Emotionally Healthy Lives

Our 'Emotionally Healthy Lives' series is inspired by New York pastor Peter Scazzero's transformative roadmap for discipleship with Jesus. Scazzero learned the hard way: you can't be spiritually mature while remaining emotionally immature. In this series we examine a model of spirituality that leads us towards an authentic faith and hunger for God. We can't avoid conflict, we can't ignore anger, sadness and fear, we can't live without boundaries. We need to recapture a biblical integration of emotional health and the spiritual practice of slowing down and quieting our lives to experience a firsthand relationship with Jesus.

Emotionally Healthy Lives — Ness Wilson
Matthew 28:16-20

As we start this new series we need to keep in mind two things. Our spiritual health is intrinsically linked to our emotional health, and our own maturity is linked to our ability to love.

Going Back In Order To Go Forward — Melanie Cave
Genesis 37:1-4

The choices of our families profoundly impact who we are today. To break the power of the past we must understand the impact of our family of origin and the generational patterns and norms it creates.

Emotionally Healthy Families — Melanie Cave
Matthew 5:1-48

It's most likely that all of Jesus's best advise on relationships and families are laid out in this passage of scripture known as the Sermon on the Mount. Comparison can cause us to undermine our own desire to serve our families as God intended. For those of us who are parents, we are without a job description, without a line manager and often without encouragement. When we uncover our God-given responsibilities to our family, then we can become free to live out our lives with wholeness and creativity.

Journey Through The Wall — Joe McSharry
Luke 22:47-62

We all get the points in our faith journey where we feel stuck or crisis hits. In some traditions this in known as the dark night of the soul. Do we bail or get help? Hitting a wall leads to an inward journey of growth and healing if we let it. Often a reframing of our faith and view of God is needed through the power of authenticity.

Know Yourself, That You May Know God — Pete Sisson
Mark 6:32-34

We all have a true self and a presenting self. Look beneath the surface. Validate your emotions, especially the more difficult ones. What does it look like to get to know ourselves, that we may know God? We must learn to love our imperfect selves.

Dealing with Difficult People — Ness Wilson
Matthew 18:15-20

Before we learn to deal with difficult people we must realise that at some point, in some way, we will be difficult people to others. However there are some traits or behaviours that we can eliminate to help us overcome these relational conflicts. If we don’t minister to those in emotional need in a healthy way we end up hurting ourselves and them. Manipulation, envy, neediness, or cynicism need to be address and overcome with healing and wholeness. We all of us need to step up in how we talk to others: with more respect and kindness. But when conversations become unkind, accusatory or disrespectful, we have a right to end them.

Boundaries — Rich Cave
Ephesians 6:2-5

It’s OK to disappoint people. Healthy boundaries show where I end and someone else begins. It makes it clear what I am responsible for and what I am not responsible for. Blurred boundaries can lead to manipulation and control. When we create boundaries, we regain power over ourselves.

Sabbath — Stacey McSharry
Exodus 20:8-11

'In our 24/7, fast-pace, constantly connected culture of more, Sabbath is not only counter-cultural but is a lifeline that we all need’. Starting with this quote from the book, ‘Emotionally Healthy Spirituality’, by Peter Scazzero, Stacey McSharry unpacks what Sabbath is, and why it is so key to being emotionally healthy. She draws back the curtain onto her own family’s journey with Sabbath and the important role it now plays in their lives.

Learning To Suffer Well — Rich Wilson
Ephesians 4:11-13

Life is a series of letting go, a series of losses. Youthfulness, expectations - every change gives a gain and a loss. Grief is a grace disguised. How do we deal with pain? Often through easy comforts and addictions. But deep forgiveness means we must allow ourselves to feel the pain first.

Limits — Jez Gowers-Cromie
John 10:10

As individuals we have limits. As a church we have limits. To become spiritually mature we must recognise the season of life we’re in and the limits they provide. How do we live our lives without comparison to the lives of others?

Prayer — Pete Sisson
2 Kings 6

Baptist Pastor Frederick Meyer said “The greatest tragedy of life is not unanswered prayer, buy unoffered prayer.” Prayer is a relational channel between man and God.