Ray Leight :: Stories of Mental Health, Faith, and Maturing into Yourself
Today we are continuing our conversation about mental health and faith and caring for our hearts with identity coach Ray Leight. Ray and his wife Kathryn lead Faith by Grace, a coaching practice and ministry designed to equip people to do deep inner work to live lives of freedom and joy. Ray shares with me today how the Lord led him into ministry and a passion for identity coaching through his own journey of coping with trauma as well as living with un-diagnosed neurodivergence and bipolar two until he was well into adulthood. Ray brings some really fascinating insights into this conversation that brings to the surface some of the points of contention that can confuse Christians about spiritual healing, maturing in faith, and neurological and biological roadblocks that occur genetically or as a result of trauma and life experience.
Have you ever had a breakthrough in a struggle and then after time you feel like you go backward? Have you ever questioned God’s healing in your life? Do you lack clarity with terms like ‘codependency’ or ‘boundaries’, but find it confusing about how that might actually apply practically? I’d love to invite you to give this conversation a listen with Holy Spirit-led discernment for your healing journey. His discernment is always available to those who call on Him! And I ALWAYS want to encourage you to pursue His leading in any conversation we have! But I think some of the things we discuss today touch on places we can get tripped up in the church, so I just want to remind us all to have ears to hear and hearts tuned to the One who made us and will bring us to the day of completion.
We are professionals with our tools we fashion for survival, aren’t we? But friends, we have to hand over those tools to the Carpenter who made us by hand and have Him give us new tools, new skills, and new ways of living life. The Lord can and will recalibrate and reset what you have always known and how you have coped. God’s goodness and mercy and hope are always there and are always enough as we walk out this journey. As Ray shared, “It is not selfish to care for yourself.” In fact, it honors God and makes space for Him to continue doing a work in you. You matter, my friend. Your story matters.
Connecting with Ray:
Book: Maturing into Yourself
Twitter
Website (and Coaching information)
Sponsor for this Episode: Hopefuel
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References:
CRU (Campus Crusade)
Leanne Payne’s Pastoral care model
Bethel Church (Just a quick word of using the Holy Spirit-led discernment here)
Sozo and shabar work (same here)
We’re all just spiritual beings walking around in earth suits - Well I royally screwed this one up. I merged multiple quotes together and CS Lewis didn’t say one of them. Good times. But this was insightful.
On-Site Podcast on Treating Trauma, and the other about Living Centered- (this is the episode I was listening to) - On-site is a REALLY sound resource at the intersection of faith and mental health.
codependency
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma- Bessel van der Kolk (this is an incredible resource for understanding how trauma and experiences stored in the body and affects us over time)
An example of a study of people believe that they are actually saved or not
Also studies of what do people mean when they say they’re Christian and how Americans and faith have shifted since the pandemic
Example of some stories we’ve heard on the podcast of spiritual things we may or may not understand Tessa Afshar, Michael Heiser, and Todd Nettleton.
Scripture References:
Genesis 3 - Adam and Eve believed the lie and ate the fruit
John 8:42-47- We have an enemy that lies to us
Romans 5, Romans 14:16-19, 2 Corinthians 4:1-6, 2 Timothy 1:7- Kingdom of the world is fear, shame, and guilt. Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit
Deuteronomy 6:4-7,Matthew 22:37-40,Mark 12:30-31,Luke 10:27-We are called to love the Lord our God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength
Philippians 1:6- Jesus is working on you until the day of completion
Psalm 51:10-19- Create in me a clean heart oh God
John 16:33- In this world you will have trouble
John 10:10- He is the One who gives us life and to the full
Galatians 5:22-23- Fruits of the Spirit
1 Corinthians 12- Gifts of the Spirit
2 Corinthians 5:17- You are a new creation
Jeremiah 17:9- The heart is deceitful above all else
Ezekiel 11:19; Ezekiel 36:26; Jeremiah 31:33; Hebrews 8:10- We are given a heart of flesh for our heart of stone
Hebrews 10:16, Jeremiah 31:33- Jesus wrote the Law on our hearts
Hebrews 10- Jesus fulfilled the Law
Matthew 28:19-20- We are called to go and share the Gospel
The Holy Spiri has the power to save
John 17- Jesus talking to God about bringing Him glory in the garden
Ephesians 1, Romans 8:31-39- Your identity is who you are in Christ
Matthew 13:31-32-Faith of a mustard seed parable
Matthew 7:5-Take the log out of your own eye
Mark 12:30-31- Love the Lord your God and love your neighbor as yourself
1 John 4:19- We love because He first loved us
Ephesians 3:14-21- How vast God’s love is for us
Romans 5:8- While we were still sinners (us and all our issues) Christ died for us
Colossians 1:24-27-Christ in You the hope of glory
Connecting with Emily and Simply Stories Podcast:
Instagram (Em life // Podcast Life)
Facebook
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