Life Hurts God Heals  (LHGH)

Gabriel & Rachel (LHGH Leaders)

Julu 2009

There was an average of 28 teens in Life Hurts God Heals for the month of June, with a total of 5 newcomers. As a total of chips picked up for June: 17 Surrender chips, three 30 day chips, one 60 day chips, 2 90 day chips, one 6 month chip, one 1 year chip and one 2 year chip (go Gabriel!).

The teens went over lesson 3 on HOPE and lesson 4 on TURN. They also went into Celebrate Recovery on June 15th to listen to Jeannine (one of our wonderful leaders) give her testimony.

These teens work hard, and have lots of participation. They are also working on earning new LHGH t-shirts! They are also looking for ways to help out in the community.

LHGH will also be helping Celebrate Recovery with the booth at the arts & crafts festival on the 4th and with CR Sunday (July 5th) with whatever needs to be done. These guys are great!

Gabriel & Rachel thank all the fantastic co-leaders that have been at LHGH faithfully to help them out...they could not continue to support these teens without the help that they so freely give. God is so good and they pray He will bless you as He as He has blessed them and His ministry of LHGH.

By the way, if you haven't gone to LHGH's Myspace site, you should check it out!

Check out the pictures from LHGH!!!!

Let’s face it, sometimes LIFE HURTS and we get caught up in habits that are hard to break. If you are dealing with pain (who isn’t?) including: addictions, eating disorders, abuse, pornography, drinking, cutting, etc., then LIFE HURTS GOD HEALS is for you.   Hundreds of students have gone through this and many lives were changed.  Come check this out.  We meet every Monday night from 7-9.  For more information, call Gabriel: 723-0222 or Rachel: 350-2830

What is Life Hurts God Heals?                              

Life Hurts God Heals (LHGH) is specifically for students who have experienced pain or addiction including: drinking, cutting, pornography, eating disorders, troubled family dynamics, etc. If you are familiar with 12-step programs (i.e., Alcohol Anonymous, Overeaters Anonymous, etc) then you understand the basic structure for Life Hurts God Heals. However, Life Hurts God Heals is an 8-step group targeted specifically for students in middle school through college age, and is based on the beatitudes from the Bible. This curriculum provides lifelong tools for students dealing with unresolved hurt and pain. It was written by John Baker, Doug Fields and Megan Hutchinson as a result of seeing the unmet pain of students in their youth ministry at Saddleback Church.

What your peers are saying about it:

 "I didn’t think I had pain in my life. But then I showed up at Life Hurts God Heals and God just kind of opened the doors and when other guys in my group opened up, I realized there are things in my life that hurt too.” Jon, 15

 “It started when I was eleven years old. Just one look at pornography and I was hooked. I knew it was wrong, yet it gripped my every thought. But I couldn’t tell anyone ‘cause I was a pastor’s kid who even led worship! I needed help, and found it!” Jared, 16

  “I was having a really hard time with my family and friends and drugs and who knows what else . . . and the people in the Life Hurts God Heals group helped me.” Allison, 16

 "I went to LHGH thinking maybe just maybe someone could help me ‘cause the shrinks and anti-depressants weren't cutting it. And wow this whole experience so far has been amazing and my outlook on life has changed so much. I know I'm just being my road to becoming healed..." Allie, 16 

 “I joined life hurts God Heals because I got kicked out and had to live with my dad and I just wanted to start over…now I have new friends from LHGH who understand and steps to help me when I want to blow it.” Theresa, 14

 “The main reason I joined LHGH is because I never have accepted myself. I’ve always thought I wasn’t good enough. I would wonder why God put me here. To get away from the pain, I would eat.  Now, I am in Life Hurts God Heals and receiving steps that I can actually apply to my life to help turn my bad choices into good ones.” Steph, 18

The 8-steps covered in Life Hurts God Heals that could CHANGE YOUR LIFE:

Step 1: Get help. I admit that I am powerless and that I need help.

Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor (Matthew 5:3).

Step 2: Open your heart. I now know that God exists, that I matter to Him, and that He is the only One who has the power to heal my pain.

Happy are those who mourn. God will comfort them (Matthew 5:4).

Step 3: Depend on Christ. I realize I need to turn my life over to Christ. I need to depend on Him in all areas of my life, including all that I say, think, and do.

Happy are the humble (Matthew 5:5).

Step 4: Hear and speak. I agree to evaluate my life and confess my faults to myself, to God, and to someone whom I trust.

Happy are the pure in heart (Matthew 5:8).

Step 5: Embrace God’s way. I will stop doing things my way and put my life on the path that leads toward God’s way.

Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires (Matthew 5:6).

Step 6: Ask for forgiveness. I will offer forgiveness to those who have hurt me, and I will ask for forgiveness for any wrong I’ve done to others.

Happy are the merciful. Happy are the peacemakers (Matthew 5:7,9).

Step 7: Live for God. I will set aside some time for God each day to examine my life, read my Bible, and pray so that I have the power to live God’s way.

Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor (Matthew 5:3).

Step 8: Share with others. I will take the message that God heals to others in need and share it by my words and actions.

Happy are those who are persecuted because they do what God requires (Matthew 5:10).