Mark Sutton - Hope Again: A 30-Day Plan for Conquering Depression

Copyright 2014 by Mark Sutton and Bruce Hennigan

All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America

978-1-4336-8368-8

Published by B&H Publishing Group

Nashville, Tennessee

Dewey Decimal Classification: 616.85

Subject Heading: DEPRESSION (PSYCHOLOGY) \ HOPE

Published in association with the literary agency of Hidden Valley Group, LLC, 1240 E. Ontario Avenue, Ste #102-148, Corona, CA 92881.

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version, 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.

Also used: New King James Version ( nkjv) 1979, 1980, 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Publishers; New Revised Standard Version ( nrsv) , 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America, used by permission, all rights reserved; Gods Word ( gw ), GODS WORD, 1995 Gods Word to the Nations. Used by permission of Baker Publishing Group; English Standard Version ( esv ), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 201; Holman Christian Standard Bible ( hcsb ), Copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission; The Message ( The Message ), the New Testament in Contemporary English, 1993 by Eugene H. Peterson, published by NavPress, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Contemporary English Version ( cev ), American Bible Society 1991, 1992; used by permission; New Living Translation ( nlt ), copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois. All rights reserved; New Century Version ( ncv ), copyright 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 19 18 17 16 15 14

Dedication

From Bruce:

I dedicate this book to the one person who has seen me through the darkest days of my depression, my wife Sherry.

From Mark:

To Donna, my wife, best friend, spiritual partner: thank you for unconditional love, the gift of laughter, and beaming constant sunshine into my life. I have come alive because of you.

To learn more about Mark and Bruce go to conqueringdepression.com.

To download a PDF of the LifeFilters that are used in this book go to hopeagainbook.com.

Preface

Mark Sutton

This book saved my life. Thank you so much!

Over the years, since the first edition of this book, which was previously titled Conquering Depression , letters, phone calls, e-mails, and texts directed toward Dr. Bruce Hennigan and myself have said essentially the same thing. When we first conceived of the book, we prayed that God would use it to touch thousands of lives and give Christians of all ages new hope and strength in their battle with this horrible disease called depression. The Lord has honored that prayer in ways we had not even fathomed. Not only have readers in the United States communicated with us, but also those struggling with depression in Canada, Britain, Australia, and South America have sent letters of thanks.

Bruce and I have learned so much more about this emotional, physical, and chemical foe since the first edition. We felt a need to rewrite and update the content since there are so many new medications now available and more scientific knowledge about depression has been uncovered. At the same time, emerging cultural habits, which well talk about later, are contributing to even more depressed individuals trying to make sense of an angry, impersonal society.

How is this book different from other books on the subject?

First, there simply arent very many balanced books in the Christian publishing world that focus only on depression. We want to change that. Satan loves for us to stay in the dark about our problems. The Master of Lies wants us to keep everything private, so that other brothers and sisters in Christ cannot help us. By bringing depression out of the shadows and exposing it to the light of truth and Scripture, we can rob the disease of much of its power.

Second, Bruce and I are not writing strictly from an academic perspective. We both fight depression ourselves! What we share with you in these pages was forged in the fire of battle. Out of our struggle, we discovered this truth: Depression can be conquered!

The rest of this book is designed to do three things: show you the plan, help you begin putting it into practice and, perhaps most important of all, give you hope.

Preface

Dr. Bruce Hennigan

I have walked through the valley of the shadow of death. The story of my depression is an amazing journey from brokenness to healing, not only through my counseling but also through coauthoring the original book, Conquering Depression, and now this updated version, Hope Again . The first time Mark and I received an e-mail saying that the initial book literally saved my life, I wept. God took my depression and turned it into something wonderful. And, in the process, only God received the credit.

Mark and I want to share this journey with you. We want to light a candle to give a spark of hope in the midst of your darkness. We received hope from God in our time of conquering depression. In this new, updated book, we will take you through a simple, day-by-day program that can lead you out of the shadows of depression into the light of hope.

The exceptional tool we developed is known as the LifeFilter .

Just where did the concept of LifeFilters come from? During the early months of my struggle with the worst depression of my life, I realized I could overcome the disease only with daily doses of mental and spiritual medication. What form would this preventive medication take?

One phrase I recalled from my counseling was, What is the lie? What falsehood had I bought into that made me so depressed? If I could ask myself that question every time I felt depressed, perhaps I could seek the answerthe knowledge that would lead me out of the darkness. Knowledge is the most powerful tool in overcoming the lies that the depressed mind conjures.

I designed a simple card with a series of thought-provoking questions on one side and a scriptural answer on the other. When I felt the wearying weight of depression fold its dark wings about me, I would take out the card and ask the questions. After identifying the lie I then could turn my attention to the truth of Gods Word. Thus, the LifeFilter was born: a process of filtering my thoughts and emotions through a series of questions until the lies were removed and only the truth remained. The truth of Gods Word. Gods promise. Gods knowledge. Gods healing.

A common question we all have asked will be our starting point in our quest for hope: Whats wrong with me? Days one and two will help you begin to understand just what is happening inside your mind and body. Remember, Knowledge is Power.

A Note on LifeFilters

As you will learn, the LifeFilter is an indispensable tool for you during the next thirty days. There is a LifeFilter for each of the thirty days or chapters. You may choose to copy these to a card you can carry with you all day. Or, you may go to www.hopeagainbook.com for information on how to download a free printable copy of all thirty days of LifeFilters . Again, we cannot emphasize enough how important a tool these LifeFilters will become for you in conquering your depression. So, lets get started right away!

Section 1

Whats Wrong
with Me?

I (Mark) had a normal, happy childhood, something I now realize many adults cannot claim. My parents were Christians, actively living out the Christian life. They had a great marriage, and though we were what today would be called lower middle class, I never really knew it. I was, and still am, the class clown, the kid who is good-natured and sees humor in everything.