How To Have An Unshakable Faith When I Feel Anxious | Unshakable | Pastor Adam Bishop

You're not alone. In fact, one of the things that we try to do here at New Hope Church is make sure that we get comfortable talking about what's uncomfortable. In our student ministry, we want teenagers to know, it's okay to talk about things that are uncomfortable. In our kids ministry, when kids it's okay to there's no repercussions or ramifications for bringing up things that are uncomfortable. The last thing we want is a culture where everybody shows up to church, smiles, acts like things are going great when they're not going great at all. What are we doing? We're not just gonna go through the motions. Listen, if you're hurting, say something. [00:41:36] (32 seconds)  #YouAreNotAlone

That sometimes the very things that I'm blaming for my anxiety were answers to prayers from my past that God gave me. God chose me that. But somewhere it just got all junk, messed up in my head. You ever felt anxious about being a parent? God takes me back to those days where we prayed for those children. I'm not gonna be anxious about that. The enemy will take God's blessings and he will twist them, and you'll begin to think that they're the source of your anxiety, and I'm here to expose the enemy and his lies today. He's the one behind it. He's the one behind it. And as your pastor, I've stepped right into the middle of his trap before. [00:57:35] (63 seconds)  #BlessingsNotBurdens

When you read God's word, it's full of people who are just coming clean with what they're feeling and thinking. That's the entire book of Psalms. What's going on? And when I verbalize that to God, it's incredible what starts to happen. Now, are other days I may be feeling completely different emotions. What I'm trying to challenge you to do is get into the habit of whatever it is that you're feeling and sensing, just start verbalizing that to God. Now, here's what the truth of God's word says. We just read it. It says that when you do that, God will give you a peace that passes all understanding. [00:31:25] (30 seconds)  #SpeakToGodForPeace

Unshakable faith is not the absence of anxiety, it's choosing to respond to anxiety God's way. Please see that. If someone ever told you that being a Christian means you're never going to feel anxious, They may have been well intended, but ultimately they did not lead you towards the truth. Okay? The bible is full of people, people who we would look at as as biblical heroes who wrestled and struggled with anxiety. In fact, the bible assumes that in this life we will be anxious. [00:28:00] (32 seconds)  #RespondGodsWay

I realized that's actually true for all of us, men and women, when it comes to battling anxiety. You don't got this. I don't got this. And it was never intended for us to get this on our own. We talked a little bit about this last week with parenting that we wanna raise kids who have a healthy view of their identity in Christ and a healthy view of being dependent on God and being dependent on others. That at the root of a biblical worldview is that we actually need one another. [00:37:10] (31 seconds)  #WeNeedEachOther

I mean, tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. And just stay locked in for today. I wanna be present today. I'm gonna trust God today and God will get me through today. And sometimes, that's about all you can hope for. Sometimes it's a hour by hour. Sometimes it's a moment by moment. And here's what I want you to know. When you're in those places, God is right there with you. He's right there with you. You can ask God to get you through this moment to the next and his grace will be sufficient for you. [00:51:59] (41 seconds)  #TrustGodToday

And God's peace is better than any clear answer you could ever receive. It's better than any obstacle being removed. There's something about a peace that passes all understanding that does what? Guards your heart and mind, his word says. What's the key to unlocking that? The key to unlocking that, quite simply, is just verbalizing how you feel to God. It's foundational. If we miss this step, none of the rest of them make any sense. Alright? Number two, if we wanna have an unshakable faith when we feel anxious, we gotta speak truth to our thoughts. [00:31:56] (31 seconds)  #PeaceOverAnswers

Church, a lot of our anxiety comes quite simply from us looking to other people to meet needs that only God can meet. And so if you can tell what that is and you can take that to God in prayer, you can speak a little bit truth to whatever it is that you're thinking or feeling, it can help you begin to combat anxiety God's way. Right? Number three. Don't fight anxiety alone. Don't fight anxiety alone. [00:36:14] (26 seconds)  #BringYourNeedsToGod