About Prayer Sermon Notes

Open menu

About Prayer Sermon Notes

Loading note…

Walk through Scripture. Grow in faith. Together.

Home About Prayer Sermon Notes For Churches Privacy Terms

I'm Above It Now | Sermon Notes — Hello Pastor

Sermon Notes/Change Church/I'm Above It Now

Sermon notes

I'm Above It Now

Dr Dharius Daniels·Change Church

Sunday, March 23, 2025

Summary

In part 12 of the GOATED series, Dr. Dharius Daniels delivers a transformative teaching on overcoming offense and practicing genuine forgiveness. He explains that offense is an inevitable reality in life, but holding onto bitterness creates a prison of personal mental, emotional, relational, and spiritual torture. By walking in the King's way, believers learn that forgiveness is not about excusing wrongdoing or restoring toxic dynamics, but releasing the debt, pardoning the offense, and handing the gavel over to God for complete freedom.

Key Scriptures

Tap a passage to read it in the Bible app ↗

Matthew 18:21-35↗Amos 1:3↗Psalm 109:1-15↗Psalm 3:3↗

Themes

ForgivenessOvercoming Offense

Keep growing this week

These are personal sermon notes shared to help you remember the message — not a replacement for Scripture, your church, or your pastors.

More from Dr Dharius Daniels

Continue learning from this pastor

Sermon

It's Hard Out Here For A Husband

Dr Dharius Daniels · Change Church

Sep 20, 2026

Sermon

Are You Marriage Material?

Dr Dharius Daniels · Change Church

Sep 13, 2026

Spiritual Growth and Evolution

Emotional Honesty in Prayer

Soul Freedom

Pastor's Points

1.Forgiveness is not excusing the behavior.
2.Forgiveness is not intentionally exposing yourself to further injury.
3.Forgiveness does not always mean restoring the relationship.
4.The King's Way of forgiveness is a decision to release the debt.
5.The King's Way of forgiveness is a decision to pardon the offense.
6.The King's Way of forgiveness is a decision to give God the gavel.

Key Points

1.God's desire for us is not merely improvement or busyness, but true evolution—transforming us from caterpillars into butterflies that fly above carnality.
2.Offense is inevitable when dealing with imperfect people, which makes forgiveness an essential life skill for every believer.
3.Forgiveness is not about keeping count of offenses, but about losing count and recognizing forgiveness as a grace gift you give yourself.
4.Unforgiveness leads to personal torture—mentally, emotionally, relationally, and spiritually—without causing any harm to the person who wronged you.
5.Holding an offense occupies vital mental real estate that God wants to use for divine innovation, creation, and visioning the future.
6.Forgiveness is distinct from excusing bad behavior, placing yourself in harm's way, or automatically restoring damaged relationships.
7.Intimacy with God requires complete emotional honesty, as modeled by King David pouring out his rawest thoughts in the Psalms.
8.Walking in the King's way means deciding to release the debt owed to you, pardon the offender, and hand the gavel of judgment over to God.

Sermon Moments

“God's obsession is not simply improvement; God's obsession is evolution... God doesn't want to make us a faster caterpillar, He wants to transform us into a butterfly.”

“Offense when not properly handled becomes a fence that keeps us entrapped, ensnared, immobile, and under-optimized.”

“Better can't come in until bitterness goes out, and bitterness can't go out until forgiveness comes in.”

“Forgiveness isn't about keeping count; it's about losing count.”

“Unforgiveness doesn't hurt those who hurt you; it just holds up your healing.”

“Your mood is at the mercy of a memory when unforgiveness anchors your emotions in the past.”

“We mistrust the innocent because of the wounds from the guilty.”

“The King's Way is forgiveness as a decision to release the debt, pardon the offense, and give God the gavel.”

This Week

Identify any offense you are replaying in your mind and consciously choose to stop giving it mental real estate.
Practice total emotional honesty in prayer by writing down your unedited feelings before God so He can meet you with healing.
Formally release the spiritual and emotional 'debt' owed by someone who hurt you, accepting that an apology cannot restore lost time.
Hand over the 'gavel' to God by surrendering the desire to see those who wronged you get punished or exposed.
Set healthy boundaries that protect your ongoing healing without harboring bitterness or seeking retaliation.
Evaluate your close relationships to discern if someone was misplaced in your life rather than displaced when boundaries changed.
Shift your perspective on forgiveness from an act earned by others to an essential gift of freedom for yourself.

Remember This

Forgiveness is not a gift you give to others because they deserve it, but a gift you give yourself so you can be free and rise above offense.

A Challenge for You

Release the debt, pardon the offense, and hand the gavel over to God today so that past pain can no longer keep you grounded.

Sermon

Most Christians Misunderstand Being Unequally Yoked

Dr Dharius Daniels · Change Church

Sep 10, 2026

Sermon

Family Feud: Breaking Generational Cycles

Dr Dharius Daniels · Change Church

Sep 6, 2026

Messages for what you're walking through

Related teaching for similar life moments

Sermon

Now We Have Access

Milton James · 2819

Sep 13, 2026

Sermon

A Glorious Mess

Arik Hayes · 2819

Aug 2, 2026

Sermon

Article III: The Person & Work of Jesus Christ

Jonathan Evans · Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship

Jul 5, 2026

Sermon

The Spirit Poured Out

Philip Anthony Mitchell · 2819

May 10, 2026

Explore more Sermon Notes

Browse all sermon notes