Home Alone

Point: Fear Keeps Us From Forgiving

Introduction

Every Christmas, certain movies just feel like home. We know the lines, the scenes, the music…and somehow they still make us smile, laugh, or even tear up. These stories have a way of drawing us in because they remind us of something deeper—love, hope, forgiveness, belonging.

That’s why this Christmas, we’re doing Christmas at the Movies.

Each week, we’ll take some of our favorite Christmas films—stories we’ve watched for years—and use them as a starting point to uncover timeless biblical truths.

We’re not celebrating the movies themselves… We’re using the movies to point us to the One this season is all about—Jesus.

So whether you’re new to church or you’ve been following Jesus for decades… Know this.

God can use the most unexpected moments—even scenes from our favorite Christmas movies—to awaken our hearts to His truth.

Today we begin with Home alone and a message that I have titled

Fear keeps us from Forgiving

More often than not, we can see the power of fear at work in others before we notice in ourselves

In this movie, Kevin (a child) allows fear to guide him

It impacts his words, behavior, and ultimately everyone else

Maybe today though a Christmas Classic, you see a reflection of yourself in the heart of a child who desperately wants forgiveness, but struggles because of fear

Watch what fear can do…

Clip One : Kevin sees Old Man Marley through the window.

(What fear does to our perception)

You may be wondering what the purpose of this scene is?

I want to show you the power of Fear as it relates to our ability to forgive

Fear Distorts Reality

Kevin isn’t scared because of anything Marley did. He’s scared because of the story Buzz told. Fear takes rumors, assumptions, and past hurts and turns them into “truth.”

We do the same. We let fear create a version of someone that isn’t real.

Luke 15:11–12 Jesus tells a story “A man had two sons. The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.”

The son had believed a lie

If I don’t get it now, there won’t be any later

I can do better with it than my father can

The Son let fear create a version of his father that is not true

This is what fear does

Fear Turns People Into Characters

Kevin sees Marley as a monster instead of a human.

Fear reduces people to their worst moment and keeps them frozen there.

It often keeps us frozen too.

Transition Thought:

When fear leads, we often react to things instead of responding to them.

It throws off our judgement and creates chaos

In this next scene, watch what happens when fear takes charge…

Clip 2: Kevin gets in trouble, storms off, and wishes his family would disappear.

(Fear changes the way we respond)

Fear Makes Us Withdraw

Kevin feels unheard, misunderstood, overwhelmed, and forgotten

Have you ever felt those feelings?

Instead of dealing with the tension, he lets fear take over—fear that he doesn’t belong, fear that he’s the problem, fear that things will never change

And what does he do? He pushes everyone away

We do this too, fear makes us retreat instead of reconcile

Fear Turns Hurt Into Isolation

Kevin’s reaction isn’t really anger—it’s hurt.

But fear convinces him that distance is safer than dealing with the pain. So he chooses isolation

and then discovers loneliness isn’t freedom.

Fear promises protection, but it delivers separation.

Fear Breaks Relationship

In moments of conflict, fear tells us:

Just cut them off

Walk away

Don’t bother trying

But healing can’t happen from a distance

Fear breaks connection before forgiveness gets a chance

Luke 15:13 “A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living.”

Transition Into Clip 3

In the first scene, Kevin let fear distort who Marley was.

In the second scene, fear pushed Kevin away from the people he loved.

But the beauty of Christmas is how God responds to us

He never retreat in fear, He steps toward us, not away from us.

So in this next scene, Kevin does something fear never lets us do:

He steps toward the person he misunderstood.

And it changes everything.

Play Clip Three…

Clip 3: Kevin meets Old Man Marley in the church and discovers he isn’t who he thought he was

Forgiveness Begins When Fear Loses Its Voice

Kevin comes face-to-face with Marley and realizes…

Marley is nothing like the stories.

He isn’t dangerous.

He isn’t angry.

He’s kind, gentle, and hurting.

This is what happens when we stop listening to fear and start listening to truth

Forgiveness begins with truth

and the truth is…

People Are Always More Than the Story We Told Ourselves

Kevin discovers the real Marley

a grandfather who misses his family and regrets broken relationships.

The “monster” he imagined was never real.

Unforgiveness keeps us locked in old stories.

Truth opens the door to compassion.

Honesty Makes Forgiveness Possible

In this sacred moment—inside a church—Marley shares his regret about his son.

Kevin encourages him to reach out.And that’s the beginning of reconciliation.

Luke 15:17–19 “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”

Forgiveness rarely starts with a big moment.

It starts with one honest conversation.

Clip 4:

Forgiveness Opens the Door for Restoration

When Kevin’s mom bursts through the door, there’s no lecture, no blame, no replaying the past… just embrace.

This is what forgiveness does:

It moves toward the person, not the problem

Fear kept both Kevin and his mom stuck in distance

Forgiveness pulls them back together.

Forgiveness Requires a First Step

Kevin’s mom did what Marley feared doing—she went after her child

She didn’t wait for perfect timing

She didn’t wait for someone else to move first

She just went.

Restoration often happens when someone chooses to go first

Forgiveness Creates Ripple Effects (Play Clip 5)

As Kevin looks outside and sees Marley reunited with his son, he watches forgiveness happening in another family too.

Two stories—Kevin’s and Marley’s—both being healed by the same thing:

Courage to move toward each other, even after hurt.

This is what God did for us

Story of Prodigal Son

The Father moved towards the son

Luke 15:20 “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.”

That son was never the same

Forgiveness in one heart can inspire forgiveness in another.

Closing Thought:

Home Alone isn’t about Kevin outsmarting burglars

It’s relationships being restored.

It’s fear losing.

It’s families coming back together.

Forgiveness isn’t just a holiday idea—it’s the heart of the gospel.

Have you experience forgiveness?

It’s available to you

You just have to accept it

Who do you need to forgive?