Summary4 min read

Podcast Summary: The Wake-Up Call

Episode Title: Jesus Forgave Sins; We Can Too
Host: Dan Wilt
Date: June 13, 2026

Episode Overview

In this heartfelt Saturday edition of The Wake-Up Call, host Dan Wilt centers the conversation on the transformative power of forgiveness, reflecting on the example of Jesus in Luke 5:18-20. Wilt explores both scriptural and real-life illustrations of radical forgiveness, emphasizing the invitation for each of us to experience this grace personally and extend it to others. The episode weaves together biblical teaching, a memorable story from the Amish community, practical journaling prompts, and ends with worship to encourage listeners in their walk with Christ.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Scriptural Foundation: Luke 5:18–20

Main Text: The story of friends lowering a paralyzed man through a roof to reach Jesus, who responds, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”
- “Jesus saw their faith, he said, friend, your sins are forgiven. The Word of the Lord.” (02:02)

2. Radical Forgiveness: The Amish Story

Wilt recounts the powerful example of an Amish community who, after a tragic school shooting, chose to forgive the perpetrator and care for his family.
- “[They] went to the widow and family of the man who had committed the act... to extend forgiveness and to care for them in their grief. The world was stunned and had mixed reactions to this way of life that the Amish believed to be the way of Jesus. Who lives this way?” (02:34)
- “Forgiveness was the topic of national news for an extended period of time. That is the miracle of the Jesus Way.” (03:17)

3. Forgiveness in the Ministry of Jesus

Jesus prioritized forgiveness—even above physical healing.
- “Jesus understood that forgiveness leading to inner freedom is the greatest miracle of all.” (04:00)
The authority of Jesus to forgive is highlighted—referencing Matthew 9:6.
Forgiveness unburdens the offender from condemnation (internal and external).

4. Forgiveness as Kingdom Practice

The episode explores confession and accountability in Christian community: “In confession, we reveal our need for forgiveness to another, who then says to us, in one form or another, you are forgiven. In banded discipleship, the confessional community becomes the foundation on which great love and mutual support can be shared...” (04:35)
Forgiveness as commanded in Scripture:
- “We are told to forgive one another as Christ has forgiven us.” (Referencing Ephesians 4:32)
- “...confess our sins to one another, that we may be healed.” (James 5:16)

5. Jesus’ Teaching on Forgiveness

The Lord’s Prayer includes a mutual dimension:
- “Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.” (Luke 11:4, 05:23)
- Wilt emphasizes, forgiveness is essential: “Forgiveness must be in the lead as we minister to others.” (06:08)

6. Personal Application & Activation

Wilt encourages listeners to move beyond being “used by Jesus,” favoring instead the idea that we partner with Christ in the ministry of forgiving and being forgiven.
- “To partner with Jesus, to work with him, to play with him in the healing of lives around us.” (06:47)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On forgiveness as the greatest miracle:
- “Forgiveness leading to inner freedom is the greatest miracle of all.” (04:00)
On communal witness:
- “The ability to forgive is a sign that the kingdom of God is here.” (04:21)
On personal participation:
- “So Lord Jesus, I'm open to forgiving and being forgiven, knowing that it is the only way to true freedom. Teach me forgiveness as a kingdom practice...” (07:02)
On being 'Christ carriers':
- “The Greek word is Christos feros or Christopher. We're Christ carriers... we bring the forgiveness and grace of Jesus into every relationship...” (11:55)

Timestamps for Important Segments

00:00–02:05 — Opening prayer and scripture reading (Luke 5:18–20)
02:06–04:20 — Amish school shooting story and radical forgiveness
04:21–05:28 — Forgiveness in Christian practice (confession, discipleship, scripture references)
05:29–06:46 — Teaching on the Lord’s Prayer and the centrality of forgiveness
06:47–07:37 — Prayer of openness to practice forgiveness
07:38–08:50 — Journal prompts and daily spiritual activation
08:59–11:46 — Worship segment: “Christ Alone (Cornerstone)”
11:47–end — Final reflections: being Christ carriers and living out forgiveness

Reflection & Journal Prompts (07:38–08:50)

Write down all the ways Jesus has forgiven you, letting it be a time of thankfulness.
Reflect on how others have forgiven you and what the results have been in your life.
Today’s activation:
- Consider if you need to forgive someone.
- Reflect and if possible, share with your band or a mentor your desire to forgive (even if it is difficult).
- Ask God for guidance in taking the next step to forgive as you have been forgiven.

Tone & Language

Dan Wilt’s delivery is warm, pastoral, and practical. He gently invites listeners into self-examination, honest confession, and active steps toward forgiveness, blending real-life stories and deeply rooted biblical teaching.

Conclusion

This episode is a compelling call to experience the freeing power of forgiveness, reminding listeners that as Christ has so freely forgiven us, we too are called—and empowered—to forgive. Wilt’s blend of story, scripture, prayer, and worship provides a multi-faceted guide for anyone seeking to walk more fully in the forgiveness and grace of Jesus.

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Transcript3 lines

[00:00]
A
Foreign. Sower Nation Today is Saturday, June 13th in the year of our Lord 2026. I'm Dan Wilt and this is your wake up call. It's a beautiful day, a beautiful day to be alive and to begin our day with a meeting with Jesus. Wake up sleeper. Rise from the dead and Christ will shine on you. Let's pray our prayer of consecration as we begin. Jesus, I belong to you. I lift up my heart to you. I set my mind on you. I fix my eyes on you. I offer my body to you as a living sacrifice. Jesus, we belong to you and we're praying in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Well, today's entry is titled Jesus Forgave Sins and we can too. Our text is from Luke 5, 18:20 Hear the word of the Lord. Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd right in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, he said, friend, your sins are forgiven. The Word of the Lord. Consider this. We begin today's entry with a difficult but powerful story that illustrates the transformative effect of forgiveness. And this one is a little bit of a PG13 story, so be aware of that. If you have younger ones listening, you may remember the story of the small Amish community in Pennsylvania who experienced unspeakable suffering after a disturbed assailant took many young lives in an Amish community. The movie Amish Grace is based on this story. The most remarkable part of the story is how the Amish community, soon after the incident, went to the widow and family of the man who had committed the act. He had also taken his own life to extend forgiveness and to care for them in their grief. The world was stunned and had mixed reactions to this way of life that the Amish believed to be the way of Jesus who lives this way. Forgiveness was the topic of the national news for an extended period of time. That is the miracle of the Jesus Way, the Kingdom Way, Silencing and confronting the ways of the world in the all the things ministry of Jesus we see in motion. In Luke 5, 18, 20, we see our rabbi choosing to express forgiveness to a man who had been brought to him for healing. Jesus understood that forgiveness leading to inner freedom is the greatest miracle of all. I heard about this story of radical forgiveness many years ago on the news in this Amish community, and it struck a deep chord because it happened not far from my hometown in Pennsylvania. My wife and I have been stuck in traffic behind many buggies in that part of the country. The ability to forgive is a sign that the kingdom of God is here. Across the ages of the church, there's been a practice called confession, carried on by average Christians and spiritual leaders of virtually every tradition. In confession, we reveal our need for forgiveness to another, who then says to us, in one form or another, you are forgiven. In banded discipleship, the confessional community becomes the foundation on which great love and mutual support can be shared in the group Jesus forgave. It is part of the all the things that Jesus did and taught as the Son of God, he could forgive as only God can forgive, as he has the authority on earth to forgive sins. Matthew 9:6 Forgiveness unburdens the offender from the weight of external and internal condemnation. We are told to forgive one another as Christ has forgiven us Ephesians 4:32 and to confess our sins to one one another, James 5:16 that we may be healed. And here's the real kicker. Jesus embeds the theme of forgiveness and shines a light on it as a true kingdom practice in his rabbinical prayer. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. That's Luke 11, verse 4. I'm a big fan of God moving miraculously through a word of knowledge or insight, a prophetic word or a physical healing. But I've also become very fond of the power of forgiveness as we consider all the things that Jesus did and taught and that we, as those who practice the way of Jesus are commissioned to do. Forgiveness must be in the lead as we minister to others. So let's pray our prayer together as we open our lives to be used by Jesus. But I don't even love that word used by Jesus to partner with Jesus, to work with him, to play with him in the healing of lives around us. So Lord Jesus, I'm open to forgiving and being forgiven, knowing that it is the only way to true freedom. Teach me forgiveness as a kingdom practice and where my heart is far from you in forgiving someone near me, present or past, soften me. Bring me near to your heart. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen. And here are our journal prompts. Write down all the ways that Jesus has forgiven you. Write down all the ways that Jesus has forgiven you. Think through the years. Sit with it a little bit and let it be a time of thankfulness not sorrow, though sometimes godly sorrow is a good thing in it. But let it be a time of thankfulness as you reflect. As you write next, write down the ways others have forgiven you. Write down the ways others have forgiven you. What patterns do you see and what have been the results of forgiveness in your life and the lives of others? Today's activation is this. Today, is there someone you need to forgive? Someone toward whom you have been harboring unforgiveness? Take some time with your band or a trusted mentor to share how you desire to forgive and even how hard it is for you. Then ask the Lord what an appropriate next step would be to forgive as you have been forgiven. Amen. Well, today we're going to sing a contemporary worship song. It's not in our great Redeemer's praise, and it's called Christ Alone Cornerstone. And I'd love for us just to lift our voices together and turn our hearts to worship. As we move into Saturday.
[08:59]
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My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness I dare not trust the sweetest frame but holy trust in Jesus name. Christ alone Cornerstone Weak Made strong in the Savior's love through the storm he is Lord Lord of all. When darkness seems to hide his face I rest on his unchanging grace in every high and stormy gale My anchor holds within the veil Christ alone Christ alone Cornerstone we made strong in the Savior's love through the storm he is Lord Lord of all. O Christ alone Cornerstone we made strong in the Savior's love through the storm he is Lord Lord of all. Lord of all sing lord of all oh jesus lord of all.
[11:47]
A
Amen well, we have a whole Saturday ahead of us. We have a Sunday meeting together here with Jesus and with our communities, your community in worship. And we are bearers of the kingdom. And part of that, that carrying that we do. The Greek word is Christos feros or Christopher. We're Christ carriers is that we bring the forgiveness and the grace of Jesus into every relationship. Every moment we're in conversation. It begins with us experiencing Jesus forgiveness and then extending it to others that that grace, that welcoming to live in the mercy of God rather than. Than under judgment. So let's go out there as Christ carriers, get our seeds together and I'll see you on the field for the awakening. I'm Dan Wil.