1 Kings 19:2-13 It’s okay to not be okay  Be gentle with yourself because God is gentle with you  Change the way we speak to ourselves  Listen for the whisper Romans 8, Matthew 28:20, Jeremiah 29:11, 1 Corinthians 15:57, John 14:27, Psalm 121, John 15:11, Nehemiah 8:10

 Fear - Sees a threat and reacts Anxiety - Imagines a threat and can’t move on  Underlying Causes of Anxiety  1. Change  2. Hurry  3. Personal Challenges  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.”  Counterweights for Anxiety  1. Celebrate the goodness of God  2. Ask for help  3. Leave your concerns  4. Meditate on good things  1 Peter 5:7 “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”  Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

Psalm 109:8-10 “May his days be few; may another take his place of leadership. May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow. May his children be wandering beggars; may they be driven from their ruined homes.”  Anger is not a sin  John 2:15-16 “So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables…’To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!’”  Matthew 5:21-22 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment.”  Ephesians 4:26 “In your anger do not sin.”  What do we do with anger so we can deal with it in a heathy, God-honoring way?  1. Redirect  2. Replenish  3. Release it  Romans 5:8 “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

 

 

Malachi 1:2 “’I have loved you,’” says the Lord. ‘But you ask, “How have you loved us?”’  Malachi 3:1 “I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty.”  God’s present to us, is His presence with us!  W – words of power I – interesting coincidences T – tangible evidence H - heart change

Hope can make us feel vulnerable when it comes to bigger things in life.  Goal: That we would experience a new sense of hope for our future.  Jeremiah 33:14-16 NLT “ ‘The day will come,’ says the Lord, ‘when I will do for Israel and Judah all the good things I have promised them. In those days and at that time I will raise up a righteous descendant from King David’s line. He will do what is just and right throughout the land. In that day Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this will be its name: “The Lord Is Our Righteousness.” Luke 2:6-7 “When they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son.” Jesus came as a baby to fulfill the prophecy of Jeremiah and rescue His people.  A RIGHTEOUS person is someone who lives completely RIGHT With God.  Corinthians 5:21 “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. “  “You stand before God as if you were Christ, because Christ stood before God as if He were you.” - Charles Spurgeon  This Hope for the future will transform our present.

Uncertainty often opens the door and in walks anxiety.  Isaiah 6:1-3 “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.’”  Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel.”  Isaiah 9:6 “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Micah 1:2-5 “Attention! Let all the people of the world listen! Let the earth and everything in it hear. The Sovereign Lord is making accusations against you; the Lord speaks from his holy Temple. Look! The Lord is coming! He leaves his throne in heaven and tramples the heights of the earth. The mountains melt beneath his feet and flow into the valleys like wax in a fire, like water pouring down a hill. And why is this happening? Because of the rebellion of Israel…”  Micah 4:3-5 “The Lord will mediate between peoples and will settle disputes between strong nations far away. They will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer fight against nation, nor train for war anymore. Everyone will live in peace and prosperity, enjoying their own grapevines and fig trees, for there will be nothing to fear. The Lord of Heaven’s Armies has made this promise! Though the nations around us follow their idols, we will follow the Lord our God forever and ever.”  Micah 5:2-5 “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel, whose origins are in the distant past, will come from you on my behalf. The people of Israel will be abandoned to their enemies until the woman in labor gives birth. Then at last his fellow countrymen will return from exile to their own land. And he will stand to lead his flock with the Lord’s strength, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. Then his people will live there undisturbed, for he will be highly honored around the world. And he will be the source of peace.”  Micah 7:7-8 “As for me, I look to the Lord for help. I wait confidently for God to save me, and my God will certainly hear me. Do not gloat over me, my enemies! For though I fall, I will rise again. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light.”  Colossians 3:14-16 “Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives.”

1 Timothy 4:12 “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.”  Steps to Move Beyond Success  1. Pause & Pray  2. Prioritize & Pray  3.  Persevere  Ephesians 5:15-17 “Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”