BREAK THE CYCLE
Pastor Eli Nelson
Breaking the Cycle: Overcoming Generational Struggles and Embracing God's Plan
At My City Church, we believe that your past doesn’t have to define your future. Whether you've experienced family struggles, unhealthy cycles, or personal wounds, today is the day to break free.
In this week's message, Pastor Elishon unpacks Mark 10 and explores how Jesus challenges cycles of brokenness and barriers that keep us from fully embracing God's love.
1️⃣ Jesus Calls Us to Break Unhealthy Cycles
📖 Mark 10:13-14 – "Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children."
💡 Key Takeaways:
✔️ Jesus rebuked a mindset that blocked access to God.
✔️ God’s kingdom is for those who come to Him with childlike faith.
✔️ You don’t need to be “good enough” to receive God’s love.
🚨 The Mistake We Make: Thinking we must fix ourselves before coming to God.
🙌 Truth: God’s grace meets us where we are—but it doesn’t leave us there.
2️⃣ Confronting Generational Cycles
Many of us are caught in patterns of dysfunction passed down through generations. These include:
✔️ Dysfunctional relationships – repeating unhealthy communication or toxic behaviors.
✔️ Emotional wounds – believing lies like "I'm not good enough" or "I’ll never change."
✔️ Lack of godly guidance – growing up without a model of biblical parenting or faith.
✔️ Unforgiveness and bitterness – holding onto past hurts instead of releasing them.
📖 Ephesians 6:4 – "Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord."
🚨 The Mistake We Make: Ignoring destructive patterns instead of confronting and healing them.
🙌 Truth: Cycles are only broken when they are confronted!
3️⃣ How to Break Generational Cycles with God’s Help
💡 Practical Steps to Overcoming Unhealthy Cycles:
✅ 1. Recognize the Cycle – Identify habits, attitudes, or behaviors that need to change.
✅ 2. Seek God’s Discipline – Allow the Holy Spirit to shape and correct your heart.
✅ 3. Embrace Biblical Parenting & Mentorship – Whether you are a parent or not, godly influence matters.
✅ 4. Find Healing in Community – Join a group or surround yourself with faith-filled people who challenge and encourage you.
✅ 5. Forgive and Release the Past – Don’t allow bitterness to hold you hostage.
📖 Hebrews 12:11 – “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”
🚨 The Mistake We Make: Thinking we can break cycles alone without God’s help and biblical guidance.
🙌 Truth: Discipline and correction lead to peace and freedom!
4️⃣ Parenting and Leadership – Raising Up the Next Generation
Whether you're a parent, mentor, or leader, your role in shaping the next generation matters.
📖 Proverbs 22:6 – “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
💡 What This Means for Parents & Leaders:
✔️ Be intentional – Teach and model biblical values.
✔️ Encourage, don’t discourage – Build up identity and confidence in your children.
✔️ Discipline with love – Correct behavior without crushing their spirit.
✔️ Pray for wisdom – Ask God to guide your parenting or leadership.
🚨 The Mistake We Make: Thinking discipline is about control instead of guiding children toward purpose.
🙌 Truth: Your influence can set the next generation on the right path.
5️⃣ Overcoming Personal Wounds & Embracing Healing
Many of us carry deep wounds from childhood, relationships, or past experiences. God wants to heal those places.
📖 Psalm 68:5-6 – "A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families."
💡 Steps Toward Healing:
✔️ Acknowledge the hurt – Don’t suppress or ignore past wounds.
✔️ Invite God into the pain – Let Him heal what’s been broken.
✔️ Surround yourself with godly relationships – Healing happens in community.
✔️ Speak truth over lies – Reject feelings of rejection, worthlessness, or fear.
🚨 The Mistake We Make: Believing we are too broken to be restored.
🙌 Truth: God specializes in redeeming brokenness!
Final Thoughts – A New Legacy Begins with You
Breaking the cycle begins with a decision. You don’t have to repeat the past.
🔥 Action Steps to Apply Today:
✅ Recognize destructive cycles in your life.
✅ Confront and surrender them to God.
✅ Lead with wisdom in your family and community.
✅ Find healing and accountability in a group.
✅ Trust God to rewrite your story.
📢 Need prayer or support? Join us this Sunday at My City Church, Ralston High School, Omaha, NE, at 9 AM & 11 AM.
