Transforming Anxiety into Peace Through God's Presence
Summary
Welcome to a new year and a new series, "Change the Atmosphere." As we embark on this journey, we recognize that many of us have experienced dysfunctional environments, whether in our families, workplaces, or communities. These atmospheres can be filled with anxiety, fear, and brokenness. However, we are called to be conduits of God's grace, love, and truth, transforming these spaces into places of peace and blessing. We are made in God's image, icons meant to reflect His goodness and change the atmosphere around us.
Today, we focus on changing anxious atmospheres. Anxiety is rampant, but what if God has placed us in these environments to bring His peace? We look to the story of King Jehoshaphat, who faced a vast army threatening his kingdom. Instead of succumbing to fear, Jehoshaphat resolved to seek the Lord, shifting from a problem-oriented mindset to a God-oriented one. He declared a fast, unhooking from the immediate threat to focus on God's presence and power.
This shift invites us into what I call "God's deep time," a realm where His peace, wisdom, and love are always available. Jesus lived from this deep time, drawing on God's resources to impact ordinary life. We, too, are invited to step out of ordinary time, with its anxieties and distractions, and into God's deep time through practices like prayer, fasting, scripture, and gratitude.
Jehoshaphat's story teaches us to start with worship, remembering God's past faithfulness, and declaring our trust in His power. Even when we don't know what to do, we fix our eyes on God, surrendering our fears and anxieties to Him. This posture of total surrender opens us to God's presence and resources, enabling us to change the atmosphere not just in our hearts but in our communities.
As we face 2025, let's commit to living more from God's deep time, drawing on His grace and mercy to transform the spaces we inhabit. Whether you're new to this journey or have walked it for years, the invitation is the same: unhook from the ordinary and step into the extraordinary life God offers.
Key Takeaways:
1. Made in God's Image: We are icons of God, created to release His goodness, love, and truth into the world. This calling empowers us to replace dysfunction and anxiety with blessing and peace. [03:55]
2. Shifting Focus: Like Jehoshaphat, we must shift from being problem-oriented to God-oriented. This involves seeking God first, even in the face of overwhelming threats, and trusting in His power and presence. [08:58]
3. God's Deep Time: We are invited to step out of ordinary time, with its anxieties and distractions, into God's deep time, where His peace, wisdom, and love are always available. Practices like prayer, fasting, and gratitude help us access this deeper reality. [12:52]
4. Total Surrender: In moments of uncertainty, we are called to total surrender, fixing our eyes on God and trusting in His goodness. This posture opens us to His presence and resources, enabling us to change the atmosphere around us. [26:24]
5. Obedience and Worship: Leading with worship and obedience, even when it seems illogical, unlocks God's grace and changes the atmosphere. Trusting that the battle belongs to the Lord allows us to step out in faith and experience His victory. [31:21]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [02:01] - Dysfunctional Atmospheres
- [03:55] - Made in God's Image
- [07:17] - Responding to Alarm
- [08:58] - Jehoshaphat's Example
- [10:51] - God's Deep Time
- [12:52] - Unhooking from Ordinary Time
- [15:47] - Invitation to God's Deep Time
- [19:30] - Anchoring in Worship
- [22:22] - Gratitude and Faithfulness
- [24:06] - Naming the Problem
- [26:24] - Total Surrender
- [28:49] - God's Presence and Resources
- [31:21] - Leading with Worship
- [34:22] - Communion and Conclusion
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide: "Change the Atmosphere"
Bible Reading:
1. 2 Chronicles 20:1-30 - The story of King Jehoshaphat facing a vast army and seeking the Lord.
2. Philippians 4:6-7 - "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
3. Matthew 6:33 - "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
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Observation Questions:
1. What was King Jehoshaphat's initial reaction to the threat of the vast army, and how did he choose to respond? [08:58]
2. How does the sermon describe the concept of "God's deep time," and what practices are suggested to access it? [12:52]
3. What role does worship play in Jehoshaphat's response to the crisis, according to the sermon? [19:30]
4. How does the sermon illustrate the importance of community in seeking God's guidance and presence? [26:24]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. In what ways does Jehoshaphat's decision to seek the Lord first reflect a shift from a problem-oriented mindset to a God-oriented one? [08:58]
2. How might the concept of "God's deep time" challenge the way individuals typically handle anxiety and stress in their daily lives? [12:52]
3. What does the sermon suggest about the power of worship and gratitude in transforming anxious atmospheres? [19:30]
4. How does the story of Jehoshaphat illustrate the potential impact of total surrender to God in times of uncertainty? [26:24]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you faced a significant challenge or threat. How did you respond, and how might Jehoshaphat's example inspire a different approach? [08:58]
2. What are some practical steps you can take to "unhook" from ordinary time and step into "God's deep time" in your daily routine? Consider practices like prayer, fasting, or gratitude. [12:52]
3. Identify an area in your life where anxiety is prevalent. How can you incorporate worship and gratitude to shift the atmosphere in that area? [19:30]
4. Think about a situation where you feel uncertain or lack direction. How can you practice total surrender to God, trusting in His presence and resources? [26:24]
5. How can you cultivate a community of friends who will pray for you and seek God's guidance on your behalf during challenging times? [26:24]
6. Consider a current problem or threat you are facing. How can you start with praise and remember God's past faithfulness as you seek His guidance? [19:30]
7. What is one specific way you can lead with worship in your life, trusting that the battle belongs to the Lord? [31:21]
Devotional
Day 1: Reflecting God's Image in Our World
We are created in God's image, designed to be reflections of His goodness, love, and truth in the world. This calling empowers us to transform dysfunctional and anxious environments into places of blessing and peace. As icons of God, we have the responsibility and privilege to release His grace into our families, workplaces, and communities. By embodying His attributes, we can change the atmosphere around us, replacing fear and anxiety with hope and love. [03:55]
Genesis 1:27-28 (ESV): "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.'"
Reflection: Think of a specific environment in your life that feels dysfunctional or anxious. How can you intentionally reflect God's image in that space today?
Day 2: Shifting from Problems to God's Presence
In times of overwhelming threats, like King Jehoshaphat, we are called to shift our focus from the problems we face to the presence and power of God. Jehoshaphat's story teaches us to seek God first, even when fear looms large. By declaring a fast and seeking the Lord, he moved from a problem-oriented mindset to a God-oriented one. This shift invites us to trust in God's power and presence, knowing that He is greater than any challenge we face. [08:58]
2 Chronicles 20:3-4 (ESV): "Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. And Judah assembled to seek help from the Lord; from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord."
Reflection: Identify a current challenge or fear in your life. How can you shift your focus from the problem to seeking God's presence and guidance today?
Day 3: Entering God's Deep Time
We are invited to step out of ordinary time, with its anxieties and distractions, and into God's deep time, where His peace, wisdom, and love are always available. This deeper reality is accessed through practices like prayer, fasting, scripture, and gratitude. Jesus lived from this deep time, drawing on God's resources to impact ordinary life. We, too, can live from this place, experiencing God's peace and wisdom in our daily lives. [12:52]
Isaiah 26:3-4 (ESV): "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock."
Reflection: What practice (prayer, fasting, scripture, gratitude) can you incorporate into your routine this week to help you enter God's deep time and experience His peace?
Day 4: Surrendering to God's Presence
In moments of uncertainty, we are called to total surrender, fixing our eyes on God and trusting in His goodness. This posture of surrender opens us to His presence and resources, enabling us to change the atmosphere around us. By letting go of our fears and anxieties, we make room for God's peace and guidance to fill our hearts and communities. [26:24]
Psalm 46:10-11 (ESV): "Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress."
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you find yourself holding back from surrendering to God? What would surrendering this area to Him actually look like in terms of daily habits?
Day 5: Leading with Worship and Obedience
Leading with worship and obedience, even when it seems illogical, unlocks God's grace and changes the atmosphere. Trusting that the battle belongs to the Lord allows us to step out in faith and experience His victory. By anchoring ourselves in worship and obedience, we align with God's purposes and invite His transformative power into our lives and communities. [31:21]
2 Chronicles 20:21-22 (ESV): "And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who were to sing to the Lord and praise him in holy attire, as they went before the army, and say, 'Give thanks to the Lord, for his steadfast love endures forever.' And when they began to sing and praise, the Lord set an ambush against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, so that they were routed."
Reflection: How can you lead with worship and obedience in a specific situation you are facing today, trusting that God will fight the battle for you?
Quotes
We are made in God's image. This is who you are. This is what the scriptures say about you. In order to release. To release something of God's goodness, his love, his grace, his truth, his peace, his wisdom here on the earth. That's why you're here on the earth, to be a conduit, a channel of God's grace, mercy, love, and truth in order to replace dysfunction and brokenness and shallowness and anxiety and fear and all the things that go wrong with blessing in order to change the atmosphere, which is exactly what God made you to do. [00:03:55] (37 seconds)
Jehoshaphat doesn't just go into problem-solving mode, fix a problem, figure it out, nor does he hide and retreat and numb out and escape. Jehoshaphat turns toward God. He resolves to inquire of the Lord. And here's what that means. What that means is Jehoshaphat shifts from being threat-oriented and problem-oriented to God-oriented. That's what he does, right? The threat, the problem, the thing ringing the alarm bells, that's demanding, it's screaming at him. He says, you know what? That's not the most important thing here. [00:09:43] (31 seconds)
This is where all God lives and all God's resources is. It's almost like a current running underneath the water, right, like the subcurrents and the Gulf Stream or whatever. It's underneath the surface, just underneath the surface, but it's a deeper, richer time. It's a different kind of time. You know what's in God's deep time? Deep peace, deep joy. Deep wisdom, God's presence himself. How about deep family, deep forgiveness, deep love, always available. That stream is always available. It's always there, always there, always there. Jesus lived out of this time, didn't he? [00:11:14] (39 seconds)
God is still God, even on the other side of alarmed. God is still God, no matter what kind of threats, challenges, problems you're facing. God is still God, even on the other side of all those threats, all those problems, all those challenges. Jehoshaphat is sort of anchoring the people of Judah in this larger, beautiful truth that this is who God is. And then he goes on from there to rehearse a little bit of what God's done in the past. [00:19:56] (28 seconds)
We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you. Jehoshaphat is unhooked from the problem. He's not primarily threat oriented, not in a problem solving mode, but nor is he escaping the problem. Nor is he burying himself in his phone or in alcohol or whatever else he could get to numb his senses. He is turning toward the Lord, drawing from God's presence, God's deep time, all his resources, and saying, we don't know what to do. Our eyes are on you. [00:25:15] (29 seconds)
See, when we step out of ordinary time and orient ourselves toward God, toward his deep time, it not only releases and changes the atmosphere in our own hearts, it not only even changes the atmosphere maybe in the group of coworkers or colleagues or family members that you're with, maybe just maybe it'll change the atmosphere in a whole nation like it did with Jehoshaphat here the year 850 BC as they're coming up against an army. [00:28:49] (28 seconds)
If you are trusting the battle belongs to the Lord, of course you lead with worship. That's what you do. If the battle belongs to the Lord, you lead with worship. If the battle belongs to the Lord, you lead with worship. Of course, if the battle belongs to the Lord, you lead with worship. And as the story unfolds, they were defeated because the battle did belong to the Lord. The Lord sent confusion and the Lord brought his victory in and through his people even though it made no sense in ordinary time. [00:31:21] (31 seconds)
My hope and my prayer is that you might take this little map and step into it and allow the Lord to release new kinds of resources, grace and mercy, into your life and into your little community, people around you, your family, your friends, to change the atmosphere for good. Jehoshaphat did that, 850 B.C., but about 850 years later, we get the perfect Jehoshaphat, Jesus, who on the worst night of his life, staring down betrayal and crucifixion. He's not problem-oriented. He's not threat-oriented. He's oriented toward God as good father. [00:33:57] (33 seconds)
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