Healing isn’t a one-time event—it’s a daily journey. This session unpacks how restoration becomes a lifestyle through ongoing surrender, community, and spiritual formation. When healing is integrated into how we live, think, and relate, brokenness no longer defines us. Instead, God’s renewing presence becomes our source of strength, resilience, and wholeness.

Summer Convocation 2025: Healing from Trauma

<p>Healing isn’t a one-time event—it’s a daily journey. This session unpacks how restoration becomes a lifestyle through ongoing surrender, community, and spiritual formation. When healing is integrated into how we live, think, and relate, brokenness no longer defines us. Instead, God’s renewing presence becomes our source of strength, resilience, and wholeness.</p>

<p>Free sharing permitted under the Creative Commons <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">BY-NC-ND 3.0 (US)</a> license.</p>

Hartland Institute of Health and Education

Paul Coneff

What Difference Does it Make When Healing and Restoration is a Way of Life?

What would happen if daily discipleship, God restoring us, healing us, is a way of life, not an event, not an academic exercise?

Because in a sense, this is an event, it happens at a weekend, there's a beginning date, there's an ending date, And then oftentimes people will go to a conference or a weekend, they may take notes, they may get a manual, and then what happens when we get back, when the weekend's over, what do we do with that manual?

We put it up on the shelf till the next conference, right?

So if we had a weekend and it was on marriage and family, and then somebody came and spoke, or multiple speakers spoke 4 or 5 times over the weekend, by the weekend, there would be no need for follow through because we'd all have perfect marriages, right?

And then, 6 months later, we're gonna have a parenting conference, so we have 1 or 2 or 3 speakers come, we have 4 or 5 or 6 messages, and then we're done, the weekend's over, and we don't need any follow-through because now we're perfect parents with perfect kids, right?

Because we got all the information, right?

See, there's a difference between an event and a way of life, and I'd like you to just think about what's the difference between treating Christianity as a weekend event, you go and you get in from you're collecting information, but you never do anything with it, there's no application.

And then Christ said he's the 1 and done bread.

Yeah, and we take a few thoughts to Christ.

So how many negative thoughts, how much brokenness do you get to keep to yourself away from God and Jesus?

So I'd like you to just think about what's the difference between looking at weekends like this or even taking a class or a sermon or Sabbath school as an event where I go and I collect information, but there's no follow-through, nothing is done with it.

I'm collecting it, and let's assume, just for the sake of the question, the information you're getting is 100% biblical and correct.

But I want you to take 2 or 3 minutes, turn to each other, act like you love each other, and what's the difference between an event and seeing Christianity as a way of life 7 days a week?

Okay, what's the difference between looking at Christianity as an event where we go and collect information.

It could be Sabbath school, it could be a weekend like this, it could be a class, it could be a marriage conference.

What's the difference between seeing it as an event that we get information and assume, assume it's good information, biblical information, but there's 0 follow through?

What's the difference between that versus seeing it as a way of life, an ongoing journey, ongoing conversation with God?

What difference does it make to see Christianity as a way of life?

Christ said, I am the way, the truth, the life.

So what difference is it if Christianity isn't a matter of collecting good biblical information, but it is literally, experientially a way of life?

Wives, do you want your husbands just to remember that they're married 1 day a year when they get Valentine signs all over the stores and all over the news so it reminds them there's Valentine's and they gave you a gift 1.

How many days out of the year do you want to be connected to your husbands?

Okay, So what's the difference between seeing it as an event, information, collecting information, head knowledge, versus a way of life?

Yeah, so you're going to be learning, going through ups and downs, so that's important.

You're practicing, you're actively engaged.

What else would make a difference between an event and seeing Christianity as a way of life, as a lifestyle.

Yeah, so it's a relationship, it's ongoing.

Ellen White said, "'Sanctification is habitual communion with God.'" Habitual communion with God.

Kind of like Paul said, pray without ceasing, right?

And my concern is that oftentimes we treat weekends, we treat Christianity often as an event where I collect more information, not where I'm actually getting to know God at a deeper way, and it overflows in the life.

Then the early church was born and what happened to them?

They treated them a lot, the religious system of the day treated the Apostles a lot better than Jesus, right?

And then 144, the born, I'm just using the word born to be consistent, or they appear, and when God's character is fully revealed through corporate people, not through 1 person, through a corporate revelation of his love, what shows up?

Wherever the Spirit of God is moving, the Spirit of life, what's coming right behind it?

A revival, a lot of good things happening in your church or your school, what is the devil raising the white flag, going away and giving up?

A lot of Christians act, live life as if they don't believe there's an enemy trying to undermine us.

So the more you grow in Jesus, guess what?

The bigger the bullseye you have on your back.

Because now you get a bigger bullseye from the enemy.

But again, like I mentioned this morning, Jesus said, I came to heal the brokenhearted and set the captive free.

So if the gospel we're preaching and teaching is not bringing healing and freedom, is it the real gospel?

See, my concern is we've taken the gospel story and we removed the story and turned it into gospel facts and we win arguments.

And in general Christianity, I'm not talking about Adventism, we have the what approach we call the 4 spiritual laws.

And if I get you to admit you're a sinner and you need Jesus and say a sinner's prayer, you're done.

I'm not saying it's bad, I'm saying it's very, very incomplete.

Because didn't Jesus just come down for a weekend seminar, give 3 sermons, and go back to heaven?

And How much time did he invest in his disciples?

3 and a half years, days, weeks, months, and years.

Or was he investing his life in the life of those around him?

See, really, discipleship is like parenting.

You're moving with people through seasons of life, ups and downs, over days, weeks, months, and years.

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What Difference Does it Make When Healing and Restoration is a Way of Life?

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Parent Conference

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Sound Doctrine