Let God Heal Your Past

Let God Heal Your Past

March 12, 2023

Series: Make Space

Alex Grahmann

Alex Grahmann

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In our desire to move ahead in life we sometimes ignore, suppress or minimize the influence of our past—especially the more difficult parts. But Jesus invites us into a healthy spirituality that includes our past! This weekend Pastor Alex Grahmann looks at the story of Joseph, an ancient Hebrew leader, to see God how God’s loving presence, even in the most painful times in our past, can help us experience God’s good future for us—and for those around us.

Group Discussion Guide

To see the leader guide for this week CLICK HERE

Introduction

Spend a few minutes discussing with your group how their week is going. What are some of their highs and lows?

After your time of connecting, begin your meeting with prayer.

Key Verse

Psalm 34:8  “Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!”

Opening

Everyone goes through challenging seasons, even if they are different for each person. This may be the loss of a loved one or painful relationship experience. Time tends to help these difficult circumstances be less painful, but that does not mean we have all healed from these experiences well.  Negative experiences can be like a broken bone which, if not set back in place properly, will heal poorly.  Unfortunately, sometimes we decide to try simply moving on from our past and hoping it doesn’t affect our future. God, however, invites us into something much healthier: he wants us to give everything to him and believe in his good plan, so he can heal us properly. This is not just an invitation to give God who you are now, but an invitation to give God your past experiences also, so we can understand how we fit into his story.   This leads us to our big idea for the week:

Big Idea for the week: We should see our past as part of a good future with God.

Connect

  • Think of some positive past events in your life. What’s the first positive experience that comes to mind?
  • What’s your first gut reaction when you think about past hardships? Why do you think you respond this way?
  • How have you typically dealt with painful events in your life?

Unpack

Go around your group and have someone read each of the following verses, then discuss the connected questions.

READ

  • Psalm 13:1-4

DISCUSS

  • Why do you believe God allows people to go through difficult experiences?
  • How do you think God responds when we express our frustration with him and his plan? When was the last time you did this? How was that experience?

READ

  • Lamentations 3:31-33

DISCUSS

  • How does this verse make you feel about God’s love when you were going through difficulty in your past?

READ

  • Psalm 13:5-6

DISCUSS

  • How can we see God’s goodness in the difficult parts of our lives? Why is seeing God’s goodness, especially in challenging moments, an important step for someone who is dealing with past hurt?

READ

  • 2 Corinthians 1:3-7

DISCUSS

  • Are there any experiences in your life that you’ve moved past, but haven’t fully allowed to heal? If you are comfortable, would you share one of these examples?
  • How does knowing God is the source of our comfort change how we can go through difficult times in the future?
  • How can viewing your painful experiences as a part of a good future God has for us help others in their lives?

Apply

The application today is an exercise to practice this topic in our lives. Try your best to do this exercise over the course of this week and then come together as a group to discuss how it went next week:

Throughout this week, take a few minutes every day to reflect on the difficult moments in your life. You can choose whatever is more helpful to you, whether reflecting on one difficult experience a day or reflecting on one difficult experience throughout the whole week. Try to locate how God was working in those times. This process might take some time to go through, especially if it’s new to you, but try to use this next week as a jumping point for allowing God to heal our past.

A few helpful places to start are asking these questions:

  • “Where did God bring me because of this?”
  • “Who am I able to help because I went through this?”
  • “Were there ways that my life was changed for the better because of this?”
  • “How can I ask someone else to help me through this process of healing?”

If you are already in a place where you are processing this topic, that’s wonderful! For you, reflect on your life as well, but ask instead, “How can I help someone to go through this process of healing with God”?

Closing

Seek to open yourself up to the good things that God has been doing in your life. It can be difficult to think through these things while in the middle of difficult times, but the hope is that, with time and patience and consistency, we can become closer to God through this process. This will probably take some time, so don’t rush through it. Allow others into this process, if you feel comfortable. God will be with you along this journey because he loves you, and as we grow, we can help others through this process, as well.

Daily Bible Reading

Use the S.O.A.P. method to reflect on the verses below.

Scripture: Read the verses several times out loud.
Observation: As you read the scripture what do you observe.
Application: What is God wanting you to believe, do or feel based on what you have read?
Pray: This is a chance to talk to God about what you have read, and ask him for help in living out what you’ve learned.

  • Day 1: Psalms 34:17-20
  • Day 2: Psalms 103:13
  • Day 3: Hebrews 4:15
  • Day 4: Psalm 63:7
  • Day 5: Matthew 5:3-4
  • Day 6: Lamentations 3:19-24

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PAUL & HOLLY ZWIERZYNSKI

  • Translating the Bible Support
  • North Carolina

Paul and Holly Zwierzynski serve at the JAARS Center in Waxhaw, North Carolina, where they support Bible translation efforts around the world. Paul specializes in solar power and computer networking. He helps missionaries use low-power computers in remote areas and sets up reliable internet connections using tools like satellite and radio links. His work has supported over 180 field sites, allowing translation teams to collaborate across long distances. Holly works in the translation office as a project assistant. She helps develop Old Testament translation guides and reference materials used by Bible translators worldwide. Before moving to North Carolina, Paul and Holly served in Cameroon, where their passion for this work first began.

JERRY & BETH TUCKER

  • Caring for Christian Workers
  • Southern California

Jerry and Beth help prepare new missionaries for the field by leading orientation, providing training, building teams, and offering mentorship during the first year of overseas service. They serve with Wycliffe, a Bible translation organization, and bring years of experience to this important work. Their work began in 1995 in the Philippines, where they served as dorm parents and teachers. Both Jerry and Beth grew up at Journey of Faith, and the church has been supporting their ministry for 30 years. They remain committed to serving for many years to come.

TOM SHECK

  • Youth Development
  • South Bay

 Tom serves as the South Bay Director for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. His goal is to see lives changed through the influence of athletes and coaches on middle school and high school campuses. FCA focuses on values like integrity, serving, teamwork, and excellence. The ministry equips students and coaches to grow in their faith and lead others by starting small group gatherings on campus, known as “Huddles.” These groups become places of encouragement, leadership, and spiritual growth within the school community.

CODY & LEXI SCRIVENS

  • Meeting Community and Church Needs
  • Dublin, Ireland

 Cody and Lexie are serving in Ireland, partnering with a local church to build relationships and share the message of Jesus. Their work takes place in a culture shaped by both deep religious tradition and growing secularism. Navigating this tension is challenging, especially in light of Ireland’s complex religious history, but they remain committed to reaching people who often feel distant from faith.

BRYAN & JACINDA MARTIN

  • Meeting Community Needs
  • Philippines

 The Martin family is planting churches in the Philippines through World Team. One of the key ways they serve is by caring for creation. They work with vulnerable communities that are struggling as natural resources become scarce. By teaching sustainable practices for managing the environment, they help meet practical needs while also creating space to share about God’s design for humanity and introduce people to the Creator.

BARBARA LEE

  • Caring for Christian Workers
  • San Diego, CA

Barbara supports missionary families by helping their children access quality education and navigate the many transitions that come with cross-cultural life. She currently leads the Indonesia MK (Missionary Kid) Care and Education Team, providing guidance, resources, and support for families across the region. In late 2025, she will join the U.S.-based MK Care and Education Team, where she will train new missionaries, equip education consultants, offer academic testing, and provide personalized educational help for families preparing to serve.

K & L

  • Starting New Churches
  • Southeast Asia

L and K are working to start churches among ten large, unreached, and unengaged people groups in Southeast Asia. They also lead a growing team that has expanded from 11 to 22 units since the pandemic, increasing their reach and impact in the region.

TIM & ERICKA HARRIS

  • Caring for Christian Workers
  • Oregon

 Tim and Ericka Harris understand the preparation, training, and lifelong commitment it takes to serve in missions. Their work has included cross-cultural ministry throughout Latin America, including eight years living and serving in Costa Rica with their family. Out of a desire to support those serving in demanding ministry roles, they provide pastoral care to missionaries, pastors, and ministry leaders around the world. Through their R.E.S.T. initiative—Retreat, Encouragement, Safety, and Transformation—they offer spaces for leaders on every major continent to step away, recharge, and return to their work with renewed strength and clarity.

MARK & BRENDA HALL

  • Starting New Churches
  • Guadalajara, Mexico

Mark and Brenda Hall moved to Guadalajara, Mexico, in 2018, where Mark now serves as a teaching pastor at English Fellowship. The church brings together people from different cultures, backgrounds, and denominations, serving both international residents and Mexican nationals living in the city for work. Although their focus is now in Mexico, they remain connected to their previous work in Guatemala, where they spent 18 years investing in the lives of young people. Their move to Guadalajara opens new doors to build relationships, support the local community, and share the message of Jesus in meaningful and relevant ways.

RICH FRAZER

  • Developing Indigenous Pastors
  • Nepal and North India

The Fraziers serve with an organization called SOS, which stands for Spiritual Overseers Service International. Rick serves as the president and helps lead the organization’s three core objectives. The first is evangelism, which focuses on spreading the message of Jesus. The second is discipleship, aimed at strengthening the global Church. And the third is compassion, which means meeting the physical and spiritual needs of fellow believers. The Fraziers train Christian leaders and partner with Tabernacle Ministries in Nepal and North India. Through this work, SOS is mentoring more than 100 leaders who are reaching urban migrants with God’s love.

MARK & LISA DENEUI

  • Developing Indigenous Pastors
  • France

 Mark is a Bible teacher focused on the New Testament who trains church leaders and church planters in French-speaking Europe. Lisa teaches English as a Foreign Language and French, using her skills to build relationships and serve the local community while sharing her faith. Together, Mark and Lisa serve with a network of church plants in the city of Strasbourg. They are committed to making Christ’s love known by partnering with the local French church to love their neighbors, share the gospel, and disciple new believers.

D & J

  • Meeting Community Needs
  • Southeast Asia

D and J are building relationships with an unreached people group in Southeast Asia. Their hope is to see a new community of believers grow through intentional disciple-making and personal connection.

JOSEPH BRADFORD IV

  • Meeting Community Needs
  • Los Angeles, CA

Joseph launched his nonprofit, B.A.R.E. Truth, Inc., in 2018 to serve individuals and families in Los Angeles facing homelessness, food insecurity, and other critical needs. Through mentorship, independent living support, housing assistance, and wellness services, Joseph and his team help people move toward healthier, purpose-filled lives. They also host weekly feeding events on Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles. B.A.R.E. stands for Balance, Ambition, Respect, and Encouragement.

BILL ANKERBERG

  • Developing Indigenous Pastors
  • Estonia

Bill leads a missions movement in the Nordic-Baltic region, focusing especially on Estonia, where fewer than 2% of people identify as Christian. His work includes supporting church planters, developing local leaders, strengthening compassion ministries, and mentoring pastors and missionaries across both the Baltics and Scandinavia. This ministry began in 2008 and continues to grow in reach and impact.

PAT & BETH ANDREWS

  • Bible Translation
  • Arlington, TX

 Pat serves with Seed Company, a subsidiary of Wycliffe Bible Translators, as Director of Field Projects for the Pacific Region and as a Translation Consultant. He helps oversee translation work in more than 60 languages, coordinating efforts across 11 organizations and 28 internships. Many of Pat’s teams are based in remote island communities, which often presents communication and travel challenges. Even so, Pat makes it a priority to visit his project teams and interns each year.

DENNIS & DENISE AHERN

  • Caring for Christian Workers
  • Washington State

Since 1992, the Aherns have provided counseling and care to missionaries in more than forty countries. They have a deep understanding of the unique needs, challenges, and opportunities that come with full-time ministry. Their commitment to supporting ministry workers led them to open a retreat center in Washington state called Selah Glen, where they host and lead pastoral care retreats. Through this work, the Aherns are able to care for those who spend their lives caring for others.

MIGUEL & MARIA ADAME

  • Church Planting
  • Baja Mexico

Pastor Miguel leads a growing church in Mexicali, Mexico, where he and his family have been serving the community since 2013. Their church runs weekly Bible studies, monthly outreach events, and provides a steady, welcoming presence in the neighborhood. In 2024, they opened a free private Christian elementary school that supports students with special needs or who are considered at-risk. Journey of Faith has partnered with this ministry through more than a dozen short-term mission trips.

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