Forgiveness Is for Everyone, Seventy Times Seven

Hey, Carpooling with Jesus family. I'm so glad you're joining us today. I'm Pastor Justin, and we are going to be talking about something that really matters: forgiveness. Now, have you ever been so upset with someone because they said something mean or did something that really hurt your feelings? We've all been there. Today we're going to learn how forgiving others can help you feel better and bring peace to your life. Our verse today is from the book of Matthew. This is the first book of the New Testament, chapter 18, verses 21 and 22. Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times? Jesus answered, I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. Man, that's a lot of forgiveness, but what does it mean? Well, Peter asked Jesus how many times he should forgive someone who hurt him. He thought forgiving seven times was a lot, but Jesus said we should forgive seventy times seven. That doesn't mean we count to seventy times seven. It means that we should always be ready to forgive, no matter how many times somebody makes a mistake or gets us angry. When we forgive, we let go of our anger and choose to show kindness. It's like lifting a big weight off your heart, and it helps us feel happier and more peaceful. Jesus always said forgiving others is hard, but it's the way to find peace. When someone hurts you, it's easy to stay angry, but forgiveness isn't just about the other person. It's about you too. When you forgive, you feel lighter. You can keep being kind. And remember that Jesus forgave you, so he wants you to do the same for others. This reminds me of a story about two boys, Asher and Tony. Asher was always the one picking teams, and he always picked Tony first. But one game when they were playing at recess, Tony dropped the ball and the team lost. Well, the next day when Asher was picking teams, he didn't pick Tony. He picked someone else. Now this really hurt Tony's feelings. He went home and he was mad and he thought he should be mad forever. Then he talked to his mom, and his mom reminded him that forgiveness is what Jesus would want him to do. That forgiveness is like a key that unlocks your heart. And when you forgive, you don't have to stay angry anymore. So Tony went back to school the next day and forgave Asher. He let him know that he was really hurt by what he did. And they went and had a great recess together, having fun and smiling, because when you forgive, everyone feels better and walks away joyful and peaceful and knowing a little bit more about how Jesus would do things if he was on the playground with us. So today, when someone hurts your feelings, remember Jesus's words: forgive, forgive, and forgive again. Let go of anger and let kindness fill your heart. Forgiveness makes you feel free and can bring peace to your day. No matter where you are, no matter how you're listening, God loves you. Before you go, answer this question together. Who is someone that you can forgive today? How can you show them kindness? I'll see you tomorrow on another episode of Carpooling with Jesus.