EDGEWATER, Fla. – A church in Edgewater is changing its sign after a message about forgiveness was misinterpreted by many in the community as a sexual innuendo.

The sign outside the Bella Villa Baptist Church read: "Forgiveness is swallowing when you want to spit."

Representatives from the church say the sign was "completely innocent" and was "intended as encouragement to forgive." However, many interpreted the sign in a salacious manner.

A woman in the community posted the sign on Facebook, saying she did a U-turn to come back and take a photo. Many people commented with laughter, with another writing, "Don't think they thought this through."

The church said it intends to remove the forgiveness message after the controversy.

"We apologize if anyone was offended," officials from the church wrote.