Podcast Summary: "Experiencing Forgiveness in Real Time"

Living Influence with Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd
Date: December 11, 2025

Episode Overview

In this heartfelt episode, Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd dive deep into what it means to truly experience forgiveness—not just in the theological sense, but as a daily, lived reality. They focus especially on freeing ourselves from shame, reconciling not just with God and others, but critically with ourselves. With candid personal stories and scriptural insights, Bill and Scott explore how to live "forgiven" in real time, moving from a posture of shame and "sin management" into a transformative experience that empowers us to influence others.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Common Struggle with Forgiveness and Shame

• Opening Reflection: Bill describes living with "a constant angst" of never feeling forgiven and always feeling "not good enough" ([00:09]).
• Forgiveness is presented not as a one-time event, but something to "try on" as a new identity: "Try on this new set of clothes that says, I'm forgiven." – Bill ([00:39])

2. The Daily Reality of Sin and Its Effects

• Living in a World Affected by Sin: Both Bill and Scott emphasize that everyone lives influenced by their own sin and by the sins of others ([01:03]).
• "Being affected by sin tragically always triggers my shame. And that's why you started with those words. You've lived in that reality of never being enough. Those are shame words." – Scott ([01:20])

3. Theological Grounding: What Does It Mean To Be Forgiven?

• True Nature of Forgiveness:
  • "Jesus has already forgiven all of your sins, past, present, and future." – Bill ([02:38])
  • Scott clarifies: "In reality, every person who accepts Jesus Christ is forgiven. And God says I'll remember their sin no more. I'll cast it as far as east from the west." ([02:50])
  • Yet, the experience of sin and its impact continues to affect us in real time ([03:50]).

4. Scripture and the Paradox of Confession

• 1 John discussed: "The blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanseth us from all sin."
• Distinction between being positionally forgiven by God and the need for ongoing, real-time confession for cleansing ([04:08]–[04:37]).
• Scott: "Because I am experiencing the sin for which I have done in real time, I need to ask for forgiveness so I can be cleansed of what I've done." ([05:19])
• The act of repentance and forgiving others is necessary for present freedom: "In real life, unless I experience repenting, I will not be cleansed of the sin I've done in real time unless I let you repent and forgive you for what you've done." – Scott ([08:02])

5. The Two Gifts for True Forgiveness

• Two divine gifts:
  • The ability to confess and be cleansed of our own sin.
  • The ability to forgive those who have sinned against us ([06:53], [08:02]).
• Forgiveness is described as "applying the blood of Jesus to the sin done against me," while repentance "applies the blood of Jesus to the sin that I have done" ([08:44]).

6. Real-Life Examples and Freedom from the Past

• Powerful story: Bill recounts helping a woman who, after three decades, found freedom from the effects of childhood harm through processing and forgiveness ([09:07]–[09:59]).
• Bill shares his own journey: "Nobody's ever hurt me as much as I have. Nobody has ever done as much damage to the guy who's talking as I have." ([10:50])
• When Bill trusted Jesus "to cleanse me today of what I've done to me," he experienced overwhelming freedom and the breaking of "the bondage of my hidden behavior" ([11:10]).

7. Forgiving Ourselves and Letting Go of Shame

• Scott highlights how self-dialogue can reinforce shame: "The things I say about me... how I talk to me... to begin to let go of all those things... Those are lies that have formed our identity." ([12:04]–[12:22])
• Bill summarizes: "Breaking the bondage of the lies I told me because of what I had done to me." ([12:27])

8. Living in a New Reality—Forgiven With God, Others, and Self

• "Our sin no longer defines us" is the core takeaway for relationships with God, others, and ourselves ([13:12]).
• The process leads to liking oneself: "Now, this is going to sound corny... but I'm sorry. I like me now." – Bill ([14:24])

9. The Impact of Early Experiences and Parental Relationships

• Scott relates his own harsh self-talk to his childhood, specifically his father's abandonment and alcoholism ([14:37]).
• He identifies a pattern: people with settled self-relationships often had "a good dad," highlighting the powerful impact of early experiences ([15:15]).

10. Moving From Shame to Influence

• The result of practicing real-time forgiveness: living without the "angst defined by my shame" and instead "living into the purposes of God" in open relationships ([16:57]).
• Bill critiques "sin management theology" that keeps Christians stuck in shame versus the grace-focused approach that enables living "in a condition of living forgiven" ([17:15]).
• Living forgiven empowers influence: "When you live in the two, you help others to begin... to start living in the two. And that's called influence." – Scott & Bill ([19:04])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the illusion of heavenly judgment:
  "I was taught when I would go to heaven, they would read all of those sins of mine... But listen to what that did to you. See, that was a shame. That was a teaching of shame to scare you from sinning." – Scott ([06:53]–[07:07])

• On personal transformation:
  "Nobody's ever hurt me as much as I have... I'm going to trust Jesus and his blood to cleanse me today of what I've done to me." – Bill ([10:49]–[11:20])

• On self-forgiveness and identity:
  "I like me now. For years. For years. No, no." – Bill ([14:24])

• On influence:
  "When you live in the two, you help others to begin... to start living in the two. And that's called influence." – Scott & Bill ([19:02]–[19:17])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Opening & Theme Introduction: [00:09]–[01:36]
• Theology of Forgiveness: [02:38]–[05:33]
• Two Gifts and Real-Time Cleansing: [06:39]–[09:06]
• Personal Stories of Freedom: [09:07]–[11:44]
• Shame, Self-Talk & New Identity: [12:04]–[13:24]
• Fatherhood, Childhood Wounds & Self-Relationship: [14:37]–[15:45]
• Role of Grace vs. Sin Management: [16:57]–[17:15]
• Living In the “Two” (Forgiven and Free): [18:37]–[19:17]

Conclusion

Bill and Scott’s candid discussion offers both a theological foundation and practical encouragement for anyone wrestling with shame, self-condemnation, or the pain of relational wounds. The episode underscores the importance of not just understanding forgiveness intellectually but also experiencing it viscerally and relationally—an invitation to live truly free, to like oneself, and to influence others from an authentic place of grace.

For further study: Listeners are invited to download study guides and join community discussions, fostering a deeper exploration of these life-changing truths.