Emotional Maturity: Finding Peace at the Cross

Devotional

Day 1: Baptism as a Public Declaration of Faith

Baptism is a profound and public declaration of one's faith in Jesus Christ. It is not a means of salvation but a signpost pointing to the transformative work of Jesus in an individual's life. Carla Romero and Ava Rogeliner's testimonies serve as powerful reminders that each faith journey is personal and unique, yet it always leads to the same Savior, Jesus Christ. Baptism symbolizes the believer's identification with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, marking a significant step in their spiritual journey. [04:52]

Romans 6:3-4 (ESV): "Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life."

Reflection: Think about your own faith journey. How can you publicly declare your faith in Jesus in your daily life, even if you have already been baptized?

Day 2: The Internal War Within Us

James 4:1-10 highlights the internal conflict between our beliefs and actions. Our passions often lead to quarrels and fights, not because of external factors, but due to the war within us. Recognizing this helps us address the root cause of our emotional turmoil. When our emotions are unchecked, they can lead to destructive behaviors and strained relationships. Understanding this internal war is crucial for managing our emotions in a way that honors God. [49:23]

James 4:1-2 (ESV): "What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask."

Reflection: Identify a recent conflict in your life. How did your internal passions contribute to this conflict, and what steps can you take to address these passions?

Day 3: Misaligned Desires and Hindered Prayers

When our emotions are out of control, they can hinder our prayers. James teaches that our desires, when misaligned with God's will, block our prayers. We must align our hearts with God's purposes to experience the fullness of His blessings. This alignment requires humility and a willingness to submit our desires to God's greater plan. By doing so, we open ourselves to a deeper relationship with God and a more effective prayer life. [54:22]

1 John 5:14-15 (ESV): "And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him."

Reflection: Reflect on your recent prayers. Are there any desires you need to realign with God's will? How can you begin to submit these desires to Him today?

Day 4: Loving the World vs. Loving God

Our emotions can lead us to love the world more than God. James warns that friendship with the world is enmity with God. We must guard our hearts and ensure that our primary allegiance is to God, not worldly desires. This requires a conscious effort to evaluate our priorities and make choices that reflect our commitment to God. By doing so, we demonstrate our love for God and our desire to live according to His will. [01:01:21]

1 John 2:15-17 (ESV): "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever."

Reflection: Examine your daily habits and choices. Are there areas where you are prioritizing worldly desires over your relationship with God? What changes can you make to realign your priorities?

Day 5: Humility and Repentance for Emotional Maturity

True emotional maturity comes from a posture of humility and repentance. James calls us to submit to God, resist the devil, and draw near to Him. This humble attitude allows us to serve one another and live in a way that reflects Christ's love. By embracing humility and repentance, we can manage our emotions in a way that honors God and strengthens our relationships with others. [01:07:28]

Micah 6:8 (ESV): "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"

Reflection: Consider an area of your life where you struggle with emotional control. How can you practice humility and repentance in this area to grow in emotional maturity?

Sermon Summary

### Summary

Good morning, Westover! Today, we celebrate the sacrament of baptism, a signpost pointing to the work of Jesus Christ in individuals' lives. We heard powerful testimonies from Carla Romero and Ava Rogeliner, who shared their journeys to faith and their public declarations of trust in Christ. Baptism does not save; only the blood of Jesus does. It is a public witness to the transformative work of Christ.

We also introduced our new church-wide series on emotions, exploring how our complex emotions can find peace at the foot of the cross. Emotions are not inherently bad; God created us to express them. However, when our emotions are out of control, they can lead to destructive behaviors and strained relationships. James 4:1-10 provides a framework for understanding and managing our emotions in a way that honors God.

James asks, "What causes quarrels and fights among you?" He points out that our passions are at war within us. This internal conflict often leads to external strife. When our emotions are unchecked, they can hinder our prayers and lead us to love the world more than God. James emphasizes the importance of humility and repentance. We must submit to God, resist the devil, and draw near to Him. This posture of humility allows us to serve one another and live in a way that reflects the love and grace of Jesus Christ.

In our polarized world, it's crucial to manage our emotions wisely. Whether in personal relationships, social media interactions, or public discourse, our emotional maturity should reflect our faith. We are called to be lights in the world, demonstrating the wisdom and peace that come from a life surrendered to Christ.

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Key Takeaways

1. 10 highlights the internal conflict between our beliefs and actions. Our passions often lead to quarrels and fights, not because of external factors, but due to the war within us. Recognizing this helps us address the root cause of our emotional turmoil. [49:23]
3. Hindered Prayers: When our emotions are out of control, they can hinder our prayers. James teaches that our desires, when misaligned with God's will, block our prayers. We must align our hearts with God's purposes to experience the fullness of His blessings.

4. Loving the World vs. Loving God: Our emotions can lead us to love the world more than God. James warns that friendship with the world is enmity with God. We must guard our hearts and ensure that our primary allegiance is to God, not worldly desires.

5. Humility and Repentance: True emotional maturity comes from a posture of humility and repentance. James calls us to submit to God, resist the devil, and draw near to Him. This humble attitude allows us to serve one another and live in a way that reflects Christ's love.

### [49:23]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[04:52] - Carla Romero's Testimony and Baptism
[06:02] - Ava Rogeliner's Testimony and Baptism
[37:01] - Introduction to the New Series on Emotions
[37:44] - Importance of Community and Small Groups
[38:20] - Upcoming Elder and Deacon Elections
[38:52] - Exciting Fall Events and Concerts
[39:25] - Reflections on Student Ministry
[40:26] - Learning to Ski and Emotional Control
[43:35] - The Importance of Studying Emotions
[44:59] - The War Within: James 4:1-10
[49:23] - Internal Conflict and Emotional Turmoil
[54:22] - Hindered Prayers and Misaligned Desires
[61:21] - Loving the World vs. Loving God
[67:28] - Humility, Repentance, and Emotional Maturity

Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

What does James identify as the root cause of quarrels and fights among believers? ([49:23])
How does James describe the impact of unchecked emotions on our prayers? ([54:22])
According to James, what is the relationship between loving the world and loving God? ([01:01:21])
What steps does James outline for believers to draw near to God and resist the devil? ([01:07:28])

Interpretation Questions

Why does James emphasize the importance of humility and repentance in managing our emotions? ([01:07:28])
How can unchecked emotions lead to loving the world more than God, according to the sermon? ([01:01:21])
What does it mean for our prayers to be hindered by our desires, and how can we align our hearts with God's will? ([54:22])
How does the internal conflict between our beliefs and actions contribute to external strife, as discussed in the sermon? ([49:23])

Application Questions

Reflect on a recent situation where your emotions led to a conflict. How could you have handled it differently by applying James' teachings on humility and repentance? ([01:07:28])
In what ways do you find yourself loving the world more than God? What practical steps can you take to shift your primary allegiance back to God? ([01:01:21])
Think about a time when your prayers felt hindered. How might your desires have been misaligned with God's will, and what changes can you make to align your heart with His purposes? ([54:22])
How can you cultivate emotional maturity in your personal relationships, social media interactions, or public discourse to reflect your faith? ([49:23])
Identify an area in your life where you struggle with humility. What specific actions can you take this week to submit to God and resist the devil? ([01:07:28])
Consider the testimonies of Carla Romero and Ava Rogeliner. How can their stories inspire you to publicly declare your faith and trust in Christ in your own unique way? ([04:52])
How can you support others in your small group or community who are struggling with emotional turmoil? What practical steps can you take to serve and encourage them? ([01:10:11])

Sermon Clips

1. "Emotions are not bad. God has made us to have emotions, to express emotions. Being emotional over things that should not have said emotions though? Sometimes doesn't lead to the most mature attitude when we go and we hit the world. You see, when you think about your emotions, the same thing goes. Just like going down a bunny slope or going down some blues and some greens or some blacks." [43:35] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "When you think about emotions, the same things go for our emotions. When you say, why in the world would we come on a Sunday morning, and study our emotion. Is this some kind of psychobabble that we're talking about? Well, I will tell you this. I think it's one of the most applicable things that we can actually study is how do we control these said emotions?" [43:35] (60 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "If the church, if you cannot find that way in the church, where can you find it? So James is going to say, what causes fights and quarrels among you? Is it not your passions? They go out of control. That's what they do. In the book, Gospel Shaped Emotions, on page 82, it says this, my emotions often scream louder than my convictions. And they end up getting my way. And that's how it is. It happens so easily. It really does." [52:22] (60 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "Prayer is our desire to listen to God firsthand, to speak to God firsthand, and in setting aside the time, and making the arrangements to do so. If you only see God as a vending machine, if you only see God as the reinforcements, if you only see the one that he's on my side and he's not on your side, you'll treat him as less than who he is. He's the King of kings. He is the Lord of lords. He rules the universe, and he is sovereign and powerful, and we should treat him as such." [59:58] (27 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "Your heart is the control center of your entire life. We wrap our hearts around things. Super easy to wrap your heart around things. Now, remember going about to our emotions. Our emotions sometimes tell us exactly where our heart is. Okay? So today, there is a wonderful volunteer in our kids, Westover Kids Ministry. Don't you love our volunteers and how wonderful they are? And right now, someone somewhere is fighting over a toy in this building." [01:02:08] (37 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

6. "Repentance. It's spiritual, isn't it? Because you have an enemy. Resist the devil, and he will flee. And some of us, through what we say, what we write, even though we think that we're right, sometimes we're more a pawn of him than we are of the king. It should not be. We have a spiritual life. Not only do we have a spiritual life, but we have a behavioral life. It references hands and washing. That we should understand who we are and the behaviors we do, and they will cause us trouble in this life." [01:09:26] (36 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

7. "Humility leads us to serve one another. So maybe there's today you're struggling and maybe you're struggling with some emotions. It's anger, it's grief, whatever it is. We're gonna be looking at those in the next couple of weeks. We'll have some elders to pray with you here in a minute. But humility drives us to serve one another. The sponge becomes the sponge that we wash one another's feet with." [01:10:11] (25 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

8. "I love what Daniel Henderson says about prayer. He says this. In church life, prayer is not the only thing we do. But it must be the first thing we do. It must be our first resolve, not our last resort. The work is to be marked by the unmistakable power of the Holy Spirit. And I think sometimes we don't walk or see the power of the Holy Spirit. I know I don't. It's because I pray with the wrong motives, with the wrong things, because I have the wrong object." [59:08] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

9. "So what do we do? Well, we have our emotions and we're humble about it. And we embrace a humble attitude and reject a lifestyle of pride. Now, we're going to hit this real quick because this is what happens. Watch what he says in verse 6. Here's the reaction that we should have to this. Watch this. He gives more grace. Therefore, it says, God opposes the proud, but he gives grace to the humble." [01:07:28] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

10. "So today, maybe you've never come to church. All right? And you've heard church folks talk about the world all the time. And what does it look like to love the world more than God? Okay, I'm going to show you a demonstration. And I think it's, this is kind of how I think of it. All right? Your heart is the control center of your entire life. We wrap our hearts around things. Super easy to wrap your heart around things." [01:02:08] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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