Healing from the lives of the Past John 8:31-32
Good Morning
Stand with me and lift your bible and repeat after me.
This is my Bible.
I am what it says I am.
I can do what it says I can do.
I am going to learn how to be what it says I can be.
Today I will learn more of the word of God.
The indestructible, never ending, living word Of God.
I will never be the same.
I will never be the same.
In Jesus Name
Amen?
Before you sit down, say good morning to your brothers and sisters.
Today the message is about moving on from the past,
We all carry stories in our hearts—stories of things said to us, things done to us, or things we’ve convinced ourselves about who we are.
Many of these stories are rooted in lies.
Maybe you’ve been told you’re not good enough.
Maybe the enemy has whispered in your ear, telling you that your past mistakes define your future.
Maybe you’ve believed that your worth is tied to what you do, or to your failures.
These lies can imprison us, leaving us trapped in shame, insecurity, and despair.
But here’s the good news: God’s truth has the power to heal.
In John 8:32, Jesus says, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Truth is what breaks chains. Truth is what heals wounds.
God’s truth is not just words on a page—it is living and active, able to reach into the deepest parts of our hearts and change us from the inside out.
The Battle for Our Minds
In 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, the apostle Paul reveals that the battle for our lives is fought in our minds. He writes:
“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
The enemy’s primary strategy is to attack our minds. He feeds us lies that form strongholds—false beliefs that become deeply entrenched in our hearts. These lies often sound like:
- "You’re unlovable."
- "You’re too broken to be fixed."
- "You will never overcome your past."
These strongholds can seem impossible to break.
But the good news is that God has given us divine weapons—His Word, His Spirit, and His truth.
These are more powerful than any lie. When we take every thought captive and bring it into alignment with God’s truth, those strongholds are destroyed.
The Healing Power of God’s Truth (Isaiah 61:1-3)
In Isaiah 61:1-3, the prophet declares the mission of the Messiah—Jesus. He says:
“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.”
This passage is a declaration of God’s healing mission to bind up the brokenhearted and set the captives free.
Jesus came to heal us from the ashes of brokenness and to replace them with a crown of beauty.
He came to restore what the enemy has stolen—your joy, your peace, and your identity.
When you embrace God’s truth, He will beautify the ashes of your past and replace your mourning with joy.
He will take your despair and give you a spirit of praise.
God’s truth has the power to transform the pain of the past into a platform for His glory.
Let me share a story about Rachel, a woman whose life was forever changed when she encountered the truth of God’s Word.
Rachel grew up in a home where performance was everything. Her parents were successful, and there was always pressure to measure up. From a young age, Rachel internalized the lie that her worth was based on her achievements. No matter how hard she tried, she never felt good enough. Her worth was always tied to her grades, her job, or how she looked. If she failed in any of those areas, the voice in her head would say, "You’re not enough. You’ll never measure up."
As Rachel grew older, she struggled with anxiety and a sense of inadequacy that haunted her. She constantly felt like she was one mistake away from being exposed as a fraud. She tried to numb the pain by staying busy, but deep down, she was trapped in the lies that defined her.
One day, Rachel attended a Bible study where she heard Ephesians 2:10 for the first time: "For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
That verse broke through the lies she had been believing. It was as if the chains that had bound her for years suddenly began to loosen. For the first time, Rachel realized that her worth wasn’t based on what she did—it was based on who she was in Christ.
Rachel began to replace the lie that she wasn’t good enough with the truth that **she was fearfully and wonderfully made** (Psalm 139:14).
She started speaking these truths over herself, praying them daily. Slowly but surely, the lies that had held her in bondage began to crumble. She found peace and freedom in knowing that her value was determined by God, not by her performance.
Rachel’s transformation didn’t happen overnight, but as she embraced God’s truth, she experienced a deep healing in her heart.
She began to live with confidence, not because she was perfect, but because she was secure in who God had made her to be.
God is calling you today to embrace His truth and break free from the lies that have kept you in bondage. Here’s a few ways you can begin the process of healing:
Forgive yourself of the past. Look in the mirror and tell that person you cannot change the past.
Identify the Lies: What lies have you believed about yourself? What have you been told about your worth, your future, or your identity? Recognize these lies so that you can replace them with God’s truth.
. Replace Lies with God’s Truth: Take time to meditate on Scripture that affirms your identity in Christ. When you feel the lie creeping in, speak out God’s truth. His Word is powerful, and when you declare it over your life, it brings healing and freedom.
Speak God’s Truth Over Yourself: Confession is powerful. Start declaring what God says about you: “I am a child of God. I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I am redeemed and forgiven. I am more than a conqueror in Christ Jesus.” The more you speak these truths, the more you will believe them.
Walk in Freedom: As you begin to embrace God’s truth, take action. Live as the person God says you are. Don’t let your past mistakes or failures define you any longer. Walk confidently in the freedom and identity that God has given you.
Imagine what your life could look like if you stopped believing the lies about who you are. What if you stopped living in the shadows of shame and regret?
What if you embraced the truth that you are loved, accepted, and chosen by God?
Isaiah 61:3 says that God will give you a crown of beauty instead of ashes. The ashes of your past—your shame, regrets, and mistakes—can be replaced with the beauty of God’s truth.
If you’re here today and you’ve been living under the weight of lies—lies about your worth, your future, or your identity—I invite you to come forward. Today is the day to exchange those lies for God’s truth.
- If you’ve believed the lies that you are not good enough, not loved, or not worthy, God wants to set you free.
- If you’ve been trapped by insecurities or past mistakes, God wants to heal you and restore your sense of identity.
“Lord, I come before You today, acknowledging the lies I’ve believed and the hurt they have caused. I ask You to replace those lies with Your truth. I choose to believe that I am loved, chosen, and forgiven by You. I surrender my insecurities and fears to You. Help me to see myself as You see me. I declare that I am Your handiwork, created with purpose and love. Heal my heart and set me free from the lies of the enemy. In Jesus' name, Amen.”
As you step forward for prayer today, know that God’s truth is more powerful than any lie. You are no longer a slave to the past. You are free to walk in the fullness of who God created you to be.
Live in the truth of your identity in Christ and allow His healing to transform you. You are no longer defined by your past, your failures, or the lies you’ve believed. You are defined by the love and grace of God. Step into that truth today and walk in the freedom He has for you.
You are free.
