Release The Weight - Journey Church

40 Days 2026 – Week 5

Release the Weight – Hebrews 12:14-15

If you would like to continue this conversation, join us on our Journey Church podcast! Just search for “Journey Church with James Hilton” wherever you tune in.

Mark your calendar and plan to attend Consume, our Good Friday Worship Service, on April 3, at 6:30 pm, at our Orange City location. Just a reminder that childcare is not provided, so please start planning now.

Easter is a season of new life and fresh starts. Someone in your life is waiting for an invitation—who will you invite to join you on Easter weekend? A simple “Come sit with me at church!” could change someone’s life forever. Whom do you know who is far from God but close to you?

Memory Verse for Week 5: “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.” Ephesians 2:4–5, NIV

Some pain doesn’t disappear—it lingers beneath the surface, shaping our thoughts, reactions, and relationships while the weight of regret, guilt, and hurt quietly grows. But the very place you’ve been trying to avoid is where Jesus wants to meet you, offering mercy and healing that frees you from being defined by your past. True freedom comes not from erasing what happened, but from letting grace carry what you were never meant to hold so your past no longer controls your future.

Share about a time when you tried to carry something heavy (physically) for too long. What happened when you finally set it down? How did your body feel afterward?
In this sermon, Pastor James talked about the difference between surviving pain and being free from it. What stood out to you most about his explanation of how unprocessed hurt affects our lives?
Pastor James mentioned that “freedom is not just something you receive one time. It is something you step into with Jesus over time.” What does this idea mean to you, and how does it challenge or encourage you?
Read Hebrews 12:14-15. According to these verses, what is the difference between anger in a moment and bitterness that has taken root? Why does the writer say to “see to it” that bitter roots don’t grow?
When Pastor James described how bitter roots “cause trouble and defile many” (Hebrews 12:15), what examples did he give that resonated with your own experience or observations?
Pastor James explained that mercy is “God’s compassionate movement toward misery.” How is this different from how many people typically think about God’s mercy, and why does this distinction matter?
The sermon emphasized three steps: Name it, Face it, Release it. Can you explain what each of these steps involves and why all three are necessary for freedom?
What did Pastor James mean when he said, “Jesus did not just die for what you did, He died for what was done to you”? How does this truth relate to our ability to release hurt?
Pastor James described how unreleased hurt shows up in different ways – people-pleasing, perfectionism, going back to old habits, shutting down, or overreacting. Which of these resonates with you, and what do you think might be driving it?
When you think about God being “rich in mercy” (Ephesians 2:4), does that feel true in your experience? What makes it easy or difficult for you to believe that God’s heart moves toward your pain with compassion?

This week, practice the three steps the pastor outlined with one specific hurt: Name it honestly before God, Face what it’s been doing in your life, and Release it into Jesus’ hands. Consider sharing this process with a trusted friend or counselor.

Prayer

Jesus, I’m grateful that You didn’t just come to forgive me, but to free me. I confess that I’ve been trying to manage pain that You want to heal. There are hurts I’ve been carrying that I never fully brought to You – some I’ve buried, some I’ve tried to get over, and some I didn’t even realize were still affecting me.

Right now, I want to be honest with You about [specific hurt]. This is what happened, and this is how it’s been shaping me. I don’t want to keep living from this wound. I’m placing it into Your merciful hands, knowing that You already carried it on the cross. Help me to stop picking it back up when it tries to return.

I release my right to hold onto it, my need to protect myself from it, and my attempts to control it. Thank You that Your mercy is bigger than my pain and that You’re not asking me to carry what You’ve already taken. Teach me to live in the freedom You died to give me. In Your name, Amen.

Would you consider serving at one of our Easter services? We will have many first-time visitors on campus, and we want everyone to feel at home. If you would like to help, please scan the QR code and complete the Volunteer Interest Form. You would not be committing to a team (although you might fall in love with it!); we simply want to discuss where you could help out. Weekend Experience, data entry, and Journey Kids will be where we have the greatest need on Easter Weekend.