Sunday Morning’s message: May 5th 2024
Pastor David Jones
Objective:
Encourage everyone to draw closer to the Father and become whole as believers.
Leaders Note: The healing process can be complicated for some people. We do not want to dig things up from people’s past. But if the Holy Spirit reveals some things, then we can help lead them through the seven steps in this message. Help others be whole in Christ Jesus. Please choose and discuss what best suits your group. Have fun Jesus People!
Discussion Time
Read and Discuss
When Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit from the tree in the centre of the garden they rebelled against God. Adam and Eve denied God rulership of their life and chose to live their own way. This is known as original sin and Adam brought sin into the world. Thankfully the Father made a way back to himself through Jesus so we can receive forgiveness for our rebellion and sin. Sin brings separation between us and the father. Even as believers if we choose to be caught up in or unconcerned about sinfulness in our life. This, by our own doing can cause us to be in rebellion against the Father. There is incredible grace, forgiveness and everything that was won on the cross for us must be applied to our life through surrendering to Jesus.
Leader: Take time to explain, that we are righteous because of what Jesus did on the cross. Living holy, being set apart and choosing to have consecrated lives unto him is up to us. Thank God for this grace and strength.
Read and discuss John 14:5-6 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Question – What does it mean when Jesus said, No one comes to the Father except through me?
I am the only way; I will show you the way. Thomas was unsure and perhaps even a little fearful with the thought of not having Jesus around anymore.
Seven Steps to healing emotional wounds
Emotional wounds come from sin, either our sin or someone else’s sin. We live in a fallen world, and we get hurt or wounded in life.
Just like a railway track that run side by side. Wounds and sin go hand and hand. Below is a helpful process to go through on the journey to wholeness.
Things happen to us in life that we do not deserve. Either as a child or as an adult. These cause hurts and wounds. When wounded and sinned against our reaction is too often to respond with sinful behaver, including unforgiveness.
Step One – Acknowledge your need for healing
Admit you need help.
Be honest with yourself
Acknowledge your hurt Acknowledge the way you may be feeling.
Be honest with the Father
Let this be your heartfelt prayer….
Draw near to the father and say something like. “Father I am hurting. I am wounded, I am broken” help! 1
Peter 5:7 NKJV “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you”
Be honest with someone you can trust
You may need to help, depending on the level of hurt and damage
Leader: Below is important. Take time to discuss.
Distinguishing between a sin, a wound, and a bondage.
- For sin there is need of repentance and forgiveness
- For a wound there needs to be healing
- For spiritual bondage we need to be set free
Sometimes we have all three (as I did)
Step two – Release all the hurtful and painful emotions into the hands of Jesus
Feelings of anger, fear, bitterness, disappointment, resentment and so on
We must:
Confess it wounds, hurts and sins otherwise it holds power over us.
The Holy Spirit is the revealer of our internal spiritual and emotional ailments.
Luke 4:18 "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free,"
Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Step Three – Forgive those who have hurt you
Most of the time this is a process, not a one-time act.
Forgiveness is not forgetting about the hurt done against us or some magical feeling. Swish and it’s all gone. Forgiveness is pardoning a person for the wrong he or she has done. This is a process; we keep forgiving and forgiving until the pain goes away and its giving love and acceptance despite our hurt.
Forgiveness is the antiseptic for your wound, every time you think about that person or situation apply antiseptic to the wound. This is very powerful; it breaks the hold and the power that person may have over you. Forgiveness brings the power of the Holy Spirit into the situation and releases us from being a victim. The deeper the wound, the greater the forgiveness needed.
Key - Tell the lord, “I forgive this person “It is an act of faith!
At first you may not see of feel anything. This is an act of trust and faith in Jesus and do this until you no longer hold unforgiveness.
Mark 11:25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.
Unforgiveness is a deadly poison that separates us from God’s freedom!
Step four – Ask For and Receive Forgiveness
Ask and receive the Father’s forgiveness for your wrong actions and attitudes towards him and others.
Discuss: It is important to ask for forgiveness for our actions, our attitude, our bad responses, and our behaviour. It is also very important to stop blaming others, stop your projection of hurt onto others - God wants to set people free today!
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
Unforgiveness will put us into the hands of tormenting spirits and unforgiveness also puts a person into spiritual blindness and separation from God.
Romans 4:7-8 "“Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord will never count against them"
Step Five - Receive the fathers love
Spend time in His presence and simply receive His love.
Worship God despite our feelings, as we do this we become less a prisoner to our feelings. Worship is the doorway into Gods presence. Spend time there, bath in his presence and Talk with the Father.
“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence” Hebrews 4:11
1 John 3:1 "See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him."
Step six – Renew your mind.
Think God thoughts - Speak words of life - Speak scripture.
Examples: Avoid and stop being negative, defensive, having selfish thoughts, using blaming words. Break the old patterns that cause you to think of yourself by speaking words of life and speak scripture over yourself.
Romans 12:2 "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."
Practical: If you were looking into the mirror. What are some things you know Jesus would want to say to you?
(Leader Example: You’re mine, I love you, You are called and chosen, You are special, you are loved………. Ask people in your group to confess this statement out)
Step seven – Persist and Endure
Never give up, never look back
Two Keys:
a/ Choose to never give up (That’s our commitment)
b/ Endure with the grace and strength that the Lord makes available to us.
God enables us - gives us victory - empowers us
If we endure, we shall also reign with Him. – 2 Timothy 2:12
Finish in prayer and feel free to use scripture below to encourage
Philippians 1:6 NKJV Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.
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