Isaiah 1:5; 61:1-4; Luke 7:36-50 • Where do our wounds live? • Can my life be healed? No matter where we have been or where we are now, God’s Word gives us hope for healing. This lesson explains class goals, expectations, and responsibilities.
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Isaiah 1:5; 61:1-4; Luke 7:36-50 • Where do our wounds live? • Can my life be healed? No matter where we have been or where we are now, God’s Word gives us hope for healing. This lesson explains class goals, expectations, and responsibilities.
Please read! MP3s: If you use your phone to listen to MP3s, please open this purchase on your phone files, which will instantly download to the device you are on at the time. All files listed are copyrighted and should not be shared. Please call us at 719-694-8394 if you have any questions.
Jeremiah 6:16; Genesis 3:1-6; Luke 4:1-13 • Where do pain and temptation come from? • Where do Trust Trail and Pride Pathway end up? Temptation is a crossroad where we answer the question: “Whom will I serve?” Choosing Trust Trail—God’s way— leads to the Promised Land. Choosing Pride Pathway—our way—leads to Egypt, a metaphor for bondage and pain.
Jeremiah 2:13-22; 3:12-13; Ecc. 2:1-11 • Why did I make so many mistakes in my life? • Does God care about the choices I make? When we make prideful choices and choose our own way, our plans don’t work, and the consequences are severe. Our merciful God cares about us and provides a way out.
Genesis 37-50; Acts 7:9-10 • Are Joseph’s struggles relevant to me? • Why does God allow suffering? Joseph is a role model because he coped well with difficult life challenges. Although he came from a dysfunctional family and suffered many injustices, God worked for his good and used his struggles to prepare and mature him.
M Healing Journey MP3: Getting a Handle on the 3 P’s
Exodus 6; 12; 14; 16 • What does it mean to be my own provider, protector and power source? • Why don’t I trust God to be in charge? When God called Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, he was shaping them into a God-fearing nation who would follow his ways. God transforms us by revealing himself through his incredible power, ability to protect and desire to provide for all our needs.
Isaiah 55:8-9; Luke 4:14-30 • How does God see things? • Why is my perspective different from God’s? Our perspective is the judgment we make about a person or situation and is fed by our beliefs and thoughts. God’s perspective about our life is more encompassing than what we can see from our limited vantage point.
2 Samuel 13 • Why does abuse happen? • Where is God when abuse occurs? The rape of Tamar by her brother Amnon is a difficult story in Scripture. We look at the devastating effect of abuse on the entire family and try to understand why abuse happens as well as who is and isn’t to blame.
1 Peter 1:3-9; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10 • How can a loving God allow abuse? • What is free will all about? God knew when he created our free will that we would use it harmfully, so he made a plan to restore us. Our choices are either a wall or a door to God’s restorative work. God is the only one who can perfectly balance justice and mercy.
M Healing Journey MP3: Seeing Challenges God’s Way
Nehemiah 1-2 • Does God care about my feelings? • Does God really answer my prayers? We explore a positive example of how Nehemiah trusted God’s perspective. We observe the way he processed his difficult feelings and how God was a faithful provider, protector, and source of power.
Genesis 16 • Does God see me and care about my feelings? • How do unhealed emotions propel our choices? In the eyes of the world, Hagar was a “nobody.” Yet a compassionate God sees Hagar’s misery, comes to her, and provides for her. After an encounter with the “God Who Sees,” she is lifted out of her pit of hopelessness.
M Healing Journey MP3: The Four Directions of Anger
Ephesians 4:22-32 • What is feeding my anger? • What forms of anger play out in my life? Our anger takes many forms, some subtle and others obvious. Responding in anger hurts our relationship with God, others, and our self. Becoming aware of our anger patterns helps us not be controlled by them.
M Healing Journey MP3: The Desert, Sea, and Prison
Psalm 107 • What are the unmet longings in my heart? • How is pride, unbelief, or rebellion guiding my choices? Our life journey can feel like a dry desert, stormy sea, or gloomy prison. We get there with choices rooted in pride, unbelief, and rebellion that don’t satisfy our true needs. No matter what we have chosen, God can deliver us.
Psalm 10:14; Ecclesiastes 7:18 • What rules do victims live by? • What false beliefs have I embraced about my identity? The victim identity tells us we are defined by what has happened to us, that we have no choices, and that we are stuck. Changing what we believe about ourselves helps us begin to change our patterns of victim behavior.
Romans 12:3; 1 Corinthians 15:10 • How do lies affect my identity? • How does God see me? Who am I really? Self-acceptance comes from believing the truth about who we are in Christ. God views us as his precious children and accepts us exactly as we are.
Isaiah 43 • How do I deal with my fear of trusting God? • What will happen if I trust God? God knows that our journey to freedom is hard. He tells us to not be afraid because he loves us and is with us every step of the way. It is in the journey that we are transformed, and God will provide every needed resource.
1 John 4:4; 1 Peter 5:8-9; James 4:7 • Who is Satan, what does he do, and why is he after me? • How do I keep the enemy from messing with me? We need to be aware of the enemy, think accurately about how he works, be attentive to the things that attract Satan’s attention, and take appropriate action when he attacks. Even though Satan is real, he is no match for God.
M Healing Journey MP3: Our Season in the Wilderness
Genesis 42-44 • What can I expect during my journey? • Why do I have to feel hard feelings before I can heal? Joseph’s healing journey was erratic and messy as he struggled with blame, anger, pain, and grief. He made mistakes, yet God never left him.
Isaiah 57:14-21 • What happens in my relationship with God when I sin? • How has God provided for restoration? Our sinful choices against God and others create a barrier in our relationship with God. Confessing our sins and receiving forgiveness sets us free from shame and guilt.
Ezekiel 36; Isaiah 61:1-3 • How do I live victoriously? • What are the blessings that God promises? The moment we turn toward God and seek his way, he begins to bless us and fulfill his purposes for us. As he accomplishes the restoration of our mind and heart, he brings us to a place of contentment, joy, and peace.
M Healing Journey MP3: Justice, Mercy, and Humility
Micah 6:8 • What does it look like to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly? As we shed the victim identity, we replace it with God’s standard for living victoriously. We do the right thing regardless of how others treat us. We give others mercy instead of judgment. We live in humility knowing it’s all about God, not us.
M Healing Journey MP3: A Life Model: Trust, Commit, Rest, Wait
Psalm 37:1-11 • How does God want me to handle hard situations? When tough problems come our way, God wants us to trust him and commit to doing what he tells us to do. We can rest in the strength he provides to not control or act out. Finally, we can wait while God works on our behalf.
Romans 12:1; James 1:21-27; Psalm 51:17 • What is a congruent person and how do I become one? • How can I worship God in every area of my life? While living in Egypt, we say one thing, do another, and still believe something else. As our healing progresses, our thoughts, feelings, actions, words, and beliefs begin to line up with God’s heart. We become congruent, and our life becomes a beautiful sacrifice of service for God.
Matthew 18:21-35; Luke 6:37-38 • How does unforgiveness keep me in bondage? • How do I heal from wounds inflicted by others? Forgiveness is the remedy for wounds created by others. When we forgive, we extend the same mercy we have received to our offenders and let God be their judge. God’s healing light then penetrates into our wounds.
Genesis 42-50; Romans 8:28 • What does the grieving process look like? Grieving is the last stop in our healing journey. Forgiveness allows sadness to finally emerge as we mourn our losses. God applies his soothing balm and sustains us during this time. When grieving is over, we are finally free and healed.
M Healing Journey MP3: The Battle for Our Thoughts
2 Corinthians 10:3-5; Romans 12:2; James 1:13-18 • Is it possible to control my thoughts? • What weapons does God give me to fight this battle? Victorious people stand guard, watching what boards the on-ramp of their minds. They screen their thoughts, measuring them against God’s truth and rejecting anything that doesn’t measure up. By submitting to God and believing the truth, we defeat the enemy.
John 15:1-8; Acts 2:42-47 • How can I increase my motivation to be with God, to read the Bible, and to pray? Once we have experienced some freedom and healing, we maintain our new closeness to God through prayer, Bible reading, and fellowship with Christians.
2 Corinthians 4:17-18; Philippians 3:20; Isaiah 58:12; 1 Peter 5:10-11; Revelation 19:6-9 • What is the purpose of this life? God’s Word gives us glimpses of his eternal perspective— that this life is not the point. Although we experience pain and disappointment on earth, the day will come when we will experience the fullness of God’s promises and dwell with him for all eternity.