South Strand Celebrate Recovery

09/06/2026

Read Hebrews 13:5
To lament, we:
Remind God of His Motivation. We do this by calling on His promises and characteristics of God from Scripture. Remind Him of why your request is one that aligns with His will.
Why should God answer your prayer? At the core of this component of lament is this question. The first time I learned this, I honestly felt uncomfortable. I asked questions like “God, why do I need to motivate or convince you to do good things for me? Aren't I your child? Aren't you a good father who cares about us?” Even in my questioning I missed the point. When we remind God of why He should do certain things for us, we are really reminding ourselves of the character of God. We are reminding ourselves of who God is, forcing us to reevaluate who and what informs us about who God is. Where did I learn that God was a good father? From the Bible. Where did I learn that I was a child of God? From Scripture.
This practice of reminding God of His promises as a motivation for why He should show up for us is not really about convincing God. It’s really about gaining the perspective that if He said it, it will happen, even if it hasn't happened yet. It often helps us see that He's already shown up for us or is in the middle of it at the moment.
If we ask God to draw near to us because He said He’d never leave nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5), then He's already present. Our requests can be reframed to “God, help me to experience your nearness." Motivation helps us to reframe what we long for God to do for us through what He said He would do for us. It reminds us of our birthright. It reminds us of what we will undoubtedly receive because His word won't return to Him void (Isaiah 55:11). Did you catch it? That was me practicing the component of motivation.
God wants you to remember who He is. He wants you to see how the desires of your heart align with the promises He has for you. He wants you to know that He is just as deeply invested in your experience of peace, belonging, and joy as you are. Until you dig and discover the truth of who He is, you won’t know that for yourself.
What Scriptures support the promises of God and the characteristics of who He is that provide evidence for why He should honor your request?
Application:
1 Call on God using the sentence from week 1: “ _________, You are here.”
2 Make your complaint clear to God.
3 Make your request to God.
4 Share what His motivation should be for honoring your request.

09/06/2026

Read Hebrews 4:16
To lament, we:
Make Our Request. Let God know what you want Him to do about it.
The pain of the past often clouds our ability to hope. They wear us down, wearing out our ability to look forward and see anything other than what we’re experiencing in the moment. When we’ve been anxious for so long, we think anxiety is all we’ll feel. When we’ve been depressed for so long, we start to think that depression is all we’ll experience. When we begin to face our trauma, we begin to feel that the triggers that fill our days and weeks are all we’ll experience. The enemy is masterful at using the truth of our experiences to bait us into the lie that our lives will never get better.
Making a request of God requires that we bring to the front of our minds what our deepest desires are. They require that we imagine, even for just a moment, that we can have what our souls are thirsting for.
When we utilize our holy imagination to imagine something we don't yet have, to set our hearts on feelings we haven't yet experienced, we attune our souls to the song of deliverance God is singing to us. We set our hearts on the heavenly riches we have access to, even if we have not yet held on to them. On a neurological level, hope expands the possibilities that our brain keeps in mind as we take our everyday actions. If we believe that nothing in our lives will change and that we’ll always be sad, we begin to take actions that validate that end goal. When we hope and believe that peace can be our portion, we gain the opportunity to take actions that align with that truth.
Making a request of God causes us to hope and to remember that all power is in His hands. It allows us to embody the biblical imperative to approach the throne of grace with confidence so that we can have our needs met by God (Hebrews 4:16).
If you could get God to do anything about the anxiety, depression, or trauma that you’re dealing with, what would you ask Him? What could only He do?
Application:
1 Call on God using the sentence from week 1: “ _________, You are here.”
2 Make your complaint clear to God.
3 Then make your request to God.

09/04/2026

Read Matthew 26:39-42
To lament, we:
Make Our Complaint: Sharing with God what is making you frustrated, sad, angry etc.
I believe one of the greatest myths that keeps believers from the eternal gift of presence with God that we have access to is the lie that God doesn't care about how we feel. Many of us have been told or taught in one way or another that God doesn't care about anything but His will. This lie keeps us from crying out to God. It keeps us from getting close enough to God to experience the tenderness, compassion, and grace that He offers us every day by convincing us to turn our back to God when we feel anything that we think opposes His will.
God cares about how you feel, even if what you desire isn't in His will.
We see this to be true when Jesus prepared to go to the cross. Before His time for crucifixion came, Jesus decided to pray to His Father. In that prayer is a model of vulnerability from Jesus that we are called to model to our heavenly Father as well. We see a glimpse of how dearly God holds and regards our pain and desires no matter what the circumstance is.
In Matthew 26:39-42, Jesus cries out to God saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” At that moment Jesus does something He doesn't have to. He calls on God and expresses His fear, sadness, and lack of desire to go to the cross and endure the weight of the world. Jesus, being God Himself, already knew that He must go. He knew that nothing could change the truth that He had to go to the cross. And yet, He took time to express how He felt, modeling for us that the sinless perfection Jesus lived on earth included vulnerably sharing His negative feelings with God.
In our likeness to Jesus, we are called to make the pains of our hearts known to God by sharing them with Him. He is trustworthy. He cares. And we matter to Him. That is why He wants us to share with Him what’s in our hearts.
Application:
1 Call on God using the sentence we used yesterday: "________, You are here.”
2 Then, as honestly as you can, share with God what’s on your heart. Don’t try to make it seem pretty. Don't try to use words or phrases that you’ve heard others use. Go to God with your words and your pain. He’s here. He’s waiting. He’s listening

09/03/2026

Read Genesis 22:14
To lament, we:
Call on God. We address Him in a way that is authentic to us.
The practice of lament consists of five key components that allow us to invite God into our deep pain and anguish. The very first is one that seems so simple but is truly imperative to the process of inviting God in. The very first thing we need to do is to call on God.
I imagine that my four-year-old son calls my name more than 100 times a day.
“Mommy, can you help me?”
"Mommy, I want that one.”
“Mommy, can I have more?”
He calls on me because he needs my help, He needs my support, and he wants me to be his source of help. Who we call on when we’re in the deep distress that trauma, anxiety, and depression causes us reveals who we believe will help us. It speaks to who we believe has the power to change our situation, who we have put our hope in. My son has called my name so many times, he even calls on me when he needs nothing at all, hoping that I’m nearby just so he can feel at ease.
We don’t call on God to simply address Him. We call on Him because we know He will listen. We call on Him because we know He cares for us. We call on Him because our hope is in Him. We call on Him to remind our weary and worn souls that we are not alone. We call on Him to remind ourselves that there is someone who delights in us when we don’t delight in ourselves.
His name is a prophecy of hope, a reminder of the riches we have even in the poverty of our souls. In Him we have a God who sees us. One who can bear the weight of our anger, sadness, and dark experiences. A God who is our banner, covering us when we’ve been left uncovered. We have a God who leads us as a shepherd leads his flock. He is the God who is ever present, one who gives us His righteousness as a gift in our brokenness, one who transforms us, one who provides for us and fights for us. He is our peace when we have none of our own.
The Israelites, in their despair and hope, called Him by many names:
El Shaddai - God Almighty
Adonai - Lord. Master
Jehovah Nissi - The Lord My Banner
Jehovah Raah - The Lord My Shepherd
Jehovah Shammah - The Lord Who is Present
Jehovah Tsidkenu - The Lord Our Righteousness
Jehovah Mekoddishkem - The Lord Who Sanctifies You
El Olam - The Everlasting God
Jehovah Jireh - The Lord Will provide
Jehovah Shalom - The Lord is Peace
Jehovah Sabaoth - The God of Angel Armies
Application: Take a moment of vulnerability and call on God. Call Him by the name that most resonates with the need you have in your pain.
Take one of these names listed and fill in this blank: "_________, You are here."
Place your hand over your heart. Close your eyes and repeat that sentence to yourself whenever feelings of anxiety, depression, grief, rage, confusion, loneliness, regret, shame, or guilt arise.

09/02/2026

The name of this devotional is called Cry Out: How to bring your anxiety, depression and trauma to God by Kobe Campbell.
Read Psalm 92:15
How do you think God responds to your brokenness?
How do you think God responds to the patterns you're desperate to change but just can’t? How do you think He feels about the trauma you’ve endured, the heartbreak you've experienced, and the sadness you carry in and out of every day?
Angry.
Annoyed.
Frustrated.
Those are the three most common responses I hear from my counseling clients. Many of them think that God is annoyed that they just aren't over their pain yet. They’ve missed the truth that He cares about them. They’ve lost the good news of the gospel under the voices of people who wielded the weapon of religion to dismiss their pain and belittle their hardship. When we feel like people are annoyed, angry, or frustrated with us, our natural response is to draw away from them, to isolate ourselves and find solace in solitude. The same is true of our relationship with God. When we believe He’s angry at us, we don't draw near, we don’t get close, we don't cry out to Him.
We don’t cry out to God because we think He won't come. We forget that we cry out to remind our souls of who our hope is in. We cry out to remind ourselves that there is a God listening on the other end. We cry out to release the mental, emotional, and spiritual burdens that accumulate in the silence of our minds. We cry out because it teaches us that, even in our pain, we are worthy of being heard and that there is one bigger than the pain we’re carrying. When we cry out to God, we expose our hearts and attune our ears to the real-time divine presence and comfort that God is offering us in the darkest days of our lives.
For those of us recovering from trauma, anxiety, and depression, calling on God is a complicated task. The weight of our mental and emotional state makes it hard to call on the Person who can give us divine comfort. We don’t know what to say, or how to invite Him into our experience of suffering. Though we’ve heard that God is Emmanuel: God With us, we struggle with how to make space for Him.
Over the next seven days, I’ll walk you through the five key components of the spiritual discipline called Lament. Lament is a spiritual practice that allows us to invite God into our suffering by crying out to Him in the midst of our pain. So many of us have heard the words “lay it all at the altar,” but so few of us have been taught how to do that. This is the how. We’ll begin our practice day-by-day and on our last day we’ll combine our knowledge and practice from each day to create a personal Lamentation that will open our hearts to God in the midst of our hard season.
God sees your pain. He longs to meet you in it. All you have to do is cry out to the loving Father, and He will show you that He’s already there.

09/01/2026

Day 3: Practice Returning to Peace
Fear, like a w**d, will grow when it is constantly watered.

Many people know what it feels like for anxious thoughts to slowly flood their minds during difficult seasons. One fearful thought becomes another. Worry turns into overthinking. Stress turns into emotional exhaustion.

The more attention fearful thoughts receive, the more they grow.
Second Corinthians 10:5 reminds us that we are not helpless against fearful thoughts trying to flood our minds. Scripture teaches us to “take captive” those thoughts instead of allowing them to grow unchecked into panic, anxiety, and hopelessness.

It is similar to pulling w**ds in a garden before they spread, crowding out the seedlings and taking the nutrients meant for them.

It means refusing to let fear grow wild and become the loudest voice shaping our thoughts.

Romans 12:2 describes the renewing of the mind. Renewing our minds happens when old thought patterns are replaced with His truth. By repeatedly returning our minds to God’s truth rather than continually rehearsing fearful thoughts, we renew our minds in Him.

What we repeatedly return to will eventually shape our thoughts.
What is watered will grow.
During a difficult season in my own life, I realized how easily fear could grow when I constantly fed it through endless searching, worst-case scenarios, and mental rehearsals of everything that could go wrong.

Those thoughts were not changing my circumstances.

But they were changing the atmosphere of my mind.

That realization forced me to become more intentional about what I allowed to take root in my thoughts. The more I filled my mind with God’s Word, worship, prayer, reminders of His goodness, and faith-filled encouragement, the steadier my thoughts became.

Not perfect.
Not fearless.
But anchored.
Proverbs 4:23 reminds us to guard our hearts carefully because everything in our lives flows from them. The thoughts we meditate on will shape our emotions, reactions, and outlook. What takes root in our minds settles into our hearts. Not every thought that comes needs to be allowed to take root.

Guarding our hearts isn't a passive activity. It's an active, daily decision to pull out fearful thought w**ds before they grow deep or spread. It's choosing what we return to when fear starts pressing in on the edges of our minds. It's refusing to let anxious thoughts take up space unchecked.

We get to decide what grows there.

Peace grows where God’s truth is consistently planted.

Decide to pull out the fear w**ds and plant seeds of His truth.

Today’s Anchor Action:
What have you been watering lately?

Fear or peace?

Take two minutes right now and write down one fearful thought that has been growing lately. Then write one truth from God's Word next to it. That's the w**d and the seed. That's the practice. What you consistently water will grow, so today, water truth.

You've spent three days building this practice. Keep returning to it. His anchor will hold you.

Prayer:
Lord, help me guard the garden of my mind wisely. Teach me to recognize fearful thoughts before they take root. Help me continually return my mind to Your truth and anchor myself in You. Plant Your peace deeply in my heart and help it grow. Amen.

Want more content like this? Connect with Jenna Schutt at

Discover faith-based support, inspiration, and healing strategies from Jenna Schutt, a mother navigating life's challenges with honesty and resilience.

09/01/2026

Day 2: Prepare Your Heart for Peace
The room is still dark, but the blue light from my phone is already lighting up my face.

Before my eyes are even fully open, my thumb is scrolling almost automatically. News headlines. Unread messages. Calendar reminders. Responsibilities. Problems to solve. Things I didn't get done yesterday. Things I’m already concerned about today.

Maybe you’ve experienced mornings like that, too.

Before we even get out of bed, our minds can already feel heavy with stress, pressure, and anxious thoughts. We start the day connected to noise before we ever connect with God.

During difficult seasons, I realized something important:
Peace is rarely built in the middle of panic.

It is built in the returning.

Returning to prayer.
Returning to Scripture.
Returning to what is true before fear has the chance to lead our thoughts somewhere else.
One morning, that realization hit me deeply.

I had spent the first twenty minutes of my day scrolling through news, rehearsing my to-do list, and mentally preparing for all the activities that lie ahead before I had opened my Bible, said a single prayer, or given the Lord my first thought.

Fear was preparing me for panic before I had prepared myself for peace.

That is why Philippians 4:6–8 does not simply tell us to “stop worrying.” It gives us instruction on where to place our thoughts and where to return when anxiety begins to rise. Prayer. Gratitude. Truth. The passage teaches us to bring our anxious thoughts to God rather than letting them spiral out of control in our minds.

Philippians also reminds us to intentionally think about what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and praiseworthy. What we repeatedly return our minds to will begin to shape the direction of our thoughts and the condition of our hearts.

Peace is not passive.

Peace is practiced.

And that practice is the returning of our minds to God and His Word again and again before fear has the chance to take control.

Colossians 3:2 calls us to set our minds on things above rather than on earthly things. That's not a call to deny the reality you're in or shirk responsibilities. It's a call to prioritize what gets our first attention. When we start the day anchored in what God says is true, the weight of the day might not disappear, but it stops leading. Fear stops setting the tone before our feet even hit the floor.

Not because life suddenly becomes easy.

But because God remains steady.

Peace does not come from pretending problems do not exist or that we have no responsibilities. Peace comes from consistently bringing our thoughts back under the truth of God’s Word and His faithfulness.

Panic reacts. Peace prepares.

Today’s Anchor Action:
Tomorrow morning, before you go to your phone to open social media, check the news, or scroll through your calendar, pause and open His Word first. Read one verse. Pray an honest prayer before the Lord. Small moments of returning to His truth steady the heart more than we realize.

Prayer:
Lord, help me return to You before fear, stress, or distraction takes over my thoughts. Teach me to anchor my mind in Your truth and begin my day aware of Your presence and peace before the noise begins. Amen.

08/30/2026

The name of this devotional is called Anchor before Panic by Faith with Jenna.
Day 1: Interrupt the Fear Spiral
During difficult seasons, many people know what it feels like to have anxious thoughts flood in at night.
Responsibilities, schedules, and day-to-day tasks can temporarily push fearful thoughts into the background. But when the daytime rush slows, and the quiet of the nighttime routine finally arrives, fear often grows louder.
• The “what ifs” begin.
• Worst-case scenarios replay.
• Peace suddenly feels far away.
Hebrews 6 gives us a picture of hope as an anchor, firm and secure. That's exactly what God's truth does when fear tries to pull us under.
An anchor keeps a ship from drifting when storms rage and waves crash against it, trying to pull it away from safety.
In the same way, God’s truth steadies our minds when fear, anxiety, and spiraling thoughts try to pull us in every direction.
Fear wants to pull us into panic.
God’s Word wants to anchor us in peace.
2 Timothy 1:7 reminds us that God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. A sound mind is not a mind that never has fearful thoughts. It is a mind that knows where to return when fear tries to take over.
A sound mind is practiced and self-disciplined.
It is trained by repeatedly returning to the Lord’s truth rather than staying trapped in panic. It does not deny reality or pretend hard things do not exist. Instead, it becomes anchored in peace by returning again and again to what God says is true.
And every time we return, the anchor holds a little more firmly.
One night, during a difficult season in my life, I lay awake as the rest of the house slept peacefully. My husband was asleep. My two boys were asleep. But my mind was running a marathon of its own.
Maybe you’ve experienced moments like that too.
Your situation may look different, but you may know what it feels like when fear pulls your mind toward uncertainty, worry, and worst-case scenarios.
That is why the promise in Isaiah 26:3 matters so deeply. A steadfast mind, fixed on God, is kept in peace.
What I learned during that season is something that still matters today: our minds naturally drift toward fear, panic, and anxiety unless we intentionally return them to God’s truth.
Scripture calls us to take our thoughts captive rather than letting them run unchecked, which requires a choice. We cannot always control how we feel emotionally in the moment, but we can choose where our thoughts are anchored and what they return to.
Peace does not come from pretending hard things are not real.
Peace comes from repeatedly returning our minds to what is true about God.
Fear spirals fast.
But God’s truth anchors the soul.
Today’s Anchor Action:
Write down one “What if?” fear that has been weighing on your mind lately.
Then cross it out and replace it with a truth about who God is.
“What if everything falls apart?”�→ “God is faithful.”
Fear focuses on possibilities.
Faith returns to truth.
Prayer:
Lord, when fear tries to pull my thoughts toward panic, uncertainty, or what-ifs, help me return to Your truth. Anchor my mind in Your peace that passes all understanding and remind me that You are my steady anchor even when life feels uncertain. Amen.

08/29/2026

Read Colossians 3:12
Let Kindness Be Your Lifestyle
As we come to the last day of this Bible Plan, here's one question for you: When people interact with you, do they experience the kindness of Christ?
Kindness isn't something God wants us to show only when it's easy or convenient. It's not just for Sundays, church activities, or when we're in a good mood. God desires kindness to become part of who we are—a lifestyle that is reflected in the way we speak, think, and treat people every single day.
The truth is, every person you meet is carrying something you cannot see.
The cashier who seems quiet may be worried about a sick family member. The coworker who looks distracted may be carrying financial stress. The friend who keeps smiling may be silently fighting anxiety. Even the person who was impatient or rude may be dealing with pain that no one knows about.
We all have battles.
Some battles are visible, but many are hidden. That's why kindness matters so much. You may never know what someone is going through, but your kindness can remind them that they are seen, valued, and loved.
Kindness doesn't always require a grand gesture. Sometimes it's taking time to really listen instead of rushing the conversation. It's checking on someone you haven't heard from in a while. It's thanking the server who brought your meal. It's speaking gently to your spouse after a stressful day. It's encouraging a coworker, praying for a friend, or choosing patience instead of frustration.
These moments may seem ordinary, but God often uses ordinary acts of kindness to accomplish extraordinary things.
Remember, people may forget what you said, but they will often remember how you made them feel. Through your kindness, someone may experience hope. Through your compassion, someone may find the courage to keep going. Through your love, someone may catch a glimpse of Jesus.
Three Ways to Choose Kindness Today
1. Make kindness a daily habit.�Don't wait until you "feel" kind. Choose kindness in the small, everyday moments. The more you practice it, the more it becomes part of who you are.
2. Look for opportunities to bless others.�Ask God each morning, "Lord, who can I encourage today?" He will often place someone in your path who needs a kind word, a helping hand, or a listening ear.
3. Reflect Jesus wherever you go.�Whether you're at home, at work, at church, in traffic, or online, let people see Christ through your attitude, your words, and your actions.
Reflection
Think about the people you'll meet today. Who might need encouragement, patience, or compassion? Ask God to help you see people through His eyes and make kindness your daily response—not because it's easy, but because it reflects the heart of Jesus.
Final Encouragement
Every morning, you have a choice. You can choose impatience or patience. You can choose harsh words or words that bring life. You can choose selfishness or compassion.
Choose kindness—not because everyone deserves it, but because God has shown you incredible kindness every single day.
As you continue this journey, don't let kindness be something you do only once in a while. Let it become part of your character. Let it shape your conversations, your relationships, your decisions, and even your reactions during difficult moments.
Never underestimate what God can do through one act of kindness. The smile you share, the encouraging message you send, the forgiveness you extend, or the time you give to someone may be the very answer they've been praying for.
The world has enough criticism, anger, and division. Be someone who brings hope. Be someone who brings peace. Be someone who reflects Jesus.
Choose kindness... every day.

08/29/2026

Read Luke 6:35-36
Choose Kindness Even When It's Difficult
Let's be honest—it's easy to be kind when people are kind to us. It's easy to smile when we're treated with respect or to help someone who appreciates us. But what about the person who offended you? The coworker who keeps criticizing you? The driver who cuts you off in traffic? The person who speaks harshly to you or posts hurtful comments online?
This is where kindness becomes a choice.
Every day we hear stories of road rage, arguments that turn into violence, and small misunderstandings that end in tragic consequences. Many of these situations begin with one angry reaction that quickly escalates because neither person chooses to stop. A harsh word is answered with another harsh word. Anger grows, emotions take over, and lives are changed in just a few moments.
As followers of Christ, God calls us to respond differently.
Choosing kindness doesn't mean pretending that wrong behavior is acceptable. It doesn't mean allowing people to take advantage of you or never setting healthy boundaries. Instead, it means refusing to let anger, pride, or bitterness take control of your heart. It means allowing the Holy Spirit—not your emotions—to guide your response.
Remember, you cannot always control how people treat you, but you can choose how you respond.
Your response has power. A calm answer can stop an argument before it grows. A patient attitude can bring peace into a tense situation. A gracious response can reflect the love of Christ in ways that people will never forget.
When you choose kindness in difficult moments, you are not showing weakness. You are showing spiritual maturity. You are choosing to trust God with justice instead of trying to get even yourself.
Three Ways to Choose Kindness Today
1. Pray before reacting.�When someone hurts or frustrates you, don't let your emotions speak first. Pause and ask God for wisdom before you respond. A few seconds of prayer can prevent words you may later regret.
2. Choose forgiveness over bitterness.�Bitterness doesn't only affect the person who hurt you—it also steals your own peace. Forgiveness doesn't excuse the offense, but it frees your heart from carrying the weight of anger.
3. Respond with grace instead of revenge.�The world says, "Get even." Jesus says, "Love your enemies." Grace doesn't always change the other person's attitude immediately, but it changes yours and allows Christ's character to shine through you.
Reflection
Is there someone you've been struggling to show kindness to? Ask God to soften your heart today. Pray for that person, release any bitterness you've been holding on to, and choose a response that reflects the love and grace of Jesus. You may not be able to change their heart, but with God's help, you can guard your own.