Exemplar Coaching

Live by Design, Not by Default.

CoffeeChat 42 – Where’s the Line?

Edition  42

Where's the Line?

Last Edition Recap
How have you applied the last edition to your life?
Opening Prayer
Forgiving God, when it came to our sin, You never drew a line in the sand; there is no limit to Your forgiveness, nor is love limited. Help us live within Your love and forgiveness. Amen.
Introduction
“I’m drawing a line in the sand”—the point where we refuse to go further. When someone keeps borrowing money but never repays, we draw the line: “Never again.” When someone repeatedly hurts us, we decide: “One more time and I’ll write them off forever.” We don’t draw lines to be cruel or prove points. Deep down, we’re hurt. Their actions or words dig deep, and we want the hurt to stop. Yet how often do we find ourselves rubbing out those lines to help that same person again? Why? Because deep down we’re driven by an even greater force that overrides hurt: hope. That small flame whispers, “Maybe this is the last time and everything will change.” We’re people of hope. We hope for the best. The strength of that hope is grounded in love. It’s the deepness of love and hope that struggles to keep lines drawn in sand. Fun fact: “Forgive and Forget” doesn’t appear in the Bible. Forgiveness is a command demanding obedience, not feelings or memories. Not forgetting doesn’t mean you haven’t forgiven—it means you have a brain that remembers. In Biblical times, forgiveness had a quota of three times. In Matthew 18:22, Jesus makes forgiveness limitless.
Chat Point 1
  1. Have you ever “drawn a line in the sand”—what happened and why?
  2. What drove you to draw that line—hurt, betrayal, or exhaustion?
  3. Have you ever willingly erased a line you drew, and why did you do it?
  4. How did you feel afterwards—relieved, vulnerable, or foolish?
  5. If a stranger witnessed you erasing the line, would they see love in action or weakness?
Read
Matthew 18:21-35, Matthew 6:12,14-15, 1 Corinthians 13:4-13
Key Focus
Colossians 3:13 – “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”
Chat Point 2
  1. What stood out about Peter thinking seven times was generous when Jesus says seventy-seven times?
  2. What happens to you if you do not forgive according to Matthew 6:14-15?
  3. Why does forgiveness demand obedience over emotions and memories?
  4. What would happen if God’s forgiveness was limited like our lines in the sand?
  5. How does the parable teach us about receiving forgiveness but not being forgiving?
Final Thought
The servant owed 10,000 talents—an un-payable debt, like owing billions today. The king forgave it all. Minutes later, that same servant choked his fellow servant over 100 denarii—about three months’ wages. He drew a line in the sand over pocket change after his impossible debt was erased. This is us. God erases our un-payable debt, yet we draw lines over hurt feelings, broken promises, repeated offences. “Three strikes and you’re out,” we say, while standing in grace that has no strikes at all. The reason we draw lines isn’t to prove points or be cruel—we’re hurt. We want the hurt to stop. But hope, grounded in love, keeps erasing those lines. That’s not weakness; it’s divine strength. When you erase a line for someone who hurt you, you’re not being foolish—you’re being like God. The Master’s forgiveness has no quota. Neither should ours. Forgiveness isn’t about forgetting—your brain remembers. It’s about obedience. Not feeling like forgiving doesn’t mean you haven’t forgiven. It means you chose obedience over emotion. Where’s the line? For God, there isn’t one. For us, there shouldn’t be either.
My Action
What key insight or learning from this session resonates most with me, and what do I sense God is inviting me to do in response?
Shared Prayer
What are your prayer requests?​
Closing Prayer
Forgiving God, the price of Your forgiveness is eternally expensive; help us be forgiving people so that we may know peace. Amen.
Like the community: www.facebook.com/CoffeeChatConnect
In-Between Chats: Personal Reflection
  1. Think of the person who has hurt you—how would you feel if Jesus told you forgiveness has no limit?
  2. Why does Jesus command you to forgive others in light of eternal life?
  3. Practical Step: Write the name of the person you must forgive on paper. Pray: “Lord, I don’t feel like forgiving (name) but I obediently forgive (name) in Jesus’s Name because You have forgiven me.” Burn the paper and set yourself free.
Edition Writer: Rev Kevin Zondagh

Methodist Minister, Personal Development Specialist, Life Coach, Relationship Coach and Executive Coach. Founder and Owner of Exemplar Coaching Pty Ltd and CoffeeChatConnect. "We should have the desire to custom design the only life we have. After-all, we buy designer everything. How much more should we Live by Design, not by default?"