEE60BC980D59DBF32FEC0842:r) JP8tMhYNA:m:1:2618166767:15186C1DEE60BC980D59DBF32FEC0842:r [Our Gift for Your Support: Journey with Jesus](JP8tMhYNA:m:1:2618166767:15186C1DEE60BC980D59DBF32FEC0842:r) Take your soul on a special journey—and experience Easter with renewed hope this year. Join Pastor Rick Warren in tracing Jesus’ path through Jerusalem on the way to Calvary, with his BRAND-NEW book, Journey with Jesus. This brand-new deluxe gift edition 12” x 9” book has a soft leather-like cover and 148 weighted high-gloss pages. You’ll see the story of Jesus come to life through gorgeous custom mosaic artwork and beautiful photos and you’ll learn the fascinating biblical and historical facts related to each stop Jesus made along the way. This book and the inspiring story it tells, opens the door to worship Jesus and also serves as a practical tool to share the certain hope of Jesus with others. [LEARN MORE](JP8tMhYNA:m:1:2618166767:15186C1DEE60BC980D59DBF32FEC0842:r) JP8tMhYNA:m:1:2618166767:15186C1DEE60BC980D59DBF32FEC0842:r [Complete Audio Series (Purchase)](JP8tMhYNA:m:1:2618166767:15186C1DEE60BC980D59DBF32FEC0842:r) Includes 2 full-length teaching CDs from Pastor Rick's series Walking Through the Door to Freedom. 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[Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional.](JP8tMhYNA:m:1:2618166767:15186C1DEE60BC980D59DBF32FEC0842:r) This devotional is based on the current Daily Hope radio series at [pastorrick.com](JP8tMhYNA:m:1:2618166767:15186C1DEE60BC980D59DBF32FEC0842:r). Rick Warren has helped people live with hope and on purpose for more than 40 years. He’s the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Southern California and author of several books, including The Purpose Driven Church and The Purpose Driven Life, which has been translated into 137 languages and sold more than 50 million copies in all formats. He created the PEACE Plan (plant churches of reconciliation, equip servant leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, educate the next generation), which is used by churches in 196 countries. His radio teaching and daily devotional, Daily Hope, is offered around the world. This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. 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