Reclaim Your Peace
From Harmed to Healed:
Exposing Church Hurt
June 14, 2026
Minister Trashawnda Ward
Definitions
- Church Hurt: emotional, spiritual or psychological rejection, betrayal, manipulation, judgement, exclusion, and abuse that occurs within a faith community.
- Injured Party: One who suffers harm due to the actions of another.
- Injurer: One who injures, harms, or causes loss to another.
Questions
Can you recall being injured?
Can you recall being an injurer?
Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Key Scripture: Psalm 55:12-14
“If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were rising against me, I could hide. 13 But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend, 14 with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship at the house of God, as we walked about among the
worshipers.”
5 Sources of Church Hurt
1. Loss of Power (The Power Trip), Ezekiel 34:2-4 & 7-10
2. Self-Righteousness, Matthew 23:1-7, Matthew 7: 3-5
3. Unsanctified Tongues and Minds, Proverbs 12:18, Proverbs 15:1, I Peter 3:9, Philippians 4:8, Colossians 3:8-10
4.Idolatry & Misplaced Trust, Matthew 23:8-9, Isaiah 2:22, Psalm 118:8, Proverbs 29:25
5.Luggage from the Past, Proverbs 18:19
The Sermon in a Sentence:
Call out the hurt and choose to HEAL. That’s where freedom begins.
Choose to H.E.A.L.
H = Humility
E = Ephesians 4: 29
A = Approach each other and situations that occur like a LOVING family.
L = Love unconditionally.
OFFENSE is different than ABUSE (RUN FROM ABUSE!) Abuse:
• Punishing people for asking questions.
• Manipulating “prophecy” to shame someone.
• Threatening that leaving the church means bad things for you.
• Belittling or humiliating members publicly.
• Isolating members from family or friends outside the church.
• Teaching that disagreement with leadership means you’re rebellious and you will die.
• Grooming young people or vulnerable adults.
• Forcing or coercion of giving with the threat of death.
• Encouraging “shunning” of members by members.
When Abuse Happens:
Forgive, Release & Bless until you get it right, and LEAVE the outcome to the Lord.
I forgive__________ for _______________. I release _______, I bless _____________,
and Lord, I give it to You. Heal my broken heart.
Psalm 147:3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
Get Your Mind Right (Week 4)
John M. Wallace, Jr., PhD
June 7, 2026
Peace
A God-given condition of spiritual wholeness, inner tranquility, freedom from disquieting or
oppressive thoughts.
The Promise of Peace
Isaiah 26:3 You will keep him in perfect peace [total well-being, wholeness, nothing missing,
nothing broken, everything flourishing, in every domain, to an exceptional degree]. Whose
mind [inner orientation, world view, and operating system of their soul] is stayed [fully leaning
and resting] on You, Because he trusts [completely and confidently relies totally] in You.
Peace Formula
Truth of God’s Word + Power of the Holy Spirit + Best Scientific Evidence + Common Sense
Peace
Sermon in a Sentence
Get Your Mind Right!
How Our Thoughts Impact Our Life Outcomes
Experience Something Thoughts (Tell Ourselves a Story) FeelingsActionsOutcomes
How to Deal with Anxiety and Handle Our ANTS
Get in IN Christ
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed
away; behold, all things have become new.
Romans 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and
petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which
transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-9 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and
petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which
transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Interrogate your thoughts
Philippians 4:8-9 8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is
right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or
praiseworthy—think about such things.
Follow Godly Models
9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice.
And the God of peace will be with you.
Fight, capture and conquer your thoughts
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4
The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine
power to demolish strongholds. 5 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.
See and Say What God Sees and Says
Judges 6:1-16 1The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and for seven years he gave them
into the hands of the Midianites. 2 Because the power of Midian was so oppressive, the
Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in mountain clefts, caves and strongholds.
11 The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash
the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the
Midianites. 12 When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you,
mighty warrior.” 13 “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has
all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they
said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given
us into the hand of Midian.” 14 The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have
and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” 15 “Pardon me, my lord,”
Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the
least in my family.” 16 The Lord answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.”
Disclaimer: Everyone is entitled to their opinion. We believe and teach that the Bible is God’s Word — His opinion — and provides His instruction for how to live life under His rule (i.e., the Kingdom of God).
