Yesterday in my sermon I shared something with the congregation that many people have never heard. I am in a series of sermons called “Fix My Marriage,” and I was addressing the issues of past hurts. The key to moving beyond our past hurts is forgiveness. Even then, quite often when we try to ask for forgiveness or offer it, we run into more difficulties. One of the reasons is because we each have a way in which we desire to give and receive forgiveness.

Here are the five primary ways we communicate an apology:

1.“I’m sorry” [Express Regret]
2. “I was wrong” [Accepting Responsibility]
3. “How can I make it right?” [Making Restitution]
4. “I want to change?” [Genuine Repentance]
5. “Can you find it in your heart to forgive me?” [Requesting Forgiveness]

Understanding each one of these is key to helping your relationships move beyond the hurts of the past.

You can find my sermon HERE

You can find out more from the original books Here and HERE.