Scriptures: Hebrews 12:14-15, Matthew 5:11-12, 5:40-4, Ephesians 4:31

Bitterness is the result of feeling that someone has done us wrong, or that life has not gone our way. It's harbored hurt that is hidden int he heart. And if it's allowed to gestate, it can mature into an ugly and deadly sin. Bitter may not cause someone to kill another--but it can take a life away--their own. Bitter people are lifeless people. In the Bible, bitterness is described as a root--something beneath the surface, invisible to the eye, but as real as the tree itself. In this message, Dr. Merritt uncovers the root of bitterness and reaches deep into the Word to find ways to rid ourselves of bitterness and renew the soil of the heart.

"You must deal with the source of your bitterness if you're ever going to get a handle on it. To do that you must understand why you were bitter. We get bitter basically for one of three reasons: First, because of what is done to us; Second, because of what is said about us; Third, because of what is taken from us." --Dr. Merritt

Keywords: bitterness, envy, anger, hidden, root, spring, refuse, harbor, grudge, hate, Ron Shanabarger, Father's Day, SIDS, Caesar, dominate, S.I. McMillen, slave, control, stress, Ralph Waldo Emerson, emotional, depression, criticism, negativism, pessimism, cynicism, Jesus, Sermon on the Mount, Edwin Markham, poet