Finding Victory Over Anxiety and Depression

1. "Victory over anxiety and depression. It is one of the most talked about subjects amongst mental health professionals to this day. And according to ADAA.org, it affects some 40 million adults each and every year. And if by chance it misses the 40 million mark, they suggest that it is certainly going to hit at least 18.1% of the population each and every year. It's a disease that cannot be seen under a microscope like cancer, yet can be as deadly as cancer. It is a disease that cannot be seen per se, but without a doubt it always happens. It has a way of showing itself. It cannot be touched, but it certainly can lead to destruction." [48:30] (69 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


2. "One of the most difficult things about Christianity that pastors all across the nation is having to fight with is this ideology that Christendom and Christianity is nothing more than a hallelujah good time. When you open the Bible, there's nothing more than promises of God telling you things like weeping indoors for a night, but joy is coming in the morning that God's going to bless you and keep you. But for his packed into all 1189 subjects in the Bible, what you will discover is people who like you and I on a day to day basis had to deal with anxiety and depression. But what you will also discover is that. God was always near and God always delivered them." [50:14] (51 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


3. "Look at the prophet Elijah. Elijah was a prophet of God. He was a man of God. He was sent by God. Yet he dealt with depression. Elijah's life had gotten so hard for him. The Bible says he was walking one day, couldn't even make it home. His life was so overwhelming that he fell asleep underneath a tree. That's how tired. Of life. He was. Look at Joe. Joe lost everything in the space of seven days. He lost everything in the space seven days and not many days after that. He had friends who questioned his walk with God. His depression got so bad, ladies and gentlemen, that he ultimately said, I loathe my life and ultimately cursed the day that he was born." [51:05] (51 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


4. "But what I love about David, friends, is that whenever you look at the life of David, what you will discover is that David was a man of remembrance. Whenever you look at David, if you really take a moment to just survey his life, you will. You will discover that whenever and almost every chapter that David had his hands in, David was saying something about what the Lord had already done. Whenever you look at the life of David, whenever you read the Psalms, David has a testimony and almost every Psalm that he pens in spite of what he's going through, in spite of what he's dealing with. You can always find somewhere where David takes a moment to look back at what God has already done. In his life, and that's what brings me to my first point, friends, the way that you defeat anxiety and depression is that oftentimes you've got to take a moment to pause and to look back at where the Lord has already brought you from." [53:40] (63 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


5. "You defeat anxiety and depression by getting you a prayer pot. Look at somebody and tell them that's what you got to do. You got to get somebody who's going to pray for you. You got to get somebody who's going to call on the name of the Lord for you. You got to get you somebody who don't mind and who knows how to go to God in prayer. You'll discover. You'll discover that David had a friend by the name of Jonathan, who he could always depend on to pray for him. I want to let you know, if you got a pastor named Jonathan, you can depend on him to pray for you. Not a bad name to have." [01:10:02] (36 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


6. "You need somebody in your life that when all hell is breaking through, they ain't trying to figure out what's going on. They just want you to know that the name. The name of the Lord is a strong tower, and the weak can run there in and be safe. You need somebody to tell you when it's dark in your life that weeping endures for a night, but joy is coming in the morning. You need somebody who knows that the Lord is your light and your salvation. You ain't got to fear nobody. When you are sick, you need somebody to remind you that he was wounded. For your transgressions, he was bruised. For your iniquities, the chastisement of your peace was upon him, and by his stripes you are already healed. You need somebody in your life who will pray you through." [01:13:45] (55 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


7. "The third thing you got to do. The third thing you got to do. Look at somebody and tell them it's number three. Tell them it's number three. Number three you got to go get you some therapy. Lost the church right there. You got to go get you some therapy. Sit on somebody. Sit on somebody's couch. And just tell them all about what you're feeling. was in this season where I experienced the most incredible amount of anxiety. I had never experienced anxiety before. And I would hear people say things like, man, you know, anxiety is real. Depression is real. I was like, man, listen, I ain't never experienced that before. But it's like October. My heart was like beating and I wasn't even doing it. I was like, what's going on? I would think about something. They call it triggers." [01:18:58] (44 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


8. "You got to remember, that you have a tomorrow. That was the best point of the day. You got to remember that you have a tomorrow. Listen to how this son, he says, as the deer longs for flowing streams, so I long for you, God, depressed. I thirst for you, God, the living God. When can I come and appear before God? I'm so broken, so torn. I don't even feel like I need to be in worship. Depressed. My tears have been my food day and night. Only thing he says is, I can't even eat. I have no appetite. All I do is cry. He says, my tears have been my food day and night, while all day long I got people around me saying, that's what you get. Nah, nah, nah, boo, boo. Ah, ah, ah. Verses one through three, he's depressed. Depressed. He sees no hope. It's dark. It's dreary. But when you get to verse number eight, look at somebody and tell them, you got to read the whole thing. You got to read the whole thing. Well, when you get to verse eight, this is what he says. The Lord will send his faithful love. Listen to how he orchestrates this. Verses one through three, depressed, upset, don't know when it's going to end. But by the time you get to verse eight, he says, the Lord will send his love. He's saying in so many words, it's dark right now, but the Lord will make a way out of no way tomorrow. He says, God's going to send his love day by day. And in the latter part of the verse, you read it. He says, not only that, he says, the song of the Lord will be with me through the night. he's saying is that right now, I don't see my way out of this, but he takes a moment to remind me. I have a tomorrow." [01:26:46] (60 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


9. "Sometimes you just got to pause, take a step back and look at the people's lives around you and say, God, I just want to take a moment to thank you. Because one thing is for sure, things might be tight, but my children ain't got to deal with that. My children are safe at night. Dave, anybody in here want to take a moment? I know this ain't the best sermon I ever preached, but can I get three people just to take a moment? Let's have a praise and worship session. Will you slip your hands up, open your mouth and just say, God, I thank you. Not for just where you brought me from, but for some of the stuff you've been preventing in my life. There are a lot of things I don't have. But God, I want to thank you for the things you didn't let come to my family." [01:08:10] (46 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


10. "You need somebody in your life who will pull you to the finish line. I'm beyond my time now. But let me tell you this. The third thing you got to do. The third thing you got to do. Look at somebody and tell them it's number three. Tell them it's number three. Number three you got to go get you some therapy. Lost the church right there. You got to go get you some therapy. Sit on somebody. Sit on somebody's couch. And just tell them all about what you're feeling. was in this season where I experienced the most incredible amount of anxiety. I had never experienced anxiety before. And I would hear people say things like, man, you know, anxiety is real. Depression is real. I was like, man, listen, I ain't never experienced that before. But it's like October. My heart was like beating and I wasn't even doing it. I was like, what's going on? I would think about something. They call it triggers." [01:18:58] (53 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)