I Forgive You / I'm Sorry: Two Lessons on Forgiveness and Repentance — by Clay Gentry

Three words. Two words. And somehow, both are among the hardest things any of us will ever say.

I Forgive You / I'm Sorry is a compact but deeply practical two-lesson tract that tackles the twin sides of reconciliation — the duty to forgive and the courage to repent. Written by Clay Gentry, this study doesn't soften the edges. It's honest about why forgiveness feels impossible, why apologies come out wrong, and why both failures end up costing us far more than we realized.

Lesson One: "I Forgive You — Duty of the Forgiven" opens by dismantling the three myths that keep most people stuck — that forgiving means excusing, forgetting, or pretending consequences don't exist. None of that is biblical. What forgiveness actually is, according to Jesus, is a conscious choice to cancel a debt you have every human right to collect. The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant hits hard here: the debt others owe us amounts to roughly 0.0000016% of what God has already forgiven us. That math is uncomfortable. It's supposed to be.

Lesson Two: "I'm Sorry — The Priority of an Apology" flips the coin. Most of what passes for an apology isn't one — it's blame-shifting, excuse-making, or self-pity dressed up in sorry-sounding language. Gentry names all three and explains exactly why pride builds the walls that keep us from genuine repentance. The anchor text is Matthew 5:21–26, where Jesus essentially tells a Galilean worshiper to walk away from the altar, make a 12-to-15-day round trip home to apologize to a neighbor, then come back and offer the sacrifice. Reconciliation before worship. Not after. Not eventually.

Both lessons include robust discussion and reflection questions — seven per lesson — making this ideal for small groups, Bible classes, or one-on-one discipleship.

This tract is a strong fit for:

• Adult Bible classes on relationships and conflict
• Marriage enrichment studies
• Small group series on the Sermon on the Mount
• Personal devotional use during seasons of relational difficulty
• Evangelism follow-up with new or returning Christians

Product Details:

• Author: Clay Gentry
• Publisher: Spiritbuilding Publishers
• Format: Printed Tract / Study Guide
• Page Count: 25 pages
• Lessons: 2
• Discussion Questions: 14 total (7 per lesson)
• Key Scriptures: Matthew 5:21–26; Matthew 6:12, 14–15; Matthew 18:21–35; Luke 17:1–10; Colossians 3:12–13; Romans 12:17–21; Proverbs 28:13; 29:23
• Topics: Forgiveness, Repentance, Reconciliation, Apology, Pride, Spiritual Warfare, Grace
• Audience: Adults; Teen and up with facilitation
• Class Size: Individual, small group, or full congregation