We’ve created an acrostic to help us remember some key points to turn this time of study into a time of spiritual growth and personal healing.
Digging deeper into these books will reveal truths that will change the way you view healing, and most important draw you closer to our Heavenly Father. May God bless you as you commit your time and heart to study His word.
Healing Brings Praise
Matthew 15: 29 – 39
Jesus had just been in the region Tyre and Sidon. He came back to the Sea of Galilee and sat down on a mountainside. Once he got there, crowds came all looking for healing.
They did not come to hear a good sermon or message. They came seeking a man who they believed could heal their loved ones. For three days, they brought the lame, blind, mute and crippled all to be healed. The miracle was that Jesus healed them all. This resulted in a huge praise party for God.
But then another miracle was yet to come. These people had not eaten in three days and instead of Jesus sending them home hungry, He had compassion on them. He asked his disciples what they had available to them – seven loaves of bread and a few small fish.
What’s beautiful in this passage is that we never see the reproduction of the fishes and loaves all in one place. Instead, Jesus breaks the loaves and passes them on to the disciples, who in turn, break their pieces and pass them on, and it continues until everyone is fed and seven basketfuls are left over. In the end, because a few people surrendered their last meal, 4,000 men plus women and children had their fill.
Notice they started with seven loaves and ended with seven basketfuls. Jesus used their offering and multiplied it beyond their need.
Questions:
Jesus Heals a Boy
Matthew 17: 14 – 21
Parents struggling with sick children are themselves caught in a great struggle. They would do anything to take the disease, pain or illness from their children, yet sadly they can’t. The father in this story was in a desperate situation. He had a son who was being spiritually and physically tortured by demons. In this account, we have an insider’s view of just how much the little boy was being tortured. It describes seizures, and attempts to end his life by being thrown into the fire or water. Can you imagine how hopeless the father must have been? This man had already sought the help of the disciples to rid the demon, to no avail. His final measure was to seek Jesus.
When he approached Jesus, the man knelt down, dejected and weary and described the torture of the tormenting spirits. But the enemy was about to lose this battle. Jesus rebuked the spirit and healed the man’s son.
When we or a loved one are sick or spiritually tortured, we can learn from the man in this story. Let Jesus be your first stop and not your last. He is your ultimate healer. He is your comforter, your shepherd, your encourager, your strength and your protector. He holds your life in his hands and will walk with you in any storm you face.
Questions:
The Squeaky Wheel
Matthew 20: 29 – 34
You’ve heard the phrase, “the squeaky wheel gets oiled.” These blind men were the squeaky wheels in the story. They heard Jesus was passing by and yelled to get his attention. They probably had heard he was a great healer and had nothing to lose by trying to get his attention. They yelled so loud the crowd told them to be quiet. Then instead of quieting down or doing what was socially correct, they risked embarrassment and yelled even louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us.” That got Jesus’ attention.
How many times do we pray once and then give up when we don’t see the answer quickly? Do we pray louder and more impassioned? Desperate cries out to God sometimes yield some of His biggest miracles.
Questions:
Jesus the Empathetic Savior
Matthew 26: 36 – 46
Have you ever been in a time of deep sorrow and anxiety? Did your circumstances overwhelm your heart to the point of death? If you’ve felt that way before, you are in good company. Jesus felt like that when He was in the Garden of Gethsemane. As fully human, he dreaded the pain and suffering of going to the cross. He knew what was to come, and yet scripture tells us that Jesus prayed and asked God to take the cup away from Him. His final surrender we read is that not his will, but the Father’s will be done. Talk about surrendering the outcome. Jesus was fully the Son of God and He knew that dying on the cross was the ultimate way to conquer death and provide salvation for all who believe.
When we shift our focus to his disciples in the account, what do we see? Jesus described his state of His soul as being “overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.” At that moment, he sought support from his friends, asking them to keep watch and pray with him. To his disappointment, they fell asleep, and Jesus admonished Peter about not being able to stay alert for one hour. He then tells his disciples, “Watch and pray so that YOU will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”
If you ever feel you are going it alone in your healing journey, be encouraged that Jesus feels your pain and understands the deep trouble and anxiety you face. In fact, He won’t let you go it alone. As your empathetic Savior, He’ll carry you through it.
Questions:
Jesus is Resurrected
Read Matthew 28: 1 – 20
These passages are centered on our ultimate path to healing and conclude with the great commission to make disciples, baptizing them and teaching them to obey what Jesus had commanded. The account of Jesus’ resurrection begins with his grieving friend, Mary, who went at the crack of dawn to “look at his tomb”. She was visiting her loved one’s gravesite when what seemed a violent earthquake, was an angel of the Lord whose appearance was full of splendor and glory. He passed along an important message that was to be shared with everyone: “Jesus, who was crucified is not here; He has risen, just as he said.”
With the greatest event in history having taken place, you would think that the chief priests and “men of the cloth” would be rejoicing, but instead – they were scheming and devising plans for cover-up. We don’t hear of Jesus being distracted by the schemes and lies, instead we see Him focused on the goal. With all authority of heaven and earth given to him, He charges his disciples with a great commission: “to go and make disciples of all nations”. That includes baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all that he had commanded. The best part is that Jesus didn’t leave them alone, with comforting words he says: “I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Without this crucial event in history, we would still be slaves to sin with no means of atonement. Jesus was crucified on a cross, buried, and then raised to new life so that we can have eternal life. The gospel of Matthew is the true account of Jesus whose life and death pointed to our Father in Heaven. Everything He did was for His Father’s will and was to bring salvation to all people. The healing accounts teach us so much about a Savior that cares more about our wholeness, than just our physical healings. Did you know that the word wholeness also means salvation?
Without the forgiveness of sins, we are walking around in spiritual bondage. Jesus’ death on the cross for our sins and his resurrection leads to the ultimate healing, no matter if your physical body is ever fully restored here on earth. Through his resurrection and the forgiveness of our sins, we have an eternal home with eternal bodies that will never fail us or need healing again.
As you heal, have you sought Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins? If you haven’t asked Jesus to be the Lord of your life and to forgive your sins, we want to invite you to do that now. Pray this simple prayer out loud and in your heart:
“Dear Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and need your forgiveness. I believe you died on the cross for my sins and rose from the dead. I trust you as my Lord and Savior. Please help me to daily surrender to your will. In Jesus name, amen.”
Questions:
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Find a HealingStrong Group in your area today or join one online. We are better together!
Revamp your approach to healthy living with insights from celebrity chef, Christina Pirello, who transformed her own life with the help and guidance of a friend, now her husband, by overhauling her diet following her terminal cancer diagnosis.
Don`t miss the rest of the conversation between Jim Mann, the I Am HealingStrong podcast host and Christina in this part 2 episode.
Listen to the FULL episode at:
healingstrong.org/podcast
OR for your convenience, you can comment "CHRISTINA" to be sent the link to access both, part 1 and 2.
Do you have the will to live?
Maybe you don’t, and that’s okay, but if you have the will to live, you MUST adopt the beat cancer mindset and these other aspects Chris shares in this quick clip from our 2023 10 Year HealingStrong Conference.
If you’d like to hear the rest of the talk, consider supporting our mission by being a monthly donor through our membership program found on our website. All our conference talks are found within the membership program.
healingstrong.org/membership
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To find more inspiration from our favorite emcee, Chris Wark, head to his page @chrisbeatcancer
True or true?
We are all about the next step. This is why we share a Good, Better, Best approach in our holistic curriculum as well. We are not here to overwhelm anybody, but instead, support you where you are and encourage you no matter what your diagnosis or prognosis is.
💚Grab the free e-book curriculum at:
healingstrong.org/participant-guide
We believe there is always HOPE. We believe healing happens at home (our choices matter). We believe we heal better together - DO NOT JOURNEY ALONE!
If you don’t have support in the way you need right now, we encourage you to check out our directory for our in-person and online groups and see if any fit into your schedule, and join for FREE. Our groups are always FREE!
💚Healingstrong.Org/group-directory
to find a group or 3 to join😉
OR
be encouraged through stories on our podcast:
💚healingstrong.org/podcast
We’d recommend starting with episodes 1, 71, 89 (3 of our TOP 5 most downloaded episodes).
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Want these 3 links highlighted in this post and a few more? All in one place for your convenience?
Comment “HEALINGSTRONG” and we’ll immediately send you a document with these links plus some more. Otherwise, you can type in the link into a new browser window and do it manually.
When a vegetarian realizes she knows nothing about nutrition...
listen to the second episode of @christinacooks share her story plus encourage the listeners with some simple, and practical tips.
healingstrong.org/podcast
Episode #92 - part 2 of 2
Deficiencies and what to do...
with the food, soil, air pollution, toxic load we all encounter on a day to day basis, it ends up lending to there being deficiencies within each of us. This is why we discuss supplements inside our groups and holistic group curriculum...
To learn more about what we share regarding supplements and other healing modalities, grab your FREE e-book version of our 12 lesson curriculum where these tips came from, by going to:
healingstrong.org/participant-guide
OR comment “FREE GUIDE” to be sent the link directly & download it even sooner🤩
Physical healing is necessary, BUT...
there is a component to healing that must NOT be ignored.
Your emotional and mental well-being. What we think, who we need to forgive, all matter just as much.
Find resources and support by going to:
healingstrong.org/renew
#healingstrong #renewthesoul #cancersupport #cancer
Our food has changed... no doubt about it...
and we discussed how it has changed, in what ways, and what we can do about it to help ourselves live a healthier, more empowered life, especially for those in the United States of America.
Much more was shared beyond these slides, so make sure to register for the next and FINAL Q&A and don’t miss out... come learn alongside others in our next and FINAL summer holistic Q&A webinar...
📆Mark your calendar for AUGUST 15!
& save your ⭐FREE⭐ seat at:
healingstrong.org/jumpstart-summer
or comment “summer” and we’ll immediately message you the link to register for free!
Do you volunteer?
Maybe you serve at your local food bank, as a coach for a child’s sports team, for your church or elsewhere?
Did you know HealingStrong is mostly made up of volunteers? In fact, we’re MORE than 95% volunteer-led!
Each Group Leader is a volunteer who has taken a leap of faith to bring hope to their community, whether in-person or online. Our Group Leaders are made up of cancer survivors / thrivers, caregivers and those living for prevention. Some even volunteer with a friend and run their HealingStrong support group together.
In case you can’t tell, we LOVE to be in community... we truly believe we HEAL better together, and should NOT journey alone!
In this quick clip, listen to Denise who co-leads a group in North Dallas about a gift she loves to receive while in her Group Leader role. It’s probably not a gift you’re thinking...
📧 If you’d like to contact Denise, and you’re in the North Dallas area, you can reach her and her co-leader at:
northdallashealingstrong@gmail.com
www.healingstrong.org
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🔍 Want to search our group directory?
We can send the link to our directory, directly to you. You can search your area for in-person or our search our calendar for all online groups.
Comment “GROUPS” to receive the directory link immediately!
Have you ever heard of Valerian root or Vervain?
Jane from @barlowherbal and also a partner of HealingStrong, shares what they are, why to add them, and how they have helped her.
We’re so excited about this partnership with Barlow Herbal because Jane is not only a wealth of knowledge, a very kind, loving and generous soul, but offers amazing products that our community loves.
#healingstrong #barlowherbal #herbs #planthealth #stressrelief #insomnia
Don`t hold on to bitterness...
Renew the Soul, YOUR soul.
#forgive #healingstrong #cancersupport
healingstrong.org/renew
Terminal leukemia...
listen to this part 1 of 2 podcast interview with emmy-winning celebrity chef and a very unique journey to health... Christina Pirello of @christinacooks shares what led to her diagnosis and how her journey toward holistic healing began...
you don`t want to miss this episode...
healingstrong.org/podcast
“I will be spreading the word about your plans, for they really have guided me and given me encouragement in my job search..."
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📚To see all our Bible Plans on the YouVersion Bible App, head to:
www.bible.com/search/plans?query=healingstrong
OR comment "BIBLE PLAN" and we`ll send you the link with all the search results for your convenience.
Introduce a friend or family member to HealingStrong and start the journey of healing body, soul and spirit together. Healing is always easier when done in community.
Please share the name and email address of the person that you’d like to invite, and we’ll do the rest.