SPEAKER_00: Hey, I'm Pastor Steve Hole.
SPEAKER_00: I want to empower you today to walk in your true identity as a worshiper and warrior.
SPEAKER_00: Embrace the power of God's Word and the Holy Spirit.
SPEAKER_00: Today, be encouraged with a word from my guest speaker.
SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the Born for War podcast.
SPEAKER_02: So good to be with you this morning.
SPEAKER_02: My name is Joey Follett.
SPEAKER_02: I'm the youth pastor here on Staff at the Road.
SPEAKER_02: I get to lead our youth group, which we call Tribe.
SPEAKER_02: It's middle schoolers and high schoolers.
SPEAKER_02: With my wife Allie, we've been married for almost seven years.
SPEAKER_02: We have uh two boys.
SPEAKER_02: Um Miles is four and a half, and Adler is one and a half, and then we have our third boy uh due in November.
SPEAKER_02: So uh there's a lot of boys in the house.
SPEAKER_02: There'll be more boys in the house.
SPEAKER_02: Allie feels outnumbered, but we do have nine chickens, and they're all girls.
SPEAKER_02: So I've tried to tell her that technically the boys and I are outnumbered.
SPEAKER_02: She doesn't see it that way.
SPEAKER_02: Um, but that's okay.
SPEAKER_02: So uh I need to be honest though, this is weird.
SPEAKER_02: Um, and it's weird because usually when I'm up here on a Sunday morning, uh there's no podium, and the band is still up here, and I have one minute and I share some announcements, and then I ask you to shake hands, and then I get to leave and go eat breakfast.
SPEAKER_02: And uh this is different, obviously, because the podium's here and the band's gone, and Bree already did announcements.
SPEAKER_02: So I'm gonna be up here for longer than a minute.
SPEAKER_02: Um so uh also continue with the honesty part.
SPEAKER_02: Uh I've never done this before, and by this I mean teaching on a Sunday morning to a room full of adults.
SPEAKER_02: So usually when I'm teaching, there's a bunch of teenagers in the room.
SPEAKER_02: Uh, and I've done that in various settings as a public school teacher, coach, and then now as a as a youth pastor.
SPEAKER_02: Uh, and honestly, that's more comfortable to me, which is weird, right?
SPEAKER_02: A room full of teenagers versus a room full of adults.
SPEAKER_02: A lot of you are probably the opposite.
SPEAKER_02: You're like teenagers are scary and I'd rather be around adults.
SPEAKER_02: Um and I know a lot of you are the opposite uh than me because I got this typical one-word response when uh people would ask what I did when I was a uh history teacher.
SPEAKER_02: Um it was usually, not every time, but I usually got this one-word response.
SPEAKER_02: They'd say, Joey, what do you do for work?
SPEAKER_02: And I'd say, I'm an eighth-grade history teacher, and they would look me in the eyes and they would say, Why?
SPEAKER_02: And um I got that response a lot.
SPEAKER_02: And I learned after hearing a bunch of those is because people didn't really enjoy middle school uh when they were there.
SPEAKER_02: A lot of people don't have fond memories of middle school, which is too bad.
SPEAKER_02: I think middle school is a lot of fun.
SPEAKER_02: But, anyways, um, here we go.
SPEAKER_02: You know, first first Sunday uh teaching.
SPEAKER_02: So um I'm a little nervous.
SPEAKER_02: You're probably nervous at this point because I've been rambling about nothing for four minutes.
SPEAKER_02: So let's uh let's pray.
SPEAKER_02: Let's pray, and then we'll open the open the word together and get started.
SPEAKER_02: So, God, thank you for your uh word.
SPEAKER_02: Thank you that it speaks to us, Lord.
SPEAKER_02: Um right now I just ask in the name of Jesus that you speak to each person in this room in a mighty way through Scripture.
SPEAKER_02: Would you speak to us and just prepare our hearts for your word, Lord, and uh just be with us.
SPEAKER_02: Thank you that you're here.
SPEAKER_02: In Jesus' name, amen.
SPEAKER_02: Well, if you have your Bible, would you turn with me to Matthew chapter 6?
SPEAKER_02: We're gonna start in verse 25 this morning.
SPEAKER_02: If you don't have a Bible, there uh should be one in a seat in front of you.
SPEAKER_02: You could probably find one on your phone, or you could look over your neighbor's shoulder, preferably if you know who your neighbor is.
SPEAKER_02: If not, that's okay.
SPEAKER_02: Uh so uh go ahead, and while you're turning to Matthew chapter six, uh I'm going to introduce this morning's topic.
SPEAKER_02: And this morning's topic is one that uh I talk to students about a lot, um, both on a one-on-one basis, just uh hanging out with kids or talking on a Wednesday night, and then also in settings like this where I'll I'll teach about it from the front too.
SPEAKER_02: And the reason I talk to students about this a lot, because if I had to pick kind of one very common or one issue that I feel like students encounter the most, or I hear students tell me about the most, uh, it's anxiety.
SPEAKER_02: And I've seen that in our region, and again, in the different settings that I've I've been able to work with students, both as a public school teacher, as a wrestling coach, and then now as a youth pastor, I've seen anxiety affect students in a number of different ways.
SPEAKER_02: Um but it's not, so it's on my heart a lot, but it's not just a topic uh for students.
SPEAKER_02: Um it's a topic for adults too, you know, especially adults with kids, right?
SPEAKER_02: Because our kids bring us anxiety as well.
SPEAKER_02: So they're dealing with it, and then we're dealing with it because they, yeah.
SPEAKER_02: So um we all we all deal with it, and I I guarantee that to every degree, or to some degree, every single person will deal with anxiety at some point.
SPEAKER_02: And it definitely varies in severity.
SPEAKER_02: And and before we go too far, I just want to say I'm not claiming to be a mental health expert or anything like that.
SPEAKER_02: Um, I'm just sharing what I've seen and observed in my own life dealing with anxiety, and then with students and what they've shared with anxiety.
SPEAKER_02: We're gonna look at some data here in a minute on anxiety for Americans.
SPEAKER_02: And then we're also gonna look at what what the Bible says about it, um, because there's a lot.
SPEAKER_02: And I'm also not claiming to be a professional at dealing with anxiety.
SPEAKER_02: In fact, I spent quite a bit of time the past two weeks dealing with anxiety over this very moment.
SPEAKER_02: So um, we're all in this together.
SPEAKER_02: So uh before we get into Matthew chapter six, I want to share share some statistics and headlines and data with you.
SPEAKER_02: So I want to read you this headline from a Gallup article that was polling people worldwide on mental health, and this was the summation of that.
SPEAKER_02: The headline they came up with that said, world unhappier, more stressed out than ever.
SPEAKER_02: World unhappier, more stressed out than ever.
SPEAKER_02: And the article, the author of the article was kind of summarizing the data and was talking about um how the impact of COVID-19 has kind of made this issue worse.
SPEAKER_02: But but they also said, and I quote, yet the pandemic is not entirely to blame for the increase in negative emotions.
SPEAKER_02: Gallup's data show that the world has been on a negative trajectory for deadline for a decade.
SPEAKER_02: So prior to 2020, data and polls were already pointing to an increase in mental health issues and an increase in unhappiness as a whole.
SPEAKER_02: And then we factor in COVID-19 and this new virus and lockdowns and people losing their jobs and uncertainty.
SPEAKER_02: And you guys, I don't know if to get into that, you were you were alive, right?
SPEAKER_02: So um you factor all that in, that's just gonna heighten and increase the unhappiness and the anxiety and mental health issues.
SPEAKER_02: And another poll conducted at the end of 2022 by the American Psychiatric Association, the APA, found that about two out of every five Americans rated their mental health as fair or poor.
SPEAKER_02: So two out of every five Americans said that they don't have good mental health.
SPEAKER_02: And a lot of those same people that were polled in that poll at the end of 2022 were nervous and stressed out about 2023 more than than polls had ever shown before.
SPEAKER_02: For some reason, 2023 was was the most stressed out going into that year that people have ever been.
SPEAKER_02: But I don't think I need to read that many statistics to you because I know that that many of you know about this issue already, because you you deal with it yourself, right?
SPEAKER_02: And you know, at some point you'll you'll have anxious thoughts, and and some of you probably deal with them every single day.
SPEAKER_02: And if you don't, then you probably know somebody who does.
SPEAKER_02: So what is causing all of this anxiety?
SPEAKER_02: Another poll from the APA done last month got into the specifics.
SPEAKER_02: Here are the top examples.
SPEAKER_02: They pulled American, like, what makes you anxious?
SPEAKER_02: And these were the top results.
SPEAKER_02: 70% of Americans are anxious about keeping themselves or their families safe.
SPEAKER_02: 68% are anxious about keeping their identity safe.
SPEAKER_02: 66% of Americans are anxious about their health, 65% are anxious about paying bills and expenses, 59% are anxious about the impact of climate change on the planet, 50% are anxious about the opioid epidemic, 45% were anxious about the impact of emerging technology on day-to-day life.
SPEAKER_02: Now, I don't know if any of those things make you anxious.
SPEAKER_02: I don't even know who they ask.
SPEAKER_02: I've never been polled.
SPEAKER_02: Have you ever been polled?
SPEAKER_02: One of these polls, who are they asking?
SPEAKER_02: I don't know.
SPEAKER_02: But um regardless, there are a lot of causes and factors to our anxiety.
SPEAKER_02: And while it might be true, according to research, that the world is dealing with these issues, worry, anxiety, stress, more than the world used to deal with them, it's not a new problem.
SPEAKER_02: These things are not new problems.
SPEAKER_02: And I know that because they're mentioned in the Bible a lot.
SPEAKER_02: Jesus spoke about it, Paul wrote about it, Peter wrote about it, and we're gonna look at what the Bible says about anxiety.
SPEAKER_02: So we're gonna start with the words of Jesus in Matthew chapter 6, starting in verse 25.
SPEAKER_02: So if you would follow along with me.
SPEAKER_02: Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or what you will drink, nor about your body what you will put on.
SPEAKER_02: Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
SPEAKER_02: Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow sow nor reap, nor gather in a barns, yet your heavenly father feeds them.
SPEAKER_02: Are you not of more value than they?
SPEAKER_02: Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
SPEAKER_02: So why do you worry about clothing?
SPEAKER_02: Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow, they neither toil nor spin.
SPEAKER_02: And yet I say to you that even Solomon, in all of his glory, was not arrayed like one of these.
SPEAKER_02: Now, if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is and tomorrow's thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith.
SPEAKER_02: Therefore do not worry, saying, What shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or what shall we wear?
SPEAKER_02: For after all these things the Gentile seek, for your heavenly father knows that you need all of these things, but seek first the kingdom of God, his righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
SPEAKER_02: Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things.
SPEAKER_02: Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
SPEAKER_02: So, what we're gonna do now is I want to pull kind of three observations about worry from Jesus' words here in Matthew chapter six.
SPEAKER_02: We'll look at three kind of just things that we know, facts that we can pull out about anxiety and worry from this passage, from Jesus' words, and then we'll look at the solutions that the Bible provides to dealing with and overcoming anxiety.
SPEAKER_02: And so, this passage that we just read is in the middle of chapter six, also in the middle of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, which he gave to his disciples.
SPEAKER_02: And so, number one, first point of observation is worrying and anxious thoughts accomplish nothing.
SPEAKER_02: Worrying and anxious thoughts accomplish nothing.
SPEAKER_02: Jesus knew this, and what I love about this sermon and how he gave it and how he how he said it is such a commanding but also loving way.
SPEAKER_02: Right?
SPEAKER_02: If you could summarize this, he's basically saying, stop it.
SPEAKER_02: Don't do it, right?
SPEAKER_02: Don't worry.
SPEAKER_02: But he doesn't just say that.
SPEAKER_02: He doesn't say don't worry and then move on.
SPEAKER_02: He he does it in such a loving way.
SPEAKER_02: And so if we reread verse 27, it says, which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
SPEAKER_02: Worrying accomplishes nothing.
SPEAKER_02: What benefit have you ever had in your life from spending time worrying?
SPEAKER_02: In your life, has anything positive actually ever come out of sitting down and spending time in worry?
SPEAKER_02: No, and in fact, the opposite is actually true.
SPEAKER_02: If you uh look up like your the physics we talked about mental health, but the physical effects on your body of being worried and stressed and anxious, it's not good.
SPEAKER_02: Um in a quick Google search, you know, that I did found the Mayo Clinic said it leads to fatigue, trouble sleeping, headaches, stomach issues.
SPEAKER_02: It's bad for you.
SPEAKER_02: Worrying is bad for you.
SPEAKER_02: And actually, we also know, like, along with the tools in the Bible, you know, if you if you spend time eating well and exercising and going outside, it can all contribute to less worry and less stress and less anxiety in your life.
SPEAKER_02: And so I think that's why Jesus is saying he cares about people.
SPEAKER_02: He cared about his disciples, and he's saying, This is bad for you.
SPEAKER_02: I don't want you to worry, and it doesn't do you any good.
SPEAKER_02: It doesn't accomplish anything.
SPEAKER_02: So that's number one, worrying and anxious thoughts accomplish nothing.
SPEAKER_02: Number two, worrying and anxious thoughts demonstrate a lack of trust and faith.
SPEAKER_02: They demonstrate a lack of trust and faith.
SPEAKER_02: So let's reread verse 26.
SPEAKER_02: It says, Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
SPEAKER_02: Are you not of more value than they?
SPEAKER_02: In verse 26, Jesus points out that people are more valuable than animals.
SPEAKER_02: We know this is true if you look way back in Genesis, uh, the book of Genesis.
SPEAKER_02: People are made in the image of God, not animals.
SPEAKER_02: And some of you animal lovers might have a hard time hearing that, okay?
SPEAKER_02: And I know you love your cat, and you might even love your cat more than people, which is a separate issue, and we should talk about that.
SPEAKER_02: But your cat was not created in the image of God.
SPEAKER_02: You were, and you are more important to God than your cat.
SPEAKER_02: And listen, I love animals too, I love my chickens, but it doesn't take long observing my chickens to quickly realize that they're not created in the image of God, and we're created very differently than they are.
SPEAKER_02: Because man, there's been a lot of chicken drama in our coupe this weekend.
SPEAKER_02: They're driving me crazy, and they're not very smart.
SPEAKER_02: So, listen, so that what does that mean?
SPEAKER_02: God cares about you, loves you, trusts you, He wants you to trust in me.
SPEAKER_02: You're created in the image of God, not animals.
SPEAKER_02: And just to be clear on this passage, Jesus isn't saying that you shouldn't take care of yourself.
SPEAKER_02: Um don't read this the wrong way.
SPEAKER_02: He's saying, trust God with everything.
SPEAKER_02: Bring everything to him, trust God with your needs, go to him with what worries you.
SPEAKER_02: Why?
SPEAKER_02: Because you're more important to him than the cats, the chickens, and the flowers.
SPEAKER_02: So trust in him.
SPEAKER_02: And then he also says in verse 30, O you of little faith.
SPEAKER_02: And when we worry about our own problems, instead of bringing them to God, we're actually demonstrating and showing God that we're trying to handle it ourselves instead of trusting him with what's worrying us.
SPEAKER_02: And it's kind of this backwards trap that the enemy pulls us into because a lot of times, like, I don't, I don't want to deal with this by myself.
SPEAKER_02: I want God's help.
SPEAKER_02: But so often we're we're in this place, and you've got to catch yourself because we're in this place of just sitting here with the worry and the stress and the anxiety, and we're dealing with it on our own, and God's saying, Come to me and trust me with what's bothering you.
SPEAKER_02: I want to help you with it.
SPEAKER_02: And man, what a great thing, because God's more capable of handling it than we are.
SPEAKER_02: He's more capable of figuring it out than we are.
SPEAKER_02: He wants you to go to him with your questions.
SPEAKER_02: He wants you to go to him with what's bothering you.
SPEAKER_02: Don't feel like you have to go to God with the answers.
SPEAKER_02: Go to him for the answers.
SPEAKER_02: Go to him with your questions.
SPEAKER_02: Why?
SPEAKER_02: Because he cares about you, because you're made in the image of God, because he loves you and he wants to help you.
SPEAKER_02: So that's number two.
SPEAKER_02: Worrying and anxious thoughts demonstrate a lack of trust and faith.
SPEAKER_02: And the third observation that we can pull out of this passage is worry and anxiety is not your identity.
SPEAKER_02: Worry and anxiety is not your identity.
SPEAKER_02: And Jesus makes it clear in this passage that people will worry.
SPEAKER_02: It's a tendency that we'll fall into.
SPEAKER_02: Why?
SPEAKER_02: Because there's trouble.
SPEAKER_02: If we reread verse 34, he said, Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things.
SPEAKER_02: Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
SPEAKER_02: So there will be trouble.
SPEAKER_02: Some of you are in trouble right now, right?
SPEAKER_02: Some of you are dealing with trouble this morning, and it's causing you anxiety.
SPEAKER_02: And maybe it's all that you're thinking on.
SPEAKER_02: Think about right now.
SPEAKER_02: They're going through your mind, right?
SPEAKER_02: That is, you know, Jesus knew that we would deal with those things.
SPEAKER_02: There will be trouble in life.
SPEAKER_02: But one point I want to make about identity is it shouldn't define you.
SPEAKER_02: Um, even if you deal with it a lot, right?
SPEAKER_02: I think so often people are willing to let things like worry and anxiety and issues with mental health define us and own us.
SPEAKER_02: And even by the way we talk about it, right?
SPEAKER_02: Saying my anxiety or my anxious thoughts, or I'm an anxious person.
SPEAKER_02: Even when you say it that way, you're owning it and making it a part of your identity.
SPEAKER_02: And I want to be very clear about this, and I want everyone to hear this.
SPEAKER_02: Anxiety is not your identity.
SPEAKER_02: It might be a part of your story.
SPEAKER_02: It might be something that you struggle with a lot, it might be something that you want freedom from, but it's not who you are.
SPEAKER_02: Who you are is this.
SPEAKER_02: You're a child of God.
SPEAKER_02: That's your identity.
SPEAKER_02: You're a child of God.
SPEAKER_02: Your identity should be rooted in who you are, not what you do or what you struggle with.
SPEAKER_02: Our identity should never be grounded in a job that we have or a difficulty that we're going through or anything like that.
SPEAKER_02: It should be grounded in who we are, who God sees us, right?
SPEAKER_02: And God sees you as a child of Him.
SPEAKER_02: He sees you as His.
SPEAKER_02: So root your identity in that.
SPEAKER_02: You are a child of the Most High God, a God who sees you, who knows you, who loves you, and wants you to trust in Him.
SPEAKER_02: So as a child of God who may deal with anxiety, what's the solution?
SPEAKER_02: Alright, so let's take a look.
SPEAKER_02: I'm going to give you four kind of points, solutions, ways that we can deal with and overcome anxiety that are straight from the Bible.
SPEAKER_02: And the first one is in this same passage, Matthew 6, verse 33.
SPEAKER_02: Jesus said, But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
SPEAKER_02: So this verse is often, it's a famous verse, it's often plucked out of this chapter, but it's there for a reason.
SPEAKER_02: And the reason it's there is because Jesus is saying, this is the solution to worry.
SPEAKER_02: He didn't just say, don't worry, and then move on to the next topic.
SPEAKER_02: He said, Don't worry.
SPEAKER_02: Instead, seek first the kingdom of God.
SPEAKER_02: And uh you might be thinking, what does that mean?
SPEAKER_02: Right?
SPEAKER_02: What is the kingdom of God?
SPEAKER_02: And uh we do this thing in tribe, um, a youth group where uh I'll be giving a message and I'll say, you might be wondering, hey Joey, what does it mean to seek the kingdom?
SPEAKER_02: And then everyone says, Joey, what does it mean to that's okay, it's fine.
SPEAKER_02: Um and then I say, great question.
SPEAKER_02: Um and we can look to Romans 14, 17 for that.
SPEAKER_02: For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
SPEAKER_02: So righteousness, peace, and joy.
SPEAKER_02: I encourage you to write those three words down.
SPEAKER_02: Righteousness, peace, and joy.
SPEAKER_02: And that's from Romans 14, 17.
SPEAKER_02: And so, what if each day we started our day seeking first the kingdom by seeking those three things?
SPEAKER_02: What if we started each day by praying to the Lord and seeking those three things and knowing, and maybe in the middle of a trial, you know, I'm probably gonna be anxious today because of what's been going on in my life.
SPEAKER_02: And so, what if you woke up and say, God, I want to be more righteous today?
SPEAKER_02: I want to seek righteousness today.
SPEAKER_02: I want to seek your peace today.
SPEAKER_02: I want your peace to guard my heart and mind today because I know the anxiety is gonna come.
SPEAKER_02: I want to seek joy today.
SPEAKER_02: I want to be joyful today, even though I'm in some trouble, even though I'm in a difficult situation, I still want to be filled with joy.
SPEAKER_02: What if we did that as a response?
SPEAKER_02: What if we seek first the kingdom?
SPEAKER_02: And when we do that, there's a promise in the second half of that verse, right?
SPEAKER_02: He says, And all these things shall be added to you.
SPEAKER_02: The things that you worry about, the things that you're concerned about, the things that are bothering you right now, if we seek first the kingdom and focus on God and seek his righteousness, God will take care of those things.
SPEAKER_02: So that's number one.
SPEAKER_02: Uh seek first the kingdom.
SPEAKER_02: Solution number one.
SPEAKER_02: Solution number two, bring everything to God.
SPEAKER_02: Alright, we're gonna move to Philippians for this one.
SPEAKER_02: So if you would flip uh with me to Philippians chapter four, we're gonna look at what Paul has to say on this topic.
SPEAKER_02: So we're gonna start uh Philippians four, start in verse four.
SPEAKER_02: Paul says, Rejoice in the Lord always.
SPEAKER_02: Again I will say, rejoice.
SPEAKER_02: Let your gentleness be known to all men.
SPEAKER_02: The Lord is at hand.
SPEAKER_02: Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.
SPEAKER_02: And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
SPEAKER_02: Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue, and if anything is praiseworthy, meditate on these things.
SPEAKER_02: The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.
SPEAKER_02: So Paul starts this section of verses with um a couple of things that are actually pretty difficult to do.
SPEAKER_02: Uh three things.
SPEAKER_02: The first thing he says is rejoice in the Lord always.
SPEAKER_02: Always.
SPEAKER_02: That's that's a that's all the time.
SPEAKER_02: Some of you probably drove here this morning.
SPEAKER_02: Man, I'm gonna have a hard time rejoicing in the Lord today.
SPEAKER_02: Maybe that went through your mind because of a situation that you're in.
SPEAKER_02: That's difficult.
SPEAKER_02: Rejoice in the Lord always.
SPEAKER_02: The second thing he said to do is hard too.
SPEAKER_02: Let your gentleness be known to all men.
SPEAKER_02: All men, everybody.
SPEAKER_02: Like, even when I'm driving to be.
SPEAKER_02: Like, that's hard, right?
SPEAKER_02: To be gentle to people all the time, to be kind to people all the time to every person?
SPEAKER_02: That's difficult, Paul.
SPEAKER_02: And then he says, be anxious for nothing.
SPEAKER_02: Other translations say, don't be anxious about anything.
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, right.
SPEAKER_02: How are you supposed to do that?
SPEAKER_02: Right?
SPEAKER_02: That's that's hard.
SPEAKER_02: Um, to give you some some context though, Paul wrote this letter to the Philippians from prison.
SPEAKER_02: And so if you think about that, if I were to imagine myself in prison, I think it would probably be pretty hard to be joyful in prison.
SPEAKER_02: It'd probably be pretty hard to be kind and gentle in prison, and it would be probably pretty hard to not be anxious in prison.
SPEAKER_02: So let's give Paul some credibility here.
SPEAKER_02: Let's keep reading, let's not write him off.
SPEAKER_02: Writing these things from prison, okay?
SPEAKER_02: Um, and then in verse six, he doesn't just say, be anxious for nothing, he gives you something to do instead.
SPEAKER_02: So he says, Bring everything in prayer and supplication.
SPEAKER_02: Bring everything to God.
SPEAKER_02: Pray about what's making you anxious.
SPEAKER_02: Out loud.
SPEAKER_02: I uh and this is something that I've started practicing, and it's been pretty effective in my life.
SPEAKER_02: And a couple months ago, we were as a youth group preparing for our um high school retreat.
SPEAKER_02: We were taking 56 high schoolers up to the mountains two hours away.
SPEAKER_02: Um, and boy, did that make me anxious.
SPEAKER_02: And uh the week before that, so we left on a Friday, the Sunday before, I was here at church and I was in service and I was trying to focus on the message by uh Pastor Steve.
SPEAKER_02: And I usually take really good notes, Pastor Steve, but I wasn't getting anything.
SPEAKER_02: I had all these anxious thoughts in my mind about uh retreat that week, and I couldn't focus.
SPEAKER_02: So I actually got up and left again.
SPEAKER_02: Sorry, Pastor Steve.
SPEAKER_02: I don't know we don't do that.
SPEAKER_02: And I went to a place by myself in the church and I opened to Philippians 4, and which is a passage I'm very familiar with because I I take students through it a lot, walk students through this passage a lot because it's got such, as we'll see, good tools for dealing with this stuff.
SPEAKER_02: And so I opened my Bible to that and I just started listing out loud to God every anxious thought that was in my mind.
SPEAKER_02: And I don't even remember what they are anymore.
SPEAKER_02: Um, but everything that was bothering me, making me nervous and anxious about uh retreat, that we I just I was giving them, listing them out loud to God.
SPEAKER_02: And what was cool about that is something physical happened.
SPEAKER_02: And so as I was lifting that burden of anxiety and stress and worry, as I was pushing that to God, there was an exchange, and I actually felt peace fill my heart where that anxiety left.
SPEAKER_02: And um, and we'll talk about that peace that Paul mentions here in a minute.
SPEAKER_02: But um and what's cool about that story is it ended up being a really, really powerful weekend with our high schoolers.
SPEAKER_02: Um it was awesome.
SPEAKER_02: And not because of me or my team or anything we did, but because we surrendered it to God and we said we need you to do this with us and for us because I'm not capable.
SPEAKER_02: And so do that.
SPEAKER_02: I would encourage you to do that, and you can even do it during worship today.
SPEAKER_02: Like whatever's on your mind, whatever those anxious thoughts that you can't get out, say them out loud, surrender them to God, physically, say them out loud, give them to God and ask for His His peace in that exchange.
SPEAKER_02: And Paul also says give everything to God with thanksgiving.
SPEAKER_02: Be thankful.
SPEAKER_02: Did you know it's it's basically impossible for anxiety and gratitude to exist in your mind at the same time?
SPEAKER_02: It is, because that sounds like a really fancy thing for me to say, and I'm not the first person who said it.
SPEAKER_02: Paul is, but plenty of fancy people have said it since then.
SPEAKER_02: But try it, right?
SPEAKER_02: If you're truly grateful in a situation, it's hard to also be anxious.
SPEAKER_02: So once we've done those things, once we've brought it to the Lord, there's a promise in verse 7.
SPEAKER_02: And let the peace of, and then the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds to Christ Jesus.
SPEAKER_02: And I love that surpasses all understanding.
SPEAKER_02: It's peace that doesn't make sense.
SPEAKER_02: Because you're in a situation, you could be in a situation where you're thinking, there's no way I can feel peace because there's no peace.
SPEAKER_02: This is crazy, right?
SPEAKER_02: God will still give you peace.
SPEAKER_02: And what and what that peace means is, hey, I am with you in this situation.
SPEAKER_02: I see you in this situation.
SPEAKER_02: Trust in me.
SPEAKER_02: And with that retreat example I just gave, I had no reason to feel peace because I was not fully prepared for retreat, because I had zero idea what I was doing.
SPEAKER_02: But I was trusting in the Lord and doing it with him, and his peace was a reminder to keep going.
SPEAKER_02: His peace was that reminder of I'm with you.
SPEAKER_02: Um so once we've done those things, that peace of God.
SPEAKER_02: And then in verse 8, Paul encourages us to train our mind to focus on certain things, right?
SPEAKER_02: He says, Focus on what is true, what is noble, what is just, what is pure, lovely, good, virtuous, worthy of praise.
SPEAKER_02: I love that first one.
SPEAKER_02: Focus on what is true.
SPEAKER_02: Have you noticed that anxiety, anxious thoughts are usually not true?
SPEAKER_02: And a lot of times, they're crazy.
SPEAKER_02: And when you say it, and you don't realize that though until you say them out loud.
SPEAKER_02: And that's why I think it's powerful to say them out loud to your heavenly father.
SPEAKER_02: Because once you actually voice that anxious thought, you're like, oh man, there's no way that could happen.
SPEAKER_02: Right?
SPEAKER_02: But but if it's inside of us and we hold it internally, it can grow and spread and control us, right?
SPEAKER_02: And get out of control.
SPEAKER_02: And so say it out loud, give it to God, surrender that.
SPEAKER_02: Think about what is true.
SPEAKER_02: And then that promise comes again in verse 9.
SPEAKER_02: And the God of peace will be with you.
SPEAKER_02: So that's solution number two, bring everything to God.
SPEAKER_02: Number three is from Peter, 1 Peter 5, 6 through 7.
SPEAKER_02: He says, Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time, casting all of your cares upon him, for he cares for you.
SPEAKER_02: Casting, right?
SPEAKER_02: Getting rid of that care or worry, throwing it to the Father.
SPEAKER_02: Why?
SPEAKER_02: Because he cares for you.
SPEAKER_02: And if you don't think that God cares about you this morning, if you don't think that God cares about what's bothering you or worrying you, that's a lie straight from hell.
SPEAKER_02: The enemy wants you to be isolated and to think that your heavenly father doesn't care, but he does.
SPEAKER_02: And he wants you to trust him with what worries you because he cares for you.
SPEAKER_02: So that's number three, cast your cares.
SPEAKER_02: And number four, fourth solution is rely, trust in your heavenly father.
SPEAKER_02: If you think back to Paul's words in Philippians, he said, rejoice in the Lord always.
SPEAKER_02: And I don't think that means be happy all the time or smile through it or anything like that.
SPEAKER_02: I think what that means is rejoice because God can do it when we can't.
SPEAKER_02: Rejoice because we serve a big God who cares about us and loves us.
SPEAKER_02: Rejoice because even when we are in the middle of a problem or a situation and we can't see the end or the solution, God can.
SPEAKER_02: So rejoice because we fear God more than anything else, and we can trust and rely in him.
SPEAKER_02: And then Peter also speaks to this in the passage we just read, 1 Peter 5, 6.
SPEAKER_02: He says, Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time.
SPEAKER_02: Stop carrying the worry yourself.
SPEAKER_02: Humble yourselves under God's hand.
SPEAKER_02: Seek him for help, seek him for relief, rely on him because he's bigger, better, stronger than we are, and we don't have to do it or carry it alone.
SPEAKER_02: So, number four, rely on God.
SPEAKER_02: And what I love about these solutions is there are things that we can do today.
SPEAKER_02: There are things that we can do right now.
SPEAKER_02: And we talked about anxiety, you know, and I think it's often focused as this new scary problem, you know, and it's it's a problem, but it's it's something that the Bible addresses.
SPEAKER_02: And so the Bible gives us tools, tangible tools, that we can use today.
SPEAKER_02: And so what I'd encourage you to do right now, during this time of worship that we're about to enter into, you know, Pastor Steve always says worship is focusing on God.
SPEAKER_02: And so that's what I encourage you to do during this time of worship is focus on God.
SPEAKER_02: Seek his kingdom, seek righteousness, peace, and joy.
SPEAKER_02: Ask the Lord's Lord for those things today as you seek him.
SPEAKER_02: And give him your cares, anxieties, and worries.
SPEAKER_02: Push those up to God right now.
SPEAKER_02: Push those up to heaven and ask him for his peace in exchange.
SPEAKER_01: Thank you for listening to the Porn for War podcast.
SPEAKER_01: We hope today's message has empowered you to make a difference in your world.
SPEAKER_01: To connect with Pastor Steve's sermons, books, and blog, visit Steve Holtonline.org.
SPEAKER_01: God bless.