[May 17, 2026] Wisdom and Emotions

May 17, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Trust Beyond the Funk

Jesus met Scott in a ninth-grade stairwell. Tears fell as he dialed a crusade hotline, confused that trusting Christ didn’t spark fireworks. Years later, Proverbs 3:5-6 cut through a spiritual fog: “Trust in the Lord…not your own understanding.” Truth outlasted feelings. [12:16]

God designed emotions but never meant them to steer. When David’s heart raged or Elijah hid in caves, Scripture redirected them to Yahweh’s character, not their inner storms. Jesus sleeps through tempests, unshaken by waves.

Your feelings lie. Your God doesn’t. Next time anxiety whispers, “This is forever,” counter with Proverbs 3:5 written on your palm. Where is your “leaning” today—on shifting emotions or the Rock?

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
(Proverbs 3:5-6, NIV)

Prayer: Ask Jesus to replace one swirling fear with His steady “It is finished.”
Challenge: Write Proverbs 3:5 on a sticky note. Read it aloud three times today.

Day 2: Wings After the Hit

A mother goose spread bloodied wings over her goslings after Kristen’s golf strike. She absorbed the blow. On the cross, Jesus stretched out wounded arms, becoming our eternal refuge. “Take shelter in the shadow of My wings,” He urges. [28:40]

Geese hiss and snap, but their wings shelter. God’s love isn’t sentimental—it’s sacrifice. His wings bore nails so ours could bear peace. When chaos comes, His presence isn’t a placebo; it’s a stronghold.

What “hit” are you facing? Lay it under His scarred hands. How might His protection look different than your demand for relief?

“How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.”
(Psalm 36:7, ESV)

Prayer: Thank Jesus for one specific wound He took for you.
Challenge: Text someone: “You’re under His wings today.” Add Psalm 36:7.

Day 3: Naming the Night Watch

David interrogated his gloom: “Why, my soul, are you downcast?” (Psalm 42:5). Scott traced mission-trip dread to a third-grade window—his father’s taillights fading. Naming the ache loosened its grip. [21:37]

Emotions are messengers, not masters. Jesus asked the demoniac, “What’s your name?” Naming Legion began his liberation. Unidentified feelings bully; named ones bow to Christ’s authority.

What’s your “downcast”? Dig past “I’m stressed” to “I’m grieving…” or “I’m terrified…” When did this root first take hold?

“Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.”
(Psalm 42:5, NIV)

Prayer: Confess one buried emotion to Jesus. Use its real name.
Challenge: Set a 3pm alarm. Pause to identify your dominant feeling right then.

Day 4: Juice Under Pressure

The orange didn’t strain to produce juice—pressure revealed its nature. Paul wrote, “Rejoice always” (1 Thessalonians 5:16), not by gritting teeth but by abiding in the Vine. Crushing moments expose what fills us. [31:26]

Jesus sweated blood in Gethsemane yet prayed, “Your will.” His anguish channeled into surrender. Our rage or fear, pressed through worship, becomes intercession. Our grief, funneled into service, becomes compassion.

What “juice” spills when you’re squeezed? How could today’s pressure point you to prayer?

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
(1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, NIV)

Prayer: Sing one verse of a hymn when frustration rises.
Challenge: Do a 5-minute act of kindness for someone who irritates you.

Day 5: Fruit From the Roots

An apple tree doesn’t grunt to produce fruit. Roots draw life silently. Paul lists the Spirit’s fruit—love, joy, peace—not as goals but as growths. “Walk by the Spirit,” he urges, “and you won’t gratify flesh.” [33:18]

Jesus cursed the fig tree with leaves but no fruit. Surface spirituality starves. Abiding in Him means letting His Word compost our anger, fear, and pride into gospel soil.

What “fruit” feels scarce in you? How could tending roots—not pruning branches—help?

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
(Galatians 5:22-23, NIV)

Prayer: Thank the Spirit for one fruit He’s grown in you this year.
Challenge: Water a plant today, praying, “Grow Your fruit in me, Jesus.”

Sermon Summary

We study Proverbs and learn that wisdom must guide our emotions. We embrace emotions as a God given part of being made in his image, and we admit that feelings can point to truth or mask deeper needs. We name two extremes, emotionalism where feelings rule, and stoicism where feelings get suppressed. We confess that neither extreme honors God or cultivates maturity. We therefore commit to letting wisdom shape how we feel and how we act.

We notice that feelings often mislead. We refuse to treat every emotion as final authority. We practice trusting the Lord with our hearts and not leaning on quick impressions or inner storms. We learn to identify feelings precisely, to probe beneath surface anger into grief, fear, or loneliness, and to locate triggers that revive old wounds. We accept that naming feelings creates space for change.

We challenge feelings with faith and truth. We set our hope on God, and we test emotions against the gospel. We channel strong emotions into worship and into practical love for others. We use sorrow and fear to deepen praise and to spur compassionate action. We follow the rhythm of pouring out and pouring in so that God’s comfort becomes the fuel for comforting others.

We practice surrender. We bring feelings honestly to God, and we choose to walk by faith not by sight or mood. We learn that walking in the Spirit produces fruit under pressure. We expect the Spirit to yield love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self control when life squeezes us. We commit to spiritual disciplines, faithful friendships, and memory of Scripture to reorient our hearts. We memorize Proverbs 3 5 and 6 and rest in the finished work of Christ who took the hit for us and spreads refuge under his wings. We resolve to grow in emotional wisdom so that king Jesus rules our hearts, our relationships reflect his peace, and our responses display the fruit of the Spirit.

Key Takeaways

1. Feelings often prove unreliable Feelings can change quickly and point to wrong paths. We must test emotions against Scripture because what seems right to us may lead away from life. Naming that unreliability frees us from acting rashly and invites steady reliance on God. [09:02]
2. Identify and name inner feelings Naming feelings opens the door to healing and clear action. We dig beneath anger to find grief, fear, or loneliness, and we trace triggers to past wounds. That honest work removes confusion and creates a path for gospel renewal. [14:50]
3. Channel emotions into worship and service Strong emotions need outlets that reflect God’s character. We turn fear and sorrow into worship and then into practical care for others. Serving redirects inward spirals and lets God’s comfort flow through us to our neighbors. [22:56]
4. Walk by faith not feelings Faith refuses to let fluctuating moods set the agenda for life. We choose truth over temptation to believe every thought or sensation. That choice invites the Spirit to shape our character and to produce lasting fruit. [25:29]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:41] - Opening prayer and petitions
[02:38] - Humor and introduction to wisdom
[05:02] - Proverbs and themes explained
[05:40] - Emotions as a God given gift
[09:02] - Why feelings mislead us
[14:50] - Identify and name feelings
[18:25] - Emotional triggers and childhood wounds
[22:56] - Channel emotions into worship
[25:11] - Surrender feelings to God
[30:46] - Fruit of the Spirit under pressure
[32:43] - Memorize Proverbs 3 5 and 6
[33:18] - Closing prayer and commitment
[38:56] - Final blessing and send off

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV)
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Observation Questions

What does Proverbs 3:5-6 instruct believers to do with their emotions and understanding? How does this contrast with relying on feelings?
The sermon described two extremes in handling emotions: emotionalism and stoicism. What characterizes each of these approaches? [08:31]
What metaphor does Proverbs 25:28 use to describe someone who lacks self-control, and why is this significant for managing emotions? [13:26]

Interpretation Questions

Why is naming specific emotions (e.g., anger, grief, loneliness) critical for healing and growth, according to the sermon? How does Psalm 42:5 model this? [15:12]
How does "walking by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7) challenge the idea of letting moods dictate decisions? What might this look like practically?
The sermon compares life’s pressures to an orange producing juice under pressure. What does this reveal about the purpose of trials in cultivating the fruit of the Spirit? [30:46]

Application Questions

Think of a recent situation where your emotions felt overwhelming. How could you apply the step of "naming" the root feeling (e.g., fear, grief) instead of reacting impulsively? [14:50]
What is one practical way to channel a recurring negative emotion (like fear or anger) into worship or service this week? For example, turning anxiety into prayer or sorrow into helping someone in need. [22:56]
When have you experienced a "spiritual funk" where feelings contradicted God’s truth? What specific truth from Scripture (e.g., Proverbs 3:5-6) could you rehearse in those moments? [12:16]
Identify a trigger (e.g., a memory, relationship, or circumstance) that often stirs unhelpful emotions. How could you bring this honestly to God and reframe it through His promises? [19:55]
The fruit of the Spirit grows under pressure. Which fruit (e.g., patience, peace) do you need most right now, and what daily habit could help you depend on the Spirit to cultivate it? [30:25]

Sermon Clips

46s

#JesusOnTheThrone

“Another thing why we need to have wisdom concerning our emotions is because God can't rule my life if my emotions are ruling my life. We want king Jesus on the throne of our hearts because he's he's the one who created us, who sustains us, who redeemed us. I want him ruling my heart, not my emotions. You feel me on that? Important. And lastly, if I want to manage my emotions, you know, wisely, why do I need to do that? Because if I don't manage them, we become vulnerable to attacks from the enemy. If I don't and you don't learn to manage your emotions, you become vulnerable to spiritual attacks from the evil one.”

49s

#EmotionsAreAGift

“But we're created in the image of God. God has emotions. God expresses emotions, but he's the only one who expresses emotions without sin, without doing that wrong. The ability to feel emotions is a gift from God, being created in the image of God. So emotions make us human. Learning to manage our emotions makes us like Jesus who perfectly managed his emotions. So there's two extremes when you think of emotions. There's emotionalism, which everything is about our feelings. Been around a toddler lately? Everything is about feelings, happy, sad, mad, whatever. It's just a rollercoaster ride with with toddlers.”

44s

#FeelingsAreUnreliable

“The first thing I would say is because our feelings are often unreliable. They're often unreliable. One moment, we're here, next moment, we're here. Something happens and our emotions just get all stirred up. Proverbs fourteen twelve, there is a way that seems right to a man or maybe feels right to a man, but its end is the way to death. Feelings are often wrong. They're often wrong. When I was in the ninth grade, I watched a Billy Graham crusade. That was in ninth grade. That was a long time ago. I watched a Billy Graham crusade. And as he gave the invitation to trust in Jesus, I did.”

45s

#EmotionsAreValid

“Do you feel me? We all do. Every single one of us needs to know how to manage our emotions regardless of how long we've lived or what season of life we're in. We tend to be too led by our emotions. And we let our emotions get the best of us in our relationships, in in our everyday life, and some of you when you drive. Just kidding. Well, not kidding, actually. Emotions in themselves are neither right nor wrong. Right? They are positive emotions that we experience, but there's also negative emotions that and I use the word negative in a loose sense because grief, sorrow, those are real emotions,”

34s

#RootCauseNotAnger

“So when you identify what you're feeling, go below the surface. For example, I'm angry. Okay? That's an easy one. I'm angry. Why are you angry? I'm angry. Why am I angry? You might be sad. You might be lonely. You might be hurt. You might be offended. Angry anger is a secondary emotion. It's not a primary emotion. It's comes from a root of something else that's going on in our life. So go below the surface.”

44s

#SabbathToRefuel

“What most people didn't know is that every Monday morning, Spurgeon would wake up depressed. He couldn't get out of bed. He's filled with anxiety. You probably can relate. You pour yourself out to serve to serve spiritually, and then all of a sudden, you're just your tank is empty. In modern vernacular, pastors call that Monday morning experience PMS, post ministry syndrome. You've poured yourself out on Sunday and if you don't have a time for a Sabbath or time to relax, it's easy to be be vulnerable to to those things.”

35s

#GriefCanReturn

“But about a month out, I would just wake up in the middle of the night and I'd go watch my kids sleep all creepy weird and watch them sleep. And just like, you know, I I I have this incredible feeling of sadness that would come over me. And this happened it got worse and worse every trip that I would go on, to where it literally incapacitated me. After I went from Denver to Chicago on a flight to London in the Chicago Airport, I was like, I can't do this. And the person I was with said, hey, if we need to go home, we'll go home. It was good to me.”

22s

#ChallengeYourFeelings

“How do we learn to manage our emotions? Identify what you're feeling and then challenge what you're feeling. Sometimes you gotta challenge what you're feeling. In Psalm 42 verse five, why my soul are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God for I will yet praise him,”

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[May 17, 2026] Wisdom and Emotions

Devotional

Day 1: Trust Beyond the Funk

Day 2: Wings After the Hit

Day 3: Naming the Night Watch

Day 4: Juice Under Pressure

Day 5: Fruit From the Roots

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

[May 17, 2026] Wisdom and Emotions

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