In this week’s episode of the Summer Q&A Series, Nicole answers a deeply personal and universally relevant listener question: “How do you repair a relationship when trust has been broken—and you know you’ll never accept their point of view?”

With pastoral care, biblical grounding, and hard-earned wisdom, Nicole unpacks the spiritual and emotional nuance of reconciliation. Drawing from Matthew 18 and the parable of the unforgiving servant, she explores what it means to truly forgive someone from the heart—and how that differs from rebuilding trust or restoring a broken relationship.

Nicole challenges the common myth that forgiveness equals relational closeness, and instead introduces a framework for discerning when and how to rebuild a relationship. Listeners will walk away with clarity, compassion, and a path forward for their most complex relational wounds.

Main Takeaways


Forgiveness and Reconciliation are not the same: You can forgive someone fully without restoring the relationship to what it once was.


Forgiveness is about release: Releasing the debt someone owes you doesn't mean ignoring the pain or pretending it didn’t happen.


Trust Must Be Rebuilt: Trust after betrayal requires mutual effort—both people must be willing to rebuild from their side of the breach.


Respect is the Minimum Requirement: You don’t need to share the same worldview to have a relationship—but both parties must be willing to listen and respect one another.


Relationships exist on a spectrum: Not every relationship needs to be fully restored. Some may be repositioned to a more distant—but still loving—place.


Scripture challenges us to forgive radically: Jesus’ parable in Matthew 18:21–35 underscores the magnitude of the forgiveness we've received—and the forgiveness we're called to extend.

📜 Bible Verse References


Matthew 18:21–35 – Parable of the Unforgiving Servant


Jeremiah 17:9 – “The heart is deceitful above all things…”


Psalm 139:23–24 – “Search me, God, and know my heart…”


Matthew 6:12 – “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”

Want More from Nicole?


Subscribe to How to Study the Bible so you don’t miss a week of the Summer Q&A Series.


Leave a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts—your feedback helps others discover the show.


Check out Nicole’s book, The Miracle Moment, for a deeper dive into relational repair and forgiveness.


Visitnicoleunice.com for additional resources, Bible studies, and updates on the upcoming fall series.


Share this episode with someone walking through a difficult relationship—they don’t have to walk it alone.

In this week&rsquo;s episode of the Summer Q&amp;A Series, Nicole answers a deeply personal and universally relevant listener question: &ldquo;How do you repair a relationship when trust has been broken&mdash;and you know you&rsquo;ll never accept their point of view?&rdquo;
With pastoral care, biblical grounding, and hard-earned wisdom, Nicole unpacks the spiritual and emotional nuance of reconciliation. Drawing from Matthew 18 and the parable of the unforgiving servant, she explores what it means to truly forgive someone from the heart&mdash;and how that differs from rebuilding trust or restoring a broken relationship.
Nicole challenges the common myth that forgiveness equals relational closeness, and instead introduces a framework for discerning when and how to rebuild a relationship. Listeners will walk away with clarity, compassion, and a path forward for their most complex relational wounds.
<hr data-start="1481" data-end="1484">
Main Takeaways
<ul data-start="1509" data-end="2468">
<li data-start="1509" data-end="1651">
Forgiveness and Reconciliation are not the same: You can forgive someone fully without restoring the relationship to what it once was.
</li>
<li data-start="1652" data-end="1788">
Forgiveness is about release: Releasing the debt someone owes you doesn't mean ignoring the pain or pretending it didn&rsquo;t happen.
</li>
<li data-start="1789" data-end="1935">
Trust Must Be Rebuilt: Trust after betrayal requires mutual effort&mdash;both people must be willing to rebuild from their side of the breach.
</li>
<li data-start="1936" data-end="2113">
Respect is the Minimum Requirement: You don&rsquo;t need to share the same worldview to have a relationship&mdash;but both parties must be willing to listen and respect one another.
</li>
<li data-start="2114" data-end="2274">
Relationships exist on a spectrum: Not every relationship needs to be fully restored. Some may be repositioned to a more distant&mdash;but still loving&mdash;place.
</li>
<li data-start="2275" data-end="2468">
Scripture challenges us to forgive radically: Jesus&rsquo; parable in Matthew 18:21&ndash;35 underscores the magnitude of the forgiveness we've received&mdash;and the forgiveness we're called to extend.
</li>
</ul>
<hr data-start="2470" data-end="2473">
📜 Bible Verse References
<ul data-start="2506" data-end="3140">
<li data-start="2506" data-end="2670">
Matthew 18:21&ndash;35 &ndash; Parable of the Unforgiving Servant
</li>
<li data-start="2671" data-end="2823">
Jeremiah 17:9 &ndash; &ldquo;The heart is deceitful above all things&hellip;&rdquo;
</li>
<li data-start="2824" data-end="2972">
Psalm 139:23&ndash;24 &ndash; &ldquo;Search me, God, and know my heart&hellip;&rdquo;
</li>
<li data-start="2973" data-end="3140">
Matthew 6:12 &ndash; &ldquo;Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.&rdquo;
</li>
</ul>
<hr data-start="3142" data-end="3145">
Want More from Nicole?
<ul data-start="3178" data-end="3741">
<li data-start="3178" data-end="3274">
Subscribe to How to Study the Bible so you don&rsquo;t miss a week of the Summer Q&amp;A Series.
</li>
<li data-start="3275" data-end="3372">
Leave a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts&mdash;your feedback helps others discover the show.
</li>
<li data-start="3373" data-end="3485">
Check out Nicole&rsquo;s book, <a href="https://nicoleunice.com/miraclemoment/">The Miracle Moment,</a> for a deeper dive into relational repair and forgiveness.
</li>
<li data-start="3486" data-end="3628">
Visit <a href="https://www.nicoleunice.com" data-start="3498" data-end="3544">nicoleunice.com</a> for additional resources, Bible studies, and updates on the upcoming fall series.
</li>
<li data-start="3629" data-end="3741">
Share this episode with someone walking through a difficult relationship&mdash;they don&rsquo;t have to walk it alone.
</li>
</ul>

As Christians, we want to experience God through the Bible… we really do!

But our good intentions fall flat when reading the Bible just doesn’t seem to help us experience God in a real way. What should feel dynamic and important and alive often feels confusing and boring and irrelevant. But it doesn’t have to feel this way.

In this bible study podcast, pastor and Bible teacher Nicole Unice brings life back to reading the Bible by walking listeners through her Alive Method of Bible study, helping us personally encounter God through His Word by giving us a practical, clear road map for understanding, interpreting and applying Scripture to our lives. 

Topics covered in this podcast:

💡 Three Common Obstacles to Understanding the Bible
💡The Basics of Bible Study (Observation, Interpretation) and How to Apple the Bible to Your Life
💡Deep Dive into Bible Studies by Books of the Bible (We've covered Ecclesiastes, Romans, Matthew, and more!)
💡 Topical Bible study lessons on Joy, Contentment, Prayer and more
💡 Spiritual Rhythms: Creating New Rhythms in Your Life
💡 4 Principles You Need to Interpret Difficult Scripture

To find more from Nicole, visit https://nicoleunice.com/.

As Christians, we want to experience God through the Bible… we really do! But our good intentions fall flat when reading the Bible just doesn’t seem to help us experience God in a real way. What should feel dynamic and important and alive often feels confusing and boring and irrelevant. But it doesn’t have to feel this way. In this bible study podcast, pastor and Bible teacher Nicole Unice brings life back to reading the Bible by walking listeners through her Alive Method of Bible study, helping us personally encounter God through His Word by giving us a practical, clear road map for understanding, interpreting and applying Scripture to our lives. 
Topics covered in this podcast:
💡 Three Common Obstacles to Understanding the Bible 💡The Basics of Bible Study (Observation, Interpretation) and How to Apple the Bible to Your Life 💡Deep Dive into Bible Studies by Books of the Bible (We've covered Ecclesiastes, Romans, Matthew, and more!) 💡 Topical Bible study lessons on Joy, Contentment, Prayer and more 💡 Spiritual Rhythms: Creating New Rhythms in Your Life 💡 4 Principles You Need to Interpret Difficult Scripture
To find more from Nicole, visit <a href="https://nicoleunice.com/">https://nicoleunice.com/</a>.

How to Study the Bible - Bible Study Made Simple

As Christians, we want to experience God through the Bible… we really do!

But our good intentions fall flat when reading the Bible just doesn’t seem to help us experience God in a real way. What should feel dynamic and important and alive often feels confusing and boring and irrelevant. But it doesn’t have to feel this way.

In this bible study podcast, pastor and Bible teacher Nicole Unice brings life back to reading the Bible by walking listeners through her Alive Method of Bible study, helping us personally encounter God through His Word by giving us a practical, clear road map for understanding, interpreting and applying Scripture to our lives. 

Topics covered in this podcast:

💡 Common Obstacles to Understanding the Bible
💡The Basics of Bible Study (Observation, Interpretation) and How to Apple the Bible to Your Life
💡Deep Dive into Bible Studies by Books of the Bible (We've covered Ecclesiastes, Romans, Matthew, and more!)
💡 Topical Bible Study Lessons on Joy, Contentment, Prayer and More
💡 Spiritual Rhythms: Creating New Rhythms in Your Life
💡 Principles You Need to Interpret Difficult Scripture

To find more from Nicole, visit https://nicoleunice.com/.

As Christians, we want to experience God through the Bible… we really do! But our good intentions fall flat when reading the Bible just doesn’t seem to help us experience God in a real way. What should feel dynamic and important and alive often feels confusing and boring and irrelevant. But it doesn’t have to feel this way. In this bible study podcast, pastor and Bible teacher Nicole Unice brings life back to reading the Bible by walking listeners through her Alive Method of Bible study, helping us personally encounter God through His Word by giving us a practical, clear road map for understanding, interpreting and applying Scripture to our lives. 
Topics covered in this podcast:
💡 Common Obstacles to Understanding the Bible 💡The Basics of Bible Study (Observation, Interpretation) and How to Apple the Bible to Your Life 💡Deep Dive into Bible Studies by Books of the Bible (We've covered Ecclesiastes, Romans, Matthew, and more!) 💡 Topical Bible Study Lessons on Joy, Contentment, Prayer and More 💡 Spiritual Rhythms: Creating New Rhythms in Your Life 💡 Principles You Need to Interpret Difficult Scripture
To find more from Nicole, visit <a href="https://nicoleunice.com/">https://nicoleunice.com/</a>.

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