Transforming Anxiety Through Faith and Thanksgiving

1. "and a hush grew over the crowd because talking faith and walking in faith are are too it's easy to believe as long as somebody else is on the high wire what God can do someone else is traveling blindfolded someone else is dealing with sickness in their body someone else is struggling financially in their family somebody else is struggling finding a job vocationally but when it's your turn to get on top and journey by faith soon we find out that talking and walking are not synonymous in Paul's letter to the church of Philippi it is clear that there were at least three areas of concern that he wanted to address one they face persecution from those outside the church two false teaching from other churches began to seep into their church and three they struggled with conflicts between one another in the church this is very similar to the context in which we live today people don't want to hear the truth anymore or be challenged we want to hear what makes us feel good and affirms our path that we want to be on but sometimes in order to glorify God in order to give him the honor and praise I've got to take a hard look at myself" [00:03:55] (105 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


2. "That's why Paul told his mentee Timothy, for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine but according to their own desires because they have itching ears they will heap upon themselves teachers and they will turn their ears away from the truth and be turned aside to fables. We live in a time where people don't want to be held accountable. They can say whatever they want to say, whenever they want to say it, however they want to say it and don't expect any kind of backlash or accountability but my Bible teaches me that I am to be held accountable to God and how I lead the people. As this election cycle has progressed we have constantly had to hear insult after insult, gaffe after gaffe, acts of violence or threats of violence. Just this past week in Orangeburg County a poll walker and a voter got into a verbal and verbal fight. and then a physical altercation. We are in a season where people are disengaging from walking according to the way God would have us to love one another and God would have us to serve one another." [00:06:46] (71 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


3. "There is consistent unresolved conflict in churches everywhere. People on the outside are looking for reasons to discredit, disregard, or disrespect preachers and the house of God. There are forces outside of the church trying to cause problems in the church, but then there are also problems within the church itself. Paul is addressing all of this in this church of Philippi. As a matter of fact, There were two women in particular in the church, Euodia and Sintici, who had worked directly with Paul to spread the gospel throughout Philippi. It was unclear exactly what they did, but we know they were important enough to be named and addressed. The church had begun in Philippi, according to Acts chapter 16, in a women's prayer meeting." [00:07:07] (61 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


5. "Some of us have anxiety just having to go through the doors at our job because it's filled with uncertainty and we don't know what's going to happen. And it begins to paralyze us. It begins to strangle us. The anxiety, the unsureness of not knowing what tomorrow may bring and then your mind begins to play out how it could go. And typically we play it out with a worst -case scenario, a doomsday scenario. What happens if? And now we can't sleep because I'm thinking about what could happen if. And now my anxiety's getting worse and worse and worse. And then I turn on the TV and they feed my anxiety some more. They're like, if you thought you had something to fear about before, check this out. If you thought you should be scared before, look at this. If you thought you should have some fear, you should just stay up all night." [00:12:32] (53 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


6. "According to psychology today, anxiety is now the leading mental health problem around the world. And the incidents of anxiety are still rising. They're rising. And on top of that, our youth are in a crisis. Because of anxiety. Increasing numbers of children and adolescents are being diagnosed with anxiety disorder. This means that the anxiety is so persistent and pervasive that it's disrupting their daily life. Can't engage in school, can't engage in family the same way. It's beyond just feeling anxious. It's I'm being held captive by this anxiety. And anxiety typically has a partner named depression." [00:13:33] (58 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


7. "A quote from psychology today. One often cited reason for the general rise in anxiety is the burden of uncertainty in almost everyday life. In response to an array of economic and cultural shifts, uncertainty that doesn't cause anxiety, no it doesn't, but it provides the breeding ground for it. How we handle uncertainty directly impacts the level of anxiety. Am I talking all right, Dr. Jerez, Dr. Cunningham and I in the house? How we respond to uncertainty impacts our level of anxiety. The church of Philippi was anxious and Paul had to write them." [00:14:44] (56 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


8. "And our Bible from the very birth of the church is filled with conflict in the church. Because it was not long after they had had a day of Pentecost. And young men were prophesying and old men were dreaming dreams. It was not long after God had poured out his spirit and they were speaking in tongues. It was not long after the apostles were going and prophesying. And Peter was saying this is the fulfillment of the prophet Joel. It was not long after multitudes were joining the church that there was discrimination in the church. As two different groups of widows were not receiving the right kind of food. And nourishment because there was a cultural bias against one of them." [00:16:05] (48 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


9. "Their predicament had to spawn some anxiety, but the text says that at midnight, Paul and Silas prayed and were singing praises to God. And then suddenly, the earth began to quake and their shackles were loosed and all the prisoners were free. So this is what I submit to you. My anxiety is just a sign that I need to start praying. You're missing your moment here because this thing's been keeping you up all night. This thing has been a dark cloud over you. You've been thinking about it nonstop even as you came into the church. You couldn't get your mind off of it and you were hoping that as the songs went up that you could focus and you did for a second, but then it came back. What I just told you is that your anxiety is just a sign that it's time to start praying." [00:19:25] (68 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


10. "Pray unto the Lord. God, help us get through Tuesday. But then thank him for getting you through today. Pray, God, I need you to pay the bill. But Lord, I thank you for every bill you've already paid. Thank him for delivering you. Pray, God, deliver me from evil. But give him thanks for the protection you don't even know about that God has already bestowed out of thanksgiving to your prayer." [00:28:39] (42 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)