Navigating Emotions Through Prayer and Community Support
Summary
### Summary
Today, we gathered to honor and pray for our students, recognizing their sacrifices and achievements over the past year. We prayed for their future, asking God to provide them with the creativity, courage, and resources they need to continue their journey. This moment is bittersweet, filled with mixed emotions as we celebrate their accomplishments and anticipate their future.
We also explored the complexity of our inner emotional world, emphasizing that our feelings, though often conflicting, are an integral part of our spiritual journey. This sermon is the final installment in our "Inside Out" series, which has focused on understanding and managing our inner world. We revisited the teachings of Pastor Mark and Pastor Joel, who introduced the concept of the inner man and the importance of preparing our hearts to receive God's word.
Today's key scripture from Matthew 5, as paraphrased in The Message, reminds us that we are blessed when we get our inner world in order because it allows us to see God in the outside world. We discussed the importance of inviting the Holy Spirit and others into our emotional lives to help us navigate the tensions we experience.
We examined the possibility of controlling our feelings with the Holy Spirit's help, recognizing that emotions are a limited resource that needs replenishing. We also acknowledged that feeling is not failing, as even Jesus experienced a range of emotions. However, feelings are not a reliable compass for our lives; they need to be balanced with faith and wisdom.
Finally, we emphasized the importance of community in dealing with our emotions. We need to perfect the art of conversation and harness the power of questions to understand and support each other better. This community of faith is committed to helping each other grow, recognizing the divine wisdom within each of us.
### Key Takeaways
1. The Power of Prayer and Community Support: We prayed for our students, acknowledging their sacrifices and achievements. This act of communal prayer highlights the importance of supporting each other in our spiritual journeys. It serves as a reminder that we are not alone and that the community plays a vital role in our growth and success. [41:38]
2. Understanding Our Inner World: Our emotions are complex and often conflicting, but they are an essential part of our spiritual life. By inviting the Holy Spirit and others into our emotional world, we can better navigate these tensions. This understanding helps us align our inner world with God's will, allowing us to see His presence in our lives. [50:08]
3. Controlling Our Emotions with the Holy Spirit's Help: While we may not be able to control how we feel, we can control how we respond to our emotions with the Holy Spirit's help. Emotions are a limited resource that needs regular replenishing through practices like prayer, rest, and healthy living. This approach helps us maintain emotional resilience and spiritual well-being. [52:20]
4. Feeling is Not Failing: Jesus Himself experienced a range of emotions, from grief to anger to disappointment. This teaches us that feeling emotions is not a sign of failure but a part of our human experience. However, we must not let our emotions dictate our actions; instead, we should balance them with faith and wisdom. [56:10]
5. The Importance of Community and Conversation: In a community of faith, we must perfect the art of conversation and harness the power of questions to understand and support each other. This commitment to open, honest communication helps us draw out the divine wisdom within each person, fostering a deeper sense of connection and mutual growth. [01:03:48]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[41:38] - Prayer for Students
[45:06] - Mixed Emotions and Transitions
[47:10] - Recap of "Inside Out" Series
[48:23] - Key Scripture and Inner World
[50:08] - Inviting the Holy Spirit and Others
[51:33] - Faith vs. Feelings
[52:20] - Controlling Emotions
[56:10] - Feeling is Not Failing
[01:00:25] - Drawing Out Wisdom in Community
[01:03:48] - The Art of Conversation
[01:07:21] - The Power of Questions
[01:14:12] - Navigating Conflict
[01:17:24] - Commitment to Community
[01:19:10] - Prayer for Inner World
[01:21:00] - Invitation to Relationship with God
Study Guide
### Bible Reading
1. Matthew 5:8 (The Message): "You're blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world."
2. Deuteronomy 6:5: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength."
3. Lamentations 3:23: "Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning."
### Observation Questions
1. What does Matthew 5:8 (The Message) say about the relationship between our inner world and seeing God in the outside world?
2. According to Deuteronomy 6:5, what are the three (or four) aspects with which we are to love God? How does this relate to our inner world? [50:37]
3. How does Lamentations 3:23 describe God's faithfulness and its impact on our emotional resilience? [54:30]
4. In the sermon, what were some of the mixed emotions described when celebrating the students' achievements? [45:06]
### Interpretation Questions
1. How does getting our inner world in order, as mentioned in Matthew 5:8, help us see God in our daily lives? [48:39]
2. Why is it important to invite the Holy Spirit and others into our emotional lives, according to the sermon? [50:08]
3. How can recognizing that "feeling is not failing" change our perspective on experiencing emotions, based on the examples of Jesus' emotions in the sermon? [56:10]
4. What role does community play in managing our emotions and supporting each other, as discussed in the sermon? [01:00:25]
### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you experienced conflicting emotions. How did you navigate that situation, and what role did your faith play? [45:27]
2. How can you invite the Holy Spirit into your emotional life this week? Are there specific practices like prayer or rest that you can incorporate to replenish your emotional resources? [52:20]
3. Think of a recent situation where you let your emotions dictate your actions. How could you have balanced those emotions with faith and wisdom instead? [57:41]
4. In what ways can you improve your conversations within your community to better support and understand each other? Consider practicing the art of asking meaningful questions. [01:03:48]
5. Identify someone in your community who might be struggling with their emotions. How can you reach out to them and offer support this week? [01:00:25]
6. How can you practice seeing the divine wisdom in others during your interactions this week? What steps can you take to draw out that wisdom through conversation? [01:00:25]
7. Reflect on the importance of community in your spiritual journey. How can you contribute to creating a supportive and understanding environment in your small group? [01:17:24]
Devotional
Day 1: The Power of Prayer and Community Support
In our spiritual journey, the support of a community is invaluable. When we gather to pray for one another, we acknowledge the sacrifices and achievements of our fellow believers. This communal act of prayer is a powerful reminder that we are not alone in our struggles and triumphs. It reinforces the idea that our growth and success are deeply intertwined with the support we receive from our community. By lifting each other up in prayer, we create a network of spiritual strength that helps us navigate life's challenges with greater resilience and faith. [41:38]
James 5:16 (ESV): "Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working."
Reflection: Think of someone in your community who might need support. Can you take a moment today to pray for them and perhaps reach out to offer your encouragement?
Day 2: Understanding Our Inner World
Our emotions are a complex and often conflicting part of our spiritual life. They are an essential aspect of our journey with God, helping us to understand ourselves and our relationship with Him better. By inviting the Holy Spirit and trusted individuals into our emotional world, we can navigate these tensions more effectively. This process allows us to align our inner world with God's will, making it easier to see His presence and work in our lives. Understanding and managing our emotions is crucial for spiritual growth and for maintaining a healthy, balanced life. [50:08]
Proverbs 20:5 (ESV): "The purpose in a man's heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out."
Reflection: What emotions have you been struggling with lately? Can you invite the Holy Spirit and a trusted friend into this part of your life to help you navigate these feelings?
Day 3: Controlling Our Emotions with the Holy Spirit's Help
While we may not always be able to control how we feel, we can control how we respond to our emotions with the help of the Holy Spirit. Emotions are a limited resource that needs regular replenishing through practices like prayer, rest, and healthy living. By relying on the Holy Spirit, we can maintain emotional resilience and spiritual well-being. This approach helps us to respond to our emotions in a way that aligns with our faith and values, rather than being led astray by them. [52:20]
Galatians 5:22-23 (ESV): "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."
Reflection: How can you incorporate practices like prayer, rest, and healthy living into your daily routine to help replenish your emotional resources?
Day 4: Feeling is Not Failing
Experiencing a range of emotions is a natural part of the human experience, and even Jesus Himself felt grief, anger, and disappointment. Feeling emotions is not a sign of failure but a testament to our humanity. However, it is important not to let our emotions dictate our actions. Instead, we should balance them with faith and wisdom, ensuring that our responses are guided by our spiritual principles rather than our immediate feelings. This balance helps us to live a life that is both emotionally healthy and spiritually grounded. [56:10]
Hebrews 4:15 (ESV): "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin."
Reflection: Reflect on a recent situation where your emotions were strong. How can you balance your feelings with faith and wisdom in similar situations in the future?
Day 5: The Importance of Community and Conversation
In a community of faith, open and honest communication is essential. By perfecting the art of conversation and harnessing the power of questions, we can better understand and support each other. This commitment to dialogue helps us to draw out the divine wisdom within each person, fostering a deeper sense of connection and mutual growth. A community that values conversation and questions is one that thrives on shared wisdom and collective spiritual development. [01:03:48]
Proverbs 27:17 (ESV): "Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another."
Reflection: Think of a conversation you need to have with someone in your community. How can you approach this conversation with openness and a willingness to understand and support each other?
Quotes
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "Feelings are complicated. Our inside world is. Strange. And. Curious. And. Unexplored. It's like this. Volcano. Or this. Crazy landscape. That we carry around. Inside of us. Day to day. And. More than that. It's like a compass. And an engine. A compass. That guides us. And an engine. That moves us. And so. We have a responsibility. To. Invite the Holy Spirit. Into. The conversation." [49:34] (30 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "Love the Lord. Your God. With all your heart. With all your soul. And with all your strength. That's how it's worded. In Deuteronomy. In one of the other. Gospels. He adds. Mind. To that list. Of three. And makes it four. And it's interesting. To me. That three. Out of those four. Things. Are actually invisible. And they're on the inside. And Jesus. Is answering the question. What's the most important thing. And he's saying. Love God. On the inside." [50:37] (24 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "It's possible. To control. Your feelings. It is possible. To control. Your feelings. They are not. A wild. Tameless beast. That has the power. Over you. At all times. There is this rhetoric. In modern society. That says. You can't help. How you feel. And that may well be true. But that helplessness. And out of control. Ness. Does not extend. To what you do. With your feelings." [51:47] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "Great is his faithfulness his mercies begin afresh another version says our new every morning so what we have to do with the Holy Spirit's help is think about this idea that our emotions are a limited resource and we have to take responsibility for replenishing refilling rejuvenating that emotion all tank God gives us some really really basic things to help us do this things like diet exercise getting outside or even just something as simple as going to sleep." [54:30] (39 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "Jesus had feelings and he expressed them we've been through seasons in society when feelings and emotions have been painted as the enemy something to wrestle with on a daily basis something to bury deep down inside and never let out or something to avoid at all costs but Jesus is the example Jesus felt grief when his friend Lazarus died in John chapter 11 Jesus felt anger when the Christians in the temple were sort of dishonoring God with the way that they were behaving when he cleared the temple in John chapter 2." [56:10] (37 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
### Quotes for Members
1. "We live in a world. That's obsessed. With the outside. And Jesus. Is helping us understand. The connection. Between the two. It's not that the outside. Doesn't matter. It's just that the outside. Is generally formed. Or. Or takes shape. And massively influenced. By the inside." [51:03] (13 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "Who is responsible. For your mental health. Rhetorical question. Who is responsible. Who is responsible. For your emotional. Maturity. Who is responsible. For your emotional. Resilience. Who is responsible. For your emotional. Capacity. I would say. It is a combo. Of you. And the Holy. Spirit. In partnership. Working together. Taking responsibility. For. And allowing. The Holy. Spirit. To supercharge. Your ability. To actually. Manage. Not just manage. But thrive. In the context. Of these. Tensions. That we carry around. With us. All the time." [52:20] (38 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "Counsel in the heart of a man is like deep water. In other words, the genius, the wisdom, the divine DNA of God is in a person, but it's like deep. I don't know what the deepest water you've ever been in. Years and years and years ago, we went on a holiday where we slept and ate and worked and lived on a boat, a big boat, 90 foot boat, sailboat. And we were in parts of the ocean where you could not see land anywhere. On any horizon, it was just blue all around." [01:00:25] (39 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "This is Audacious Church and whether you're here for the first time or you're like a vintage cheese that's been here for years, the same applies, that this is a community of faith and I have a personal commitment, our leaders have a commitment, those who are kind of partnering with the vision of the church, we all have a commitment, not just to understanding ourselves, but creating an environment. Where you can grow and actually someone else understands you and you understand them. That's what a community of faith is all about." [01:01:31] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "Harnessing the power of questions. You know that we talk about small groups a lot in our church and we reported at our partners night this week. That our percentage. The percentage of audacious church who come on a Sunday that attend a small group last term was sat at about 46%. Let me tell you, because of the art of conversation that can be facilitated in a small group, we desperately want that percentage to go up." [01:08:11] (30 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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