Open Hearts Ministry

Journey Guide Curriculum

Session 1:  My Journey Begins (Galatians 6:1-5)

The body of Christ is called to the restoration of the hurting. Those who are healthy and can bear burdens and those who need to be cared for connect for a season of healing. Childhood wounds as well as current painful situations are heavy burdens that require assistance. Principles of restoring a broken bone are used to illustrate the healing process and story is explained.

Session 2:  Responding To Another's Journey (II Samuel 11-13)

The example of Tamar is used to illustrate that God is not silent about abuse and to examine its effects on an entire family, especially when it is silenced and not responded to well.  We learn to respond in ways that affirm dignity and cover shame with grace to the stories of those who have been harmed.

Session 3:  My Journey Back To My Story (Nehemiah)

The story of Nehemiah shows a Biblical pattern for rebuilding the walls of a city that parallel rebuilding a life that has been invaded and suffered devastation. Rebuilding involves facing the damage, entering the pain, talking to God, asking for help, uniting with others, expecting opposition and disruption, and renewing relationships.  Issues of denial and minimization are addressed.

Session 4:  The Journey of My Childhood (Matthew 18, Mark 10)

Recovering appropriate feelings over the damage of the past is part of the healing process. How does God feel about what happened? It is easy to minimize the offense and take on the blame rather than placing the blame where it belongs. Is it all right to be angry over what happened? Where was God when this happened?  How can I talk about dysfunction in my childhood without dishonoring my father and mother? What do I do with my memories or lack of memories?

Session 5:  My Journey With Shame (Matthew 4:1-11, Hebrews 12:2-3)

God's desire and design for us to have intimacy with Him and others has been damaged through both sin and shame.  Shame is two-sided.  Legitimate shame comes as a appropriate response to guilt over sins committed. The cross of Christ offers forgiveness for that. Illegitimate shame occurs when we lose awareness of our inherent dignity and what God says about us.  Its effects form the foundation for idolatry, hiding, performance based acceptance, contempt, addictions, isolation and re-abuse. What is the antidote? How can I deal with shame?

Session 6:  My Journey With Anger (Ephesians 4:26-27 and others)

People wrestle with appropriate emotions. Often they have been deadened or detonated.  Where we go and what we do with our emotions, and especially anger, must be examined. When is it a godly response? When is it ungodly? Where does anger come from? What does God teach us to do with it? What have I done with my anger?

Session 7: Relating To Others On My Journey  (Matthew 22:35-40, I Corinthians 13, Isaiah 50:10-22 and others)

The goal of healing is to love God and others from our heart. This is impossible as long as we hide behind childish ways of protecting ourselves. Relational styles are built from the mortar of contempt and are our way of making life work without God. Change happens when we see our sinful patterns, confess, and, through the grace of God, make choices that reflect our repentance. What is your relational style?

Session 8:  My Journey With Sexual Identity (Genesis 1- 3)

God's design of male and female is examined, both from scripture and from anatomy. The impact of the fall is that it introduces tremendous struggle into the living out of masculinity and femininity. We wrestle with our identity and our impact, we experience tensions in our differences and similarities, we feel inadequate and impotent. How can we get to the point where we can agree with God that it is very good to be a man or a woman?

Session 9:  My Journey Of Recovery (Luke 15:13-31, II Corinthians 3:18)

This session asks the question, How do I change? It outlines the process of recovery as growing in the grace and knowledge of Christ. As seen in the story of the prodigal son, change occurs when we break denial and come to our senses, grieve and repent over the damage we are doing, be willing to receive mercy and grace, and celebrate it. The emphasis here is on change as a process of seeing the glory of God in the face of Christ and longing for and allowing that same glory to shine from our faces. What might change look like for you?

Session 10:  My Journey Of Redemption (Genesis 37-50)

What does a redeemed story look like? The story of Joseph is examined as a model of restoration. How did Joseph become willing to cancel the debt of his unjust treatment? How did he become willing to revoke revenge? How did he grow to a position of strength? How did he learn to trust God? How did he test repentance? How did he offer forgiveness? How was restoration an on-going, unending process? How can God redeem your story?

Session 11:  Disappointment  On My Journey (Matthew 26:36-56)

Jesus models how to deal with people who abuse, betray and disappoint us. How do we stay in relationship with those who disappoint us? The agony of Christ in Gethsemane before going to the cross reveals Him longing to include his friends, experiencing deep distress, confronting disappointment when it occurs, trusting God for what was needed, grieving and embracing disappointment as He pursued the purpose of God, all the while keeping his longings in full view. How will I handle inevitable disappointment?

Session 12: My Journey With The Wounded Healer (Hebrews 4:15)

We conclude this part of the journey by taking a look at Christ as the Wounded Healer. Because of His wounds He can understand what the journey is like for us. He is committed to us and will continue the process that He has begun. He is strong and powerful, tender and caring. His cross is what makes healing possible  his body broken for you, his blood shed to cover your sins, his resurrection to remind you that joy follows pain, hope follows despair and there is life out of death. Together we will proclaim it!