Is there anyone you think of when you hear words like Payback, Retribution, Revenge, Comeuppance, Grudges, Vengeance? Is there someone you wish would experience some of these things? Why is it so easy & natural for us to hold onto someone’s failure, and so hard to extend grace & forgiveness? Why do we treat payback like it’s justice, or bitterness, like it’s righteous wisdom? We don’t say it out loud, but many of us are walking through life carrying receipts. We keep proof of how we’ve been wronged, stacked and ready. But those receipts are heavy, and they’re hurting us. They distort our worship, poison our relationships, and dim the light we’re called to shine in the world. Jesus never modeled retribution. He never once encouraged payback—so why are we so comfortable with it? The way we respond when we’ve been hurt is a clear sign of whether grace is something we actually believe in. If we’ve been rescued from darkness, then it’s time to stop walking around with receipts and start walking in mercy. If any of this gives you pause or pricks your heart, then you need this sermon, because God wants to set you free from the exhausting burden of keeping score.