Blackwell Missionary Baptist Church

09/11/2026

What Are the Six Things That Block Forgiveness?
Ephesians 4:31-32 lays out six specific attitudes and behaviors that prevent us from giving or receiving forgiveness:

"Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you." - Ephesians 4:31-32

These six things are deeply connected. If you have one, you likely have several others tagging along. Think of them like clothes in your closet that no longer fit. They are uncomfortable, they do not serve you, and they need to go.

1. Bitterness
Bitterness is a resentful Spirit. It is like wearing a shirt that is too tight. You keep trying to make it work, but it never feels right and it makes you miserable. A bitter person is difficult to be around and resistant to doing good.

2. Wrath
Wrath is an excited, explosive passion. It is close to road rage. It is unsettled and noisy, like clomping around in shoes that are too big. A person full of wrath is always on edge and ready to react.

3. Anger
Anger is a lasting resentment. Think of Saul chasing David for years, or Jonah pouting because God showed mercy to Nineveh. Anger is like pants that are too tight, always on the verge of splitting at the seams.

4. Clamor
Clamor is constant noise without substance. It is stirring the pot, talking without saying anything meaningful. Proverbs 9:13 describes it this way: "A foolish woman is clamorous. She is simple and knows nothing." - Proverbs 9:13 This applies equally to men and women. Clamor keeps conflict alive when it should be allowed to settle.

5. Evil Speaking
The Greek word behind evil speaking is blasphemy. It is abusive, negative language. It is saying things that hurt and wondering afterward why you said them. Evil speaking tears people down instead of building them up.

6. Malice
Malice is spiteful, vengeful intent. It is like wearing a winter hat in the summer just to remind yourself how much you hate the cold. It agitates you constantly and serves no purpose. The scribes and Pharisees are a clear biblical example. Mark 11:18 says: "And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him." - Mark 11:18 Their entire focus was on bringing Jesus down.

09/11/2026

Day 5: Taking the First Step Toward Freedom
Devotional
Forgiveness is not a feeling that arrives on its own. It is a decision followed by action. And like most meaningful things in life, it begins with a single step. The path forward starts with prayer. Not a polished prayer, just an honest one. Ask God to help you carry what you cannot carry alone. Ask Him to shift your perspective and to handle the justice you cannot deliver. He is faithful to do that. He has promised to. From there, pursue a free heart. That means making a deliberate choice to stop rehearsing the offense. Every time your mind drifts back to the hurt, redirect it. This is not denial. It is discipline. And it gets easier with practice and with God's help. Sometimes the process also means reaching out to a pastor or a trusted biblical counselor. There is no shame in that. Seeking support is not a sign that your faith is weak. It is a sign that you are serious about getting free. Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future. That is worth holding onto. The things you want to do, the relationships you want to build, the peace you want to feel, they are all waiting on the other side of a choice you can make today. You do not have to have it all figured out. You just have to take the first step. God will meet you there.

Bible Verse
"And be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you." - Ephesians 4:32
Reflection Question
What is one practical step you can take this week to begin moving toward forgiveness in a situation where you have been stuck?

Quote
"Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future."
Prayer
Father, give me the courage to take the first step toward forgiveness today. I trust that You will meet me there and carry me the rest of the way. Amen.

09/10/2026

How Many Times Does the Bible Say to Forgive?
The Bible mentions forgiveness or some form of the word over a hundred times. When Jesus spoke to His disciples about how many times to forgive, He said seventy times seven. That is 490 times as a minimum. That number alone tells us how seriously God takes our call to forgive.

09/10/2026

09/10/2026

Day 4: What Bitterness Is Actually Doing to You
Devotional
There is a striking image worth sitting with: one man described the bitterness in his heart as so intense that if he had licked his heart, he would have died from how poisonous it was. That is a vivid picture, but it is not far from the truth. Unforgiveness does not just affect your relationships. It affects your mind, your Spirit, and even your body. Carrying unresolved anger and resentment creates real stress, real anxiety, and real physical consequences. The person who hurt you has likely moved on. Meanwhile, you are the one lying awake at night, replaying the offense, feeling the weight of it every single day. One man shared that once he finally learned to forgive, he deeply regretted not doing it sooner. Because once he let go, he realized the bitterness had not been punishing the other person at all. It had only been making him miserable. Forgiveness frees you. Spiritually, mentally, and physically. It does not change what happened in the past, but it does open up your future. When you release the offense, you are no longer cramped by rage and hostility. You have room to breathe, to grow, and to move forward. God wants that freedom for you. He is not asking you to forgive so the other person gets off the hook. He is asking you to forgive so that you can live fully, the way He designed you to live.
Bible Verse
"As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us." - Psalms 103:12
Reflection Question
In what ways has holding onto unforgiveness cost you personally, and what might your life look like if you chose to release it?
Quote
"Forgiveness frees us spiritually, it frees us mentally, it also frees us physically. Because without forgiveness you have all those pent up feelings inside you and that causes to have problems."

09/09/2026

What Is the Difference Between Forgiveness and Reconciliation?
Before going further, it is important to clear up a common misunderstanding. Forgiveness and reconciliation are not the same thing.

Forgiveness does not mean excusing what happened, minimizing the pain, or pretending the offense did not occur. It also does not automatically mean restoring a relationship. Reconciliation involves rebuilding a relationship, and that is a separate matter entirely.

Forgiveness means releasing the grip that an offense has on your heart. It means choosing not to let what happened continue to define your thoughts, your words, and your actions.

09/09/2026

Join us at Sept 13, 11:00 - We'd love to have you visit.
188 Blackwell Rd, Atkins, AR

09/09/2026

Day 3: The Spiritual Stakes of Staying Bitter
Devotional
Forgiveness is not just a relational issue. It is a deeply spiritual one, and Jesus made that unmistakably clear. In Matthew 6, He said that if we forgive others, our heavenly Father will forgive us. But if we refuse to forgive, our Father will not forgive us either. That is a sobering statement. It does not mean we earn our salvation through forgiving others. It means that a heart genuinely transformed by God's grace will reflect that grace outward. When we refuse to extend what we have freely received, something is spiritually wrong. Unforgiveness also has a way of spreading. It starts in the heart, but it does not stay there. It shows up in our words, our tone, our attitude, and our witness. As followers of Jesus, we are ambassadors of Christ. What we say and how we treat people reflects not just on us but on Him. Here is the good news: God's forgiveness toward you is not small or conditional. He removed your sins as far as the east is from the west. That is not a short distance. That is an immeasurable one. He did not hold your failures over your head. He released them completely. That same God who forgave you so fully is the One asking you to forgive. You are not being asked to do something He has not already done for you, at great cost to Himself.
Bible Verse
"If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." - Matthew 6:14-15
Reflection Question
How does knowing that God forgave you completely and at great cost change the way you think about forgiving someone who has hurt you?
Quote
"We're ambassadors of Jesus Christ, so we should watch what we say, when we say something. Because if we're Christians and we start badmouthing and we start doing any of the big six we're not a good ambassador because that makes not only us look bad, it makes Jesus look bad."
Prayer
God, remind me daily of the depth of Your forgiveness toward me. Let that truth be what moves me to extend grace to others, even when it is difficult. Amen.

09/08/2026

What Does the Bible Say About Forgiveness? How to Let Go of Bitterness and Find Freedom
Forgiveness is one of the hardest things we are called to do as followers of Christ. Whether someone has wronged you deeply or you are carrying years of unresolved hurt, the path forward is the same. Scripture gives us a clear picture of what holds us back from forgiving and what we need to replace it with. Read Eph 4:31-32