
The Healing & Freedom Journey
312 episodes — Page 6 of 7
What is Grace? Part 3: Grace in the Old Testament
When we consider the word grace, we often reference the New Testament, especially Paul’s writings on grace. But the usage of the word grace is actually all throughout the Bible, even in the Old Testament. When we consider the Old Testament, many think of law, judgment and an intense standard of living that cannot be […]
Working Through Control Issues
Are you aware that control issues may be hindering your mental health journey? The influence of control becomes place in our lives where we exert extensive effort, pressure, power or force to manipulate a situation or people. We can even have control issues with our own thoughts that send us into pressurized tailspins. I took […]
What is Grace? Part 2: Discovering Grace
Grace invites us into a journey of discovery who Christ is and all that walking with Him means in our lives. I want to invite you into a deeper a personal experience with the grace of God. I have been deeply changed the love of the Father and the grace of Jesus Christ. I believe […]
What to Do When You Are TRIGGERED
Triggering is a term that is used often in mental health, to the point that it has even become a cultural expression that many use. What does it mean to become triggered and what can we do to work through moments in our life when our emotions get bombarded in this way? When we are […]
What is Grace? Part 1
The grace of God is absolutely amazing and life changing. But why is it that we struggle to connect to something that is so incredible? Has grace lost its meaning in our hearts, or are we realizing we never had a firm equipping as to what grace really looks like in the first place? Are […]
How OCD Infected My Pastoral Ministry
What happens when you are in pastoral ministry, but you wrestle with obsessive compulsive struggles? It actually took me a long time to realize that I struggled with OCD and perfectionism. Looking back, it definitely took a toll on my daily sense of peace. In this broadcast, I want to share some honest struggles I […]
There is No Such Thing as a 20 Minute Call (And Other Helps for Your Journey)
While addressing a question that came in, I took a brief tangeant to discuss some important things that can be helpful when it comes to our healing and freedom journey. When it comes to issues of the heart and working through our mental and emotional health, there is no such thing as a 20 minute […]
Are You Obsessive Compulsive About SIN?
Do you find in your desire to honor God’s ways that you’ve become obsessive compulsive about sin, identifying sin and trying to get rid of sin in your life? I get many emails and questions regarding sin that have intense obsessive distortions. It drives people to compulsively check for sin and find out what things […]
Are You Battling Existential OCD?
Is it possible that your existential deep dives are revealing the presence and influence of OCD? Are you obsessive about chasing doubts about your existence or God’s existence? Over my 30 years of ministry experience, I have observed many who get lost in certain questions related to life, death, existence, God, eternity and more that […]
Common Pitfalls of Relationship OCD
If you’re constantly questioning your love for your boyfriend or girlfriend, wondering if they’re the right person for you, or feeling the urge to break up even though you don’t want to, you may be struggling with relationship OCD (ROCD). ROCD can cause significant distress and disruption in romantic relationships. I’ve seen it in dating […]
Working Through Thought-Action Fusion
Do you connect that thoughts that arrive into your thinking are the same as acting on it. Thought-action fusion (TAF) is a fancy psychological term that simply describes a cognitive distortion that occurs when people believe that their thoughts are equivalent to their actions. This means that they believe that simply thinking about something bad […]
Healing Our Distorted “God Filter”
Our mental health is deeply impacted by how we relate to God. When I sit down and talk with someone about their relationship with God, it doesn’t take very long to observe the lens by which they relate to God and how they see Him. How you see God is what I call your “God […]
9 Toxic Ways Obsessives Interpret their Thoughts
Our mental health is not about what kind of thoughts arrive into our thinking, but more about how we RESPOND to our thoughts that is the issue. Working through OCD or any kind of mental health battle involves learning to heal how we interpret our thoughts and the meaning we give our thoughts. For many […]
Working Through Mood Issues and Irritability
How do you work through mood issues and irritability that comes along with it? As many work through their mental and emotional health, they are recognizing a struggle with their overall mood. Struggling with mood swings can be a challenging experience. It can interfere with daily life and make it difficult to maintain relationships, and […]
Overcoming Overthinking
Overthinking can be a problem for many who struggle with anxiety, OCD, depression or other mental health struggles. It can be easy to fall into the trap of overthinking, as we can believe that by overanalyzing or ruminating over something, somehow we may be able to solve the issue. But in fact, overthinking becomes a […]
The Freedom Journey from Toxic Guilt
As many recognize that toxic guilt has infected their faith walk and mental health, how do we begin walking a freedom journey from the clutches of guilt that holds us back and steals our confidence? In this broadcast, I want to share with you some mindsets, perspectives and steps we can take to overcome being […]
12 Common Guilt-Based Compulsions
Toxic guilt will drive us into a compulsive lifestyle. When we act in compulsion, we are doing something to alleviate the feelings of guilt that rise up within us. But as we keep responding to guilt, we actually empower guilt to become a rising voice in our thoughts and emotions. Our decisions and actions can […]
8 Toxic Guilt Battles Christians Struggle With
As believers in Christ, we can experience a life that is not burdened down by constant guilt. Yet for so many honest Christians admit they deeply struggle with the influence of guilt over their mind and life. The work of toxic guilt infects so many areas of their life, keeping them bound in limitation, while […]
10 Reasons WHY We Struggle with Toxic Guilt
As we understand the work of toxic guilt, we will need to allow ourselves to learn about why we are so prone to becoming guilt ridden so easily. Many will jump to asking, “How do I stop getting pulled into guilt trips?” but they don’t take the time to understand the influential factors that pull […]
15 Reasons Why Toxic Guilt is Not of God
One of the traps that keeps us bound is the “God Label” that we put on many guilt ridden thoughts we get stuck in. We attribute God as the author of toxic guilt, which keeps us stuck in cycles that do not produce freedom. When I discovered that God was not hovering over me with […]
How Jesus Responded to Toxic Guilt
Observing the life of Jesus Christ, you will discover the divine compassion He lived by on a daily basis. But what you do NOT find is Jesus being driven by or manipulated by guilt, especially in how He interacted with people. We often tell believers we should “live like Jesus.” But if you watch the […]
Toxic Guilt and the Sin Cycle
Many believers get pulled into a toxic guilt cycle when it comes to their sins and mistakes in life. It keeps them in continual patterns of not experiencing freedom. Why do so many get locked into that pattern? In this broadcast, I want to show the difference between the toxic guilt cycle and the freedom […]
Discerning the Armor of Toxic Guilt
It takes discerning to see and understand how guilt has influenced your way of living. For many, it takes learning and relearning. Today I want to break down the armor of toxic guilt. When it comes your way, what kind of influences are coming along with it to keep you in bondage to chronic guilt? […]
The Power of Faith, Hope and Love for Mental Health
In my journey of navigating through seasons of anxiety and depression, I was brought back to the simple, yet powerful connection that faith, hope and love have in our lives. One day, my eyes were opened to the insight that these three powerful words can bring to your mental health. In the midst of struggles […]
12 Signs You Struggle with Toxic Guilt
For many believers, they are beginning to recognize that the influence of guilt has become toxic in their life. Toxic guilt can impact our relationship with God, ourselves and others in very unfruitful ways. It can bog down our minds with heaviness, anxiety and depression, while keeping us from being able to move forward with […]
Exposing the Influence of Toxic Guilt
A major aspect of my healing journey has involved learning to discern the workings of guilt and allow myself to walk free from a lifestyle entangled with toxic guilt. When you think about your spiritual journey, has anyone ever taught you how to discern what guilt means and how to work through it? Do you […]
The Power of God’s Love to Transform Your Mental Health
Every single one of us were created and designed to live in the power of God’s love for us, for it is His love that paves the way for our thoughts, emotions and relationships to experience greater health. It is my fundamental conviction that all mental health begins with learning to experience the power of […]
Biblical Building Blocks for Mental Health – Part 1
As you navigate your mental health journey, what are the important biblical building blocks that we can stand on to heal, grow and overcome? In this Sunday night live, Mark will take us on a series where he cover the important precepts we need to build to strengthen and empower our mental health. I also […]
Healing from Gaslighting
Gaslighting is a form of manipulative abuse, in which a person causes you to doubt your memory of experiences and past events as well as your perception, which can lead to doubt of reality and questioning of your own sanity. It is also used as a way to manipulate you into seeing a toxic and […]
Overcoming Grandiosity from a Narcissist Relationship
The influence of narcissism partners with a mindset of grandiosity, an extreme pattern of a self-importance or “specialness” that often leads to exaggerated boasting about accomplishments, status and image. As we all learn to heal and grow, God will lead us to see His greatness at work within us. We have areas of low thinking […]
Healing from a Narcissist When It is All About Them
Of the toxic ingredients that make up a narcissist, one of them is the pattern where they make everything in life about themselves. They direct conversations and attention to themselves in all things. It goes beyond selfishness, which we all have battles with and even self-centeredness. Narcissism is even more intense than that. They have […]
Healing from a Narcissist’s Lack of Empathy Towards You
In a series on healing from a relationship with a narcissist, I want to bring out what healing from the main narcissistic traits looks like. I first want to bring out the lack of empathy. How does that impact your mental and emotional health? How do you begin healing when you have been bombarded by […]
The Most Challenging Relationship in the Mental Health Journey
The most challenging relationship in our mental health healing journey is with ourselves. While many of us can talk about our struggle in relating and connecting to God in fruitful ways, while also struggling in relationship to others, the biggest trouble most people have is in how they relate to themselves. Most people do not […]
Strengthening Your Mental Health in the Midst of Storms
How do you handle a rough day, a bad week or even a rough season in life? While the storms of life hit everyone in various ways, how can we effectively help our mental health in the midst of it? It’s hard enough to deal with day to day mental health struggles, but what about […]
Have You Been Slimed by a SCORNER?
In the Old Testament Scriptures on wisdom, the Bible brings out the toxic influence of narcissism within the profile of a SCORNER. Within the description of the scorner, you see the narcissistic traits manifesting. They leave a trail of strife, confusion and broken relationships behind them. It is important that we discern when we are […]
4 Signs You Are NOT a Narcissist
One of the common things that can happen for many when they hear about the toxic influence of narcissism is they ask themselves, “Am I a narcissist?” Many obsessive compulsives will hear the traits and start to panic, thinking they are narcissistic and spiral into catastrophic thinking. But it can be helpful to look at […]
Why is it Hard for Christians to Accept that Narcissists Will Not Change?
One important step in healing from a relationship with a narcissist is accepting they will not change. This helps us to let go of the dysfunctional ways we learned to relate and cope. But for many Christians, this can bump up against some of our spiritual perspectives that have become distorted. In this broadcast, I […]
How Christians Can Heal from a Narcissist Relationship
The journey towards healing from a narcissistic relationship can be a daunting and challenging experience for anyone. However, for Christians, the pain and trauma experienced in such relationships can be compounded by certain ways we process the Bible, love and relationships in dysfunctional and distorted ways. Narcissism is an issue that many area needing to […]
The Christian, the Bible and Narcissism
What does the Bible have to say about narcissism? There is so much talk about narcissists in psychology, but is it actually something the Bible mentions? If so, how can we discern its work in our upbringing, our relationships, churches and communities? In this broadcast, I will address what narcissism is and how to pick […]
The Christian Mental Health and the Workplace
What does it look like for a believer to walk a journey that is mentally, emotionally and relationally healthy within the context of the workplace? With all the complications that can arise, how do you navigate your mental health healing and growth journey, while at the same time, working in an environment that isn’t that […]
Healing & Freedom to the Heart of an Artist: My Interview with Matt Tommey
It is a joy to introduce you to a good friend of mine, Matt Tommey, an author, artist and mentor to thousands of thriving artists who have been equipped to know who they are, develop their artistic craft and walk in meaningful purpose. I have been personally blessed by the faith and learning that Matt […]
Mental Health and Hearing from God
There has been an increased awareness of the importance of mental health, both in the Christian community and in society as a whole. As Christians, there can seem to be an added dimension to our struggles, which is the desire to hear from God. Many people who struggle with mental health find it difficult to […]
Healthy Servants of God in a World Filled with STRIFE
What does it look like to maintain a healthy journey while interacting with a world around you that is engulfed in strife? In this broadcast, Mark will walk you through biblical instructions that will point you towards living from a place of divine wisdom and helping you discern how STRIFE works, so that you do […]
Keeping Your Sanity in a World of Lawlessness
What is lawlessness and how can we be discerning about the growing influence of lawlessness in our world? How can you navigate your mental health and maintain your sanity in the midst of a world that wholeheartedly embraces lawless living as a way of life? Video Broadcast: Watch on Rumble: To support future broadcasts:
Fight Mental Health Battles with Compassion
Mental health has long been a misunderstood and stigmatized topic. Many Christians fear admitting their mental health struggles, due to shame and or being seen as weak. To many fight their battles in silence, while they also struggle with feeling defeated, condemned, stressed and overwhelmed. What we all need is compassion, which involves connecting to […]
Compulsively Checking Your Feelings
Do you find yourself compulsively checking your feelings, to make sure you REALLY feel a certain way? For many obsessive-compulsives, they are often checking how they feel on a regular basis to make sure they feel a certain way. But they end up endlessly checking their feelings in an endless loop of their emotions very […]
What the OCD Healing Journey Looks Like
Allow me to be a tour guide to help you understand what some of the stages of healing from obsessive and compulsive patterns looks like. There are some important markers along the way that I need to mention and help equip your heart. One stage that I want to highlight and speak to is what […]
Myths That People with Relationship OCD Believe
Many of us have heard of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), but few may be aware of relationship OCD. I know I had no idea what it was, but struggled with it deeply for a while. It is a type of OCD that involves intrusive and unwanted thoughts or obsessions about relationships, usually romantic ones. Those who […]
The Struggle with Self-Condemnation
Everyone has areas of our past that are not perfect, but for those who struggle with perfectionism and OCD, self-condemnation can be a daily struggle and wrestling match. Condemnation drives us to dwell on the past in such a way that leaves us feeling broken and hopeless. The struggle with self-condemnation often leads to depression, […]
Mental Health and the End Times
I have never heard the end times and mental health talked about in the same talk. But today, I want to talk them together, so we can navigate our journey in a healthy and fruitful way. In this broadcast, I will describe “5 Types of End Timers,” four of which can be detrimental to your […]