Do the Possible, Trust God for the Impossible

The call to rejoice in the Lord always does not mean life is always easy. The eyes fixed on Jesus can see something bigger than the problem, even when the circumstances have not changed one bit. The world pulls attention down toward trouble, but the presence of God calls His children to come away from that and remember they are loved, called, and not alone.

The command to be anxious for nothing leaves little room for exceptions. Anxiety makes the problem bigger and bigger, while prayer makes God bigger in the heart. Prayer, supplication, and thanksgiving are the possible part: bringing the need to God, laying it before Him, and thanking Him for the answer before it can be seen. The peace of God is the impossible part. That peace guards the heart and mind in Christ Jesus when fear, doubt, anger, and unbelief come throwing darts.

The care cast upon God is not meant to be picked back up through complaining, worrying, and telling everybody how bad things are. The Father cares for His children, and His shoulders are big enough for every burden. The promise that God causes all things to work for good does not call every hard thing good, but it does declare that God is not surprised and is still able to turn the thing around.

The step of faith matters. Peter got out of the boat, and though he started sinking when he looked at the storm, Jesus did not let him drown. The eyes off Jesus will always start sinking, but the hand of Jesus is still there for the one who cries out. The possible is taking the step, humbling the heart, speaking God’s promise, and doing what God says to do. The impossible belongs to God.

The living sacrifice refuses to carry weights God never asked His people to carry. The Christian carrying every burden, grumbling at everybody, and walking around angry does not show a hurting world that Christ is enough. The freedom of casting cares on God produces a thankful spirit, a smile, and room to help somebody else carry their burden. The strongholds of anxiety, fear, anger, and depression lose ground when the promises of God are possessed, not merely claimed.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Make God bigger than the problem Anxiety feeds on repeated attention to the trouble until the trouble fills the whole heart. Prayer turns that attention toward the One who created the universe and has not lost control. The circumstances may remain for a time, but the heart changes when Christ becomes bigger than the fear. [28:37]
• 2. Thank God before seeing the answer Thanksgiving is not pretending that pain does not exist. Thanksgiving declares faith that God is still the answer, even when doctors, circumstances, or feelings say otherwise. Faith thanks God ahead of time because His character is more trustworthy than the visible situation. [33:21]
• 3. Cast the burden and leave it The care belongs to God because God cares personally for His children. Complaining can become a way of holding onto the very burden that has supposedly been surrendered. Humility lays the matter down before God and lets Him be Lord over the problem. [35:41]
• 4. Keep the eyes on Jesus Peter’s sinking began when the storm became his focus. Faith does not deny the storm, but it refuses to let the storm become greater than Christ. Jesus honors the step out of the boat and reaches for the one whose faith begins to fail. [44:52]
• 5. Possess God’s promises in daily life Christianity cannot stay a claim made with the mouth while anxiety, anger, and discouragement rule the life. The promises of God must become something lived, spoken, and trusted in ordinary trouble. A free and thankful life gives others a reason to ask where that joy comes from.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [21:14] - Prayer and the Presence of God
• [23:35] - Rejoice in the Lord Always
• [25:14] - The Possible and the Impossible
• [25:52] - Be Anxious for Nothing
• [28:37] - Making God Bigger Than the Problem
• [32:54] - Thanksgiving Brings God’s Peace
• [34:35] - Cast All Your Cares on Him
• [38:49] - Humbling the Heart Before God
• [39:45] - Faithfulness and God’s Promise
• [43:29] - Peter Steps Out of the Boat
• [46:19] - God Supplies Every Need
• [49:13] - Present Your Body to God
• [52:36] - Breaking Anxiety and Other Strongholds
• [53:45] - Possessing the Promises of God

Bible Reading

Philippians 4:4-7
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” [23:35]

1 Peter 5:6-7
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” [35:41]

Matthew 14:28-31
“And Peter answered him, 'Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.' He said, 'Come.' So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, 'Lord, save me.' Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, 'O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” [43:29]

Observation questions

1. In Philippians 4:4-7, what actions are believers told to take when anxiety begins to rise, and what result is promised? [32:54]
2. According to 1 Peter 5:6-7, what is the connection between humbling oneself before God and casting cares on Him? [35:41]
3. In Matthew 14:28-31, what changed for Peter after he stepped out of the boat, and what did Jesus do when Peter began to sink? [44:52]
4. What examples were given of ways people may hold onto a burden even after saying they have given it to God? [39:14]

Interpretation questions

1. Why does Philippians connect prayer, specific requests, and thanksgiving rather than simply telling believers to stop worrying? What does thanksgiving show about where a person is placing faith? [33:00]
2. How can God’s peace guard a believer’s heart and mind even when the difficult circumstance has not changed yet? [33:57]
3. Peter did not sink while looking to Jesus, but he began to sink when the storm took his attention. What does this reveal about the difference between recognizing a real problem and allowing that problem to become greater than Christ? [45:07]
4. First Peter says that God cares for His people. How does believing that God personally cares change the meaning of casting a burden onto Him? [38:23]

Application questions

1. What burden has been taking up the most space in your thoughts lately? What would it look like to bring that specific matter to God in prayer instead of replaying it through worry? [28:49]
2. Is there an answer from God that you are waiting to see? What are some honest ways you can thank Him now—not denying the pain, but trusting His character before the outcome is visible? [51:54]
3. When you feel anxious, fearful, or discouraged, what usually gets your attention first: the storm or Jesus? What simple habit could help you turn your eyes back to Christ this week? [44:50]
4. Are you carrying a care that you have prayed about but then picked back up through complaining, constant retelling, or trying to control the outcome? What might it mean to leave that care with God? [39:25]
5. Think about a step of faith God may be asking you to take—a conversation, an act of obedience, forgiveness, service, or prayer. What is the possible part that God is asking you to do, while trusting Him with the impossible part? [41:38]
6. How do anxiety, anger, or discouragement affect the way you treat people at home, work, church, or in public? What would a freer, more thankful spirit look like in one of those places this week? [51:01]
7. Which promise of God do you need to move from merely claiming with your mouth to possessing in daily life? How can the group help you remember and live in that promise this week? [53:45]