It’s Hard To Heal from Church Hurts | Colossians 3:5-17
Aaron Gray | September 9, 2018

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Discussion Questions

  1. Without giving place to cynicism or pessimism, how can we acknowledge and prepare for the reality that, in the church, we will likely be hurt at some point?

  2. When you are hurt, what sinful responses are you prone toward, e.g. avoidance, isolation, striking back? How can you seek to “put away” (Col. 3) those behaviors by God’s grace?

  3. How does a deep, true understanding of the gospel help us to truly forgive, even when we have been hurt in the deepest possible way? How does biblical forgiveness still allow for healthy boundaries, seeking protection, etc?

  4. If you have friends or family members who have been hurt by the church, how might God want to use you to bring them into relationship with his people?

Prayer Points

  1. Pray for your own heart and the wounds that you have received from others in the church. Pray that God would help you to forgive, heal, and reconcile wherever possible.

  2. Pray for opportunities to show God’s healing love to those in your life who have been hurt by the church and, as a result, have pulled away from God’s people.

Action Step

  1. If you have experienced hurt in the church, please seek help. Talk to a pastor, a community group leader, or a biblical counselor who can walk with you and love you.

For Further Study

  • The Peacemaker book by Ken Sande.

  • The Body Keeps The Score book by Bessel Van Der Kolk. This book, while not specifically from a Christian perspective, offers a lot of practical, common grace insight into what happens when we experience trauma.