Freedom Through Fitness and Grace
+ Making Peace with Your Past
A combination 12-week program
In this combination 12-week program, groups go through the book Making Peace with Your Past by Tim Sledge along with the program “Freedom Through Fitness and Grace“ created by our own Richard Harmon, to engage participants in a healing transformation by nurturing the mind, strengthening the body, and uplifting the spirit through faith-based principles, structured activities, and supportive community.
This combination program meets for two hours one evening a week, focusing on the fitness portion for one hour and the book discussion for the other hour.
Freedom Through Fitness and Grace
The core belief of this program is that true recovery and lasting freedom from addiction are possible through a relationship with Jesus Christ, practical self-care, and addressing wounds of the past. By combining spiritual discipline, physical fitness, and emotional healing, participants can rebuild their lives and rediscover purpose, strength and peace.
Mind: Emotional and Mental Healing. Healing the mind involves understanding and processing past pain, learning healthy coping skills, and establishing positive thought patterns. The program uses group settings, personal reflection, and Scripture based teaching to support emotional growth. Participants are encouraged to journal, meditate on God’s Word, and share openly in a safe environment.
Body: Physical Fitness and Wellness. Physical activity is a key element in recovery, helping restore energy, build discipline, and relieve stress. Each session includes activities such as walking, stretching or group exercise, along with self-care. The body is seen as worthy of care and respect in the journey toward healing.
Spirit: Faith and Spiritual Growth. Participants are guided in deepening their relationship with Jesus Christ through prayer, worship, Bible study, and practicing forgiveness and grace. The spiritual component emphasizes God’s unconditional love, the power of prayer, and the importance of community in overcoming addiction. Spiritual mentors and accountability partners are available for support.
Freedom Through Fitness and Grace focuses on our ability to encounter and connect with Jesus along every step of the recovery journey. This program is more than a recovery program, it is a pathway to holistic healing, lasting freedom, and renewed purpose through Christ. By addressing the mind, body, and spirit, participants are equipped to break the chains of addiction and embrace a new abundant life.
Making Peace with Your Past
A central focus of the program is helping individuals confront and release the pain of their past. Biblical principles of forgiveness, redemption, and identity in Christ empower participants to move forward with hope. Activities include reflection, prayer for healing, and learning to see oneself through God’s eyes. Making Peace with Your Past is designed to help those that came from a dysfunctional or traumatic family background and struggle with substance abuse or behavioral issues.
This course will lead you through a 12-unit study of the dynamics of growing up in a family in which the presence of an emotionally needy family member disrupted the development of healthy behaviors and relationships. The course provides practical guidance to help you identify and understand feelings and problems related to childhood experiences. Daily individual study of the text and weekly small-group sessions will help you make peace with yourself and your past
Making Peace with Your Past will help you: identify and understand problems and feelings from childhood experiences; identify ways the past affects you in the present; unlock buried feelings from the past and experience similar problems and feelings; experience an atmosphere of trust, honesty, and unconditional love; identify and remove emotional, psychological, and spiritual barriers to fellowship with God; experience a sense of hope and healing.
Moving Beyond Your Past
At the end of the 12-week program, groups can choose to go through the follow-up book Moving Beyond Your Past by Tim Sledge. With a focus on attitudes, actions, and changes, this book guides you to move beyond the hurts of the past into joyful and productive day-to-day living. This course will help you to:
take responsibility for your own emotional and spiritual wholeness
learn to care for others without the codependent tendencies of controlling or rescuing
develop spiritual and emotional vitality in your relationship with God
move beyond the hurts of the past to a life of joy, purpose, and meaning