Intro
Start with the intro video before moving on to the individual trail markers.
If God is such a loving God, why is there so much pain and suffering in this world? Why am I experiencing this pain in my life? Where is God in all of this? What can I do about my pain? We tackle all of these questions and more in the introductory video to the Pain to Purpose Course.
Trail Marker 1
In this Trail Marker we’ll begin sorting through the debris of your personal trauma, tragedy, or major life transition. We’ll learn how to process all of the emotions well and heal from the fresh wounds that can be overwhelmingly complex.
How do I get rid of these painful feelings? How do I gain control of these emotions that seem to overwhelm and control me? In Waypoint #1 we discover how our emotions were given to us by God as red-light indicators not as road maps. God is communicating to us something in our emotions and inviting us to lean into him for healing and understanding.
In Waypoint #2 we continue the discussion on how to get rid of the painful feelings that plague is in our valley. In this particular session we learn how important it is to rewire the deeply entrenched assumptions we’ve held about God, ourselves, and the world around us. We find that the only way to find purpose in our valley is to see this valley from God’s perspective.
In Waypoint #3 we address the one principle we believe will keep you paralyzed more than anything else on this journey - bitterness. In whatever valley we’re navigating, God is inviting us to not let bitterness creep into our souls. Instead of becoming bitter, this is an opportunity to become better, and partner with God to release the power of forgiveness into the lives of people around us.
Trail Marker 2
In this Trail Marker we’ll begin rebuilding the structure of your life. If we are going to not just survive but thrive in the midst of this and future storms, we will need to have a solid foundation on which to build. For some, this will mean laying a new foundation for your life and for your family.
We don’t grow by default, in fact we do quite the opposite. If we rely on our default nature, we will drift. We will find ourselves disconnected, dissatisfied, and discouraged. In Waypoint #4 we talk about several spiritual rhythms we must set up in our life in order to come to a place of healing and to walk into our future whole and healthy.
There is a spiritual and physical rhythm that stands above the rest of them, and yet it’s the one we tend to practice the least. This one principle will lead to our healing and wholeness faster than other antidote. It will also keep at bay much of the unnecessary pain we create in our lives. In Waypoint #5 we talk about the principle of Sabbath Rest, the Keystone habit, if you will, of navigating your valley well.
Stress, anxiety, sickness, and depression seem to accompany most valleys. Often times these symptoms have a spiritual root, and yet it’s impossible to uncover what the root issue is because the symptoms can be so overwhelming. In Waypoint #6 we discuss physical rhythms that we need to begin implementing in our lives in order to quell the physiological responses our body is having to stress. It’s out of these rhythms that we can truly begin to uncover the deeper healing God wants to do in our lives.
Trail Marker 3
In this Trail Marker we’ll learn how to live and move forward with purpose. We’ll discover that God has quite a bit He wants to teach us as we navigate our valleys and we’ll learn the keys to discovering how—through this trial—He wants to ratchet up your impact in the world.
Our pain can be a classroom. God doesn’t want to waste an ounce of our pain. The decision we must make is are we willing to listen and learn what He’s wanting to communicate to us through our pain. If we are, we partner with Him in ensuring our pain is not in vain. In Waypoint #7 we tackle 10 things God may be trying to teach you through your pain.
Life is impossible to do alone. Valley's are even more impossible to do alone. In Waypoint #8 we discuss why it’s so important to surround yourself with community, help you understand what kind of community to surround yourself with, and how to navigate the difficult situations that can arise when you’re cultivating community in a valley.
Each of us were designed for a unique and distinct purpose and destiny. Our tragedy is not an interruption to this destiny, it’s an invitation into an even greater destiny. In Waypoint #9 we help you discover that though this road seems like a detour, God will use it as a strategic re-routing to help you and I step into the fullness of who He has built us to be and in order to fulfill the unique calling he has for each of us.
If we fail to plan we can plan to fail. Without a carefully devised plan for how we are going to remain on the path God has marked out for us, we are destined to get stuck in our valley. In Waypoint #10 we put everything together to help you craft a Pain to Purpose Plan. No longer do you have to wonder aimlessly through this valley, you can have a clearly marked out path for how to emerge with renewed sense of purpose.