Clear the Cache
by Darien Chaffart | Nov 1, 2026
Sermon Notes
- A key aspect of successful relationships is the willingness to forgive
- Matthew 6:12 CSB
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors
Forgive (aphiémi) – to send away… releasing any desire to punish (take revenge)*
Debts (opheiléma) – collateral (cumulative) damage… the residual effect of a debt*
* HELPS Discovery Bible Lexicon - Matthew 6:14 CSB
For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.Forgive (aphiémi) – to send away… releasing any desire to punish (take revenge)*
Sins (paraptóma) – (unintentional) error or (wilful) transgression — fall, fault, offence, sin, trespass**
* Helps Discovery Bible Lexicon
** Strongs Concordance - Matthew 18:21-22 CSB
Then Peter approached him and asked, “Lord, how many times must I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? As many as seven times?” “I tell you, not as many as seven,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven.”Forgive (aphiémi) – to send away… releasing any desire to punish (take revenge)*
Sins (hamartanó) – to miss or wander from the path of uprightness and honour, to do or go wrong*** Helps Discovery Bible Lexicon
** Thayers Greek Lexicon - Mark 11:25 CSB
“And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven will also forgive you your wrongdoing.” - Jesus says we must forgive others when:
* Their actions cost us something (Debts – Matt. 6:12)
* They make a mistake, fault, error, whether intentional or unintentional (Sins – Matt. 6:14)
* They do bad things that hurt us (Sins – Matt. 18:21)
* We have anything against them (Mark 11:25) - We must forgive others, because God has already forgiven us
- Matthew 18:23-27 CSB
“For this reason, the kingdom of heaven can be compared to a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle accounts, one who owed ten thousand talents was brought before him. Since he did not have the money to pay it back, his master commanded that he, his wife, his children, and everything he had be sold to pay the debt. At this, the servant fell facedown before him and said, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you everything.’ Then the master of that servant had compassion, released him, and forgave him the loan.” - Matthew 18:28-30 CSB
“That servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him, started choking him, and said, ‘Pay what you owe!’ 29 “At this, his fellow servant fell down and began begging him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ But he wasn’t willing. Instead, he went and threw him into prison until he could pay what was owed.” - Matthew 18:32b-35 CSB
“…his master said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Shouldn’t you also have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ And because he was angry, his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured until he could pay everything that was owed. So also my heavenly Father will do to you unless every one of you forgives his brother or sister from your heart.” - How can we withhold forgiveness from others when God has forgiven us of so much?
- You don’t have to let someone else’s actions dictate your peace
- Luke 23:34a CSB
Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing.” - We must release others from our desire to punish them, and like Jesus, choose to forgive
- Ask God: Is there someone who has hurt me, and I haven’t yet fully forgiven?
Pray: God, I have been holding unforgiveness against this person for far too long. I am giving them to you. Help me to forgive them, to clear the cache, and be set free from the prison of offense
- Pray: God, I ask that you would bless this person. I ask that they would just see and know your love, that you would take care of them and protect them in everything
Discussion Questions
- In the message, Darien compared the way we hold on to past hurts to how computer’s cache/store information, with memories and experiences shaping how we choose to respond to people. In your experience, how has past hurt affected the way you see or interact with someone, even long after the hurt occurred?
- In Matthew 18:21-22, Jesus tells us to forgive others, even when they repeatedly hurt us. What makes that kind of forgiveness so difficult, especially when someone has hurt us deeply or refuses to apologize?
- Jesus tells a story in Matthew 18:23-35 about a servant who was forgiven an enormous debt, yet refused to forgive someone who owed him much less. What do you think Jesus is trying to teach us through this story? How should remembering the way God has forgiven us affect the way we respond to people who hurt us?
- In the message, Darien described unforgiveness as a prison of our own making, where we choose to suffer while hoping the other person will pay for what they did. In your experience, how has holding on to hurt, anger or bitterness affected your life? What do you think it looks like to release someone from your desire to punish them?
- Forgiving people doesn’t mean excusing what they did, pretending the hurt didn’t happen, or even restoring the relationship; rather it requires we release them from our debt. In your opinion, how can we forgive someone while still acknowledging the hurt they caused and maintaining healthy boundaries to protect ourselves?
- Is there someone in your life that you need to forgive? What is one practical step you can take this week to begin to let go of that hurt and choose forgiveness?
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