1. Guilt and Forgiveness and the Effect on Health
Rev. Dr. Mark Rockenbach

2. Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
Psalm 51:5

4. Improved Interpersonal Relationships
Improved Physical Heath
Improved Emotional Heath
Improved Spiritual Health

5. Cognitive Looping-Rumination
Our Response to Sin
Run
Attack
Cognitive Looping-Rumination

6. Cognitive Looping-Rumination
Our Response to Sin
Run
Attack
Cognitive Looping-Rumination
Unforgiveness

7. Participant Number Three
“When it first happened, the first week, the first month I sat outside at the fire pit and cried and cried and cried. Then I went in the house and got everything they gave me and burned it. Everything, yeah. Which I never regretted.”

8. Participant Number Three
“I think it was hardest for me to accept because I’m very analytical and I try to figure everything out in my brain and then make it work and there was no making it work.”

9. (R. F. Baumeister et al., 1996; Bushman & Baumeister, 1998)
Depression/Anxiety
Individuals fixate upon negative thoughts and dysfunctional cognitions which only increases depression or the potential for depressive relapse.
(Broderick, 2005; Young, 2011)
Anger
Individuals who have high self esteem are more likely to respond with aggression and anger when their cognitive thinking is stuck in rumination.
(R. F. Baumeister et al., 1996; Bushman & Baumeister, 1998)

10. How do we end Cognitive Looping? How do we end Unforgiveness?

11. Ending Unforgiveness: Get the Log Out of Your Eye
You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. Matt. 7:5

12. What Idols Are You Serving
Fears
Anxiety or desperation of losing something of great value to them.
Assess by asking “What do you want to preserve or avoid?”
Desires
When desires are turned into demands.
Assess by asking “What is consuming your thoughts and time right now?”
Misplaced Trust
When trust is placed in something or someone that does not give God glory.
Assess by asking “What or who do you trust in?”

13. Ending Unforgiveness: Forgiveness from Christ
“He gave His Son to die and suffer for my sins that when on earth somebody does something that isn’t right, no matter how dramatic it is or not. I could’ve saved myself a year or maybe two years of total torture and pain if I would’ve just went right to the Cross. Instead of thinking in my brain, I’ll figure out how to fix this. So going right to the Cross and knowing in Christ you can forgive anybody for anything. Take them off your hook and let God deal with it.”
Participant Three

14. Ending Unforgiveness: Forgiveness from Christ
“I know because of Christ I can forgive. Because I can’t forgive, but with him, in Christ- I can forgive this action.”
Participant Three

15. Ending Unforgiveness: Forgiveness is not Forgetting
“You’re not going to forget it. That you can still remember it. That by saying you’re sorry, even though you’re not saying it to them, you’re forgiving them. You’re never saying it was all right what you did. I mean I can forgive the person, but the actual incident is never going to leave my mind. I don’t think it’s even biologically able to, because when certain things come up or you see or you hear, it pops into your mind.”

16. Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit.
Psalm 32:1-2

17. “Remember , O Lord, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old. Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways, according to your love remember me, for you are good, O Lord.” Psalm 24:6-7 “If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, therefore you are feared.” Psalm 130:3-4 “Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed Is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit.” Psalm 32:1-2