WEBVTT 00:00:07.900 --> 00:00:11.099 Hey guys, this is Tracy. If at any time you'd 00:00:11.099 --> 00:00:15.019 like to connect with HCV, go to hcv .church forward 00:00:15.019 --> 00:00:18.100 slash connect. If you feel called to give, go 00:00:18.100 --> 00:00:21.980 to hcv .church forward slash give. And if at 00:00:21.980 --> 00:00:23.920 any time you feel called to make a change in 00:00:23.920 --> 00:00:29.420 your life, text change me to 970 -00. Enjoy the 00:00:29.420 --> 00:01:16.430 message. Chris, wake up. Chris. Chris, we need 00:01:16.430 --> 00:01:23.450 you. Do you not care? What? Oh, sorry, everyone. 00:01:23.489 --> 00:01:28.670 I didn't get enough sleep last night. Imagine 00:01:28.670 --> 00:01:32.510 being in a small fishing boat in the middle of 00:01:32.510 --> 00:01:35.430 the night. The wind is howling. The waves are 00:01:35.430 --> 00:01:37.750 crashing over the sides. The boat is filling 00:01:37.750 --> 00:01:41.870 with water. Experienced fishermen are panicking. 00:01:43.909 --> 00:01:48.689 pillow, Jesus is sleeping. He's not resting with 00:01:48.689 --> 00:01:50.989 one eye open. He's not praying. He's not bracing 00:01:50.989 --> 00:01:54.969 himself against the storm. He is sleeping while 00:01:54.969 --> 00:01:59.290 the storm rages. See, this storm happened on 00:01:59.290 --> 00:02:02.890 the water, but some storms happen in our lives 00:02:02.890 --> 00:02:06.189 every day. Kind of like this short video of our 00:02:06.189 --> 00:02:35.370 current reality. Let's watch. In the storm on 00:02:35.370 --> 00:02:38.870 the Sea of Galilee, in the Gospel of Mark, the 00:02:38.870 --> 00:02:43.919 disciples saw waves. Wind and water filling their 00:02:43.919 --> 00:02:48.360 boat. They were in chaos. Kind of like that video 00:02:48.360 --> 00:02:51.819 we just watched. But see, Jesus saw something 00:02:51.819 --> 00:02:55.900 else. He knew the kingdom of heaven was here. 00:02:56.360 --> 00:02:58.960 He knew the boat was not going down. He knew 00:02:58.960 --> 00:03:03.960 his father was in control. That is why he could 00:03:03.960 --> 00:03:07.659 sleep on a pillow. See, quite often we exhaust 00:03:07.659 --> 00:03:10.780 ourselves trying to navigate the storms of life. 00:03:11.180 --> 00:03:13.879 in our own strength, when there is a kingdom 00:03:13.879 --> 00:03:17.680 of truth and rhythms of grace that Jesus is inviting 00:03:17.680 --> 00:03:21.620 us into. See, Jesus is trying to align us with 00:03:21.620 --> 00:03:24.539 grace and truth when it comes to a sound mind. 00:03:25.120 --> 00:03:29.139 We align ourselves. We agree with that truth 00:03:29.139 --> 00:03:33.060 when we read these verses in 2 Timothy 1 .7. 00:03:33.319 --> 00:03:38.520 For God has not given us a spirit of fear. Now, 00:03:38.539 --> 00:03:41.280 be honest. We might feel it. but it's not because 00:03:41.280 --> 00:03:45.159 it's from God, but of power and of love and of 00:03:45.159 --> 00:03:50.280 sound mind. Let's all say it again. A sound mind. 00:03:51.300 --> 00:03:54.080 See, when we say sound mind, we are agreeing 00:03:54.080 --> 00:03:58.379 by faith regardless of our current season or 00:03:58.379 --> 00:04:02.219 circumstances. See, a sound mind is not a place 00:04:02.219 --> 00:04:07.000 somewhere out there that we achieve. A sound 00:04:07.000 --> 00:04:10.879 mind is a promise from God. that we stand on 00:04:10.879 --> 00:04:14.759 right now. It's not a goal that we set that we 00:04:14.759 --> 00:04:19.779 get to. It's a gift that we simply receive. See, 00:04:19.879 --> 00:04:23.199 we agree with the truth that God has given us. 00:04:24.139 --> 00:04:28.279 And when we agree with that truth, then suddenly 00:04:28.279 --> 00:04:31.319 that spirit of fear or that spirit of anxiety 00:04:31.319 --> 00:04:35.160 or worry or hesitation or hopelessness or panic 00:04:35.160 --> 00:04:41.480 attacks can slowly go away. Unfortunately though, 00:04:41.519 --> 00:04:43.699 I believe the spirit of fear is the current state 00:04:43.699 --> 00:04:46.360 of many of us when it comes to our mental health. 00:04:47.199 --> 00:04:54.459 However, that pillow is a picture of trust. While 00:04:54.459 --> 00:04:56.680 there are days we are overwhelmed by what we 00:04:56.680 --> 00:05:01.279 see, Jesus rests in and he knows what is true. 00:05:02.160 --> 00:05:05.779 The one in the boat is greater than the storm. 00:05:06.480 --> 00:05:09.279 The one in the boat is greater than the storm. 00:05:09.769 --> 00:05:13.050 So good morning and welcome to HCV. If you're 00:05:13.050 --> 00:05:14.589 joining us from home, thank you for welcoming 00:05:14.589 --> 00:05:17.810 us into your space. We are now in week two of 00:05:17.810 --> 00:05:21.209 our series, Mind Field, that Rhett kicked off 00:05:21.209 --> 00:05:24.589 last week with a challenging talk on a scarcity 00:05:24.589 --> 00:05:28.930 mindset. As we go through this month -long mental 00:05:28.930 --> 00:05:32.350 health series, today we'll be discussing the 00:05:32.350 --> 00:05:36.709 storms of anxiety and depression that is rampant 00:05:36.709 --> 00:05:40.620 within our society. Let's open in prayer and 00:05:40.620 --> 00:05:44.379 ask the Spirit to come. Holy Spirit, come. God, 00:05:44.420 --> 00:05:46.459 we are grateful. We are thankful that you are 00:05:46.459 --> 00:05:50.060 here. God, we silence distractions in Jesus' 00:05:50.199 --> 00:05:54.319 name. And we invite you, God, to open our minds, 00:05:54.339 --> 00:05:57.399 our hearts, our ears, to receive your truth, 00:05:57.519 --> 00:06:00.959 God, to change us in Jesus' name. And we said 00:06:00.959 --> 00:06:04.819 together, all of that leads us to our first thought. 00:06:05.360 --> 00:06:11.329 See, anxiety is real. Anxiety is real. It's not 00:06:11.329 --> 00:06:15.269 imaginary. It's not a weakness. It's a real human 00:06:15.269 --> 00:06:18.449 experience that even those in a relationship 00:06:18.449 --> 00:06:21.089 with Jesus struggle with. How do I know that? 00:06:21.269 --> 00:06:24.589 Well, throughout scripture, we see people who 00:06:24.589 --> 00:06:29.550 love God yet still face anxiety and worry. We 00:06:29.550 --> 00:06:33.990 read this in Psalm 139 verse 23. Search me, O 00:06:33.990 --> 00:06:40.639 God. Know my heart. Test me and... Know my anxious 00:06:40.639 --> 00:06:44.740 thoughts. Know my anxious thoughts. Know my anxiety. 00:06:44.920 --> 00:06:48.160 Know my stress. And how do I know you have it? 00:06:48.259 --> 00:06:52.600 Well, according to the CDC, 50 % of all Americans 00:06:52.600 --> 00:06:55.800 at some point in our lives will be diagnosed 00:06:55.800 --> 00:06:59.100 professionally with a mental illness or disorder. 00:07:00.000 --> 00:07:03.629 50%. That's an alarming number, and that means 00:07:03.629 --> 00:07:07.310 that either you or someone that you love is being 00:07:07.310 --> 00:07:10.730 impacted by it right now. I mean, that's a huge 00:07:10.730 --> 00:07:14.189 percentage of our population. To take it a step 00:07:14.189 --> 00:07:16.430 further, new research has shown that younger 00:07:16.430 --> 00:07:20.850 people, late teens and 20s, show higher rates 00:07:20.850 --> 00:07:24.889 of anxiety. Researchers link this to social media 00:07:24.889 --> 00:07:28.050 pressure, school and career uncertainty, financial 00:07:28.050 --> 00:07:32.519 stress. and rapid social and technological change. 00:07:33.439 --> 00:07:35.899 Embrace yourself for this statistic, even a little 00:07:35.899 --> 00:07:41.759 younger. Every day in our country, 3 ,703 high 00:07:41.759 --> 00:07:45.220 schoolers attempt suicide. I mean, that's a whole 00:07:45.220 --> 00:07:48.519 generation that the enemy is just not trying 00:07:48.519 --> 00:07:51.759 to steal from, but is literally trying to kill. 00:07:53.579 --> 00:08:00.000 Anxiety is real. I mean, Jesus himself experienced 00:08:00.000 --> 00:08:02.439 gruesome and terrible things during his time 00:08:02.439 --> 00:08:05.519 while walking here on earth. Jesus was full of 00:08:05.519 --> 00:08:08.319 anxiety and sorrow when he asked his father in 00:08:08.319 --> 00:08:11.680 Matthew 26. He bowed with his face to the ground 00:08:11.680 --> 00:08:16.579 praying, My father, if it is possible, let this 00:08:16.579 --> 00:08:21.459 cup of suffering be taken away from me. And see, 00:08:21.519 --> 00:08:24.860 if Jesus experienced grief, anxiety, suffering, 00:08:25.079 --> 00:08:29.699 fear, pain, How can we say a follower of Jesus 00:08:29.699 --> 00:08:32.559 who is struggling with these same issues can 00:08:32.559 --> 00:08:36.059 be considered a lack of faith? See, unfortunately, 00:08:36.279 --> 00:08:38.759 within the church world, there are people out 00:08:38.759 --> 00:08:42.259 there that look at mental health issues as a 00:08:42.259 --> 00:08:45.399 stain, if you will. Oh, you shouldn't be depressed. 00:08:45.639 --> 00:08:47.860 You're in a relationship with Jesus. No, that's 00:08:47.860 --> 00:08:53.840 a lie. Anxiety is real. See, Jesus came to God 00:08:53.840 --> 00:08:57.460 amid that pain and was honest with him. which 00:08:57.460 --> 00:09:01.000 is exactly what we're called to do. 1 Peter 5, 00:09:01.100 --> 00:09:06.159 7 says, give all your worries, your anxiety, 00:09:06.259 --> 00:09:10.539 your stress, and cares to God, for he cares about 00:09:10.539 --> 00:09:13.820 you. See, when we give all our worries and our 00:09:13.820 --> 00:09:16.580 anxiety, then the Holy Spirit can work within 00:09:16.580 --> 00:09:22.100 us and begin to activate a sound mind. Friends, 00:09:22.139 --> 00:09:25.700 we are living in a new reality. A new reality 00:09:25.700 --> 00:09:30.220 full of anxiety, fear, storms raging all around 00:09:30.220 --> 00:09:35.120 us that are completely out of our control. When 00:09:35.120 --> 00:09:38.659 we activate a sound mind, we raise our confidence 00:09:38.659 --> 00:09:42.360 as Jesus followers to run this race to the other 00:09:42.360 --> 00:09:47.720 side that Jesus calls to every single day. Every 00:09:47.720 --> 00:09:50.500 single day we're to cross through to the other 00:09:50.500 --> 00:09:54.590 side. So we're going to dive in. To the gospel 00:09:54.590 --> 00:09:57.490 of Mark chapter 4 today. And we're going to look 00:09:57.490 --> 00:10:00.370 at this story of Jesus sleeping on a pillow. 00:10:00.549 --> 00:10:03.789 And we're going to use these steps to activate 00:10:03.789 --> 00:10:06.909 a sound mind within us. Which leads us to our 00:10:06.909 --> 00:10:09.529 first activation. Church, you have to realize 00:10:09.529 --> 00:10:16.450 you are not alone. We are not alone. Mark chapter 00:10:16.450 --> 00:10:21.009 4 verse 35. As evening came, Jesus said to his 00:10:21.009 --> 00:10:26.590 disciples. Let's cross. And when we read let's, 00:10:26.590 --> 00:10:31.470 that means let us. Let us cross to the other 00:10:31.470 --> 00:10:35.389 side of the lake. That means Jesus and the disciples. 00:10:35.850 --> 00:10:38.750 And see, whatever you are going through today, 00:10:38.889 --> 00:10:42.230 whatever you're going through right now, it is 00:10:42.230 --> 00:10:45.549 not your sentence. It's the season. And if you're 00:10:45.549 --> 00:10:48.529 currently struggling with a minefield of anxiety, 00:10:48.950 --> 00:10:52.360 God wants you to know this. Faith is not the 00:10:52.360 --> 00:10:56.580 absence of anxiety. It is choosing to trust Jesus 00:10:56.580 --> 00:11:00.059 in the middle of it. It's choosing to draw close 00:11:00.059 --> 00:11:03.340 to him and to continue on to the other side. 00:11:03.779 --> 00:11:08.159 See, a sound mind is a truth to agree with. It's 00:11:08.159 --> 00:11:11.899 a truth to align with. So let me speak this over 00:11:11.899 --> 00:11:17.779 you. A sound mind is louder than the enemy whispering 00:11:17.779 --> 00:11:22.470 in your ear. A sound mind silences the demons 00:11:22.470 --> 00:11:27.590 shouting in your face. Church, you are not alone. 00:11:28.750 --> 00:11:32.649 Jesus said, let us, let us. In other words, he's 00:11:32.649 --> 00:11:36.850 saying, I am with you. You are not alone. Isaiah 00:11:36.850 --> 00:11:40.990 41 .10 backs this up. Don't be afraid, for I 00:11:40.990 --> 00:11:43.440 am with you. Don't be discouraged for I'm your 00:11:43.440 --> 00:11:46.220 God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will 00:11:46.220 --> 00:11:50.059 hold you up with my victorious right hand. And 00:11:50.059 --> 00:11:52.279 notice what Jesus says to all of us in Matthew 00:11:52.279 --> 00:11:56.500 28, 20. And be sure of this. In other words, 00:11:56.500 --> 00:12:01.179 take it to the bank. I am with you always. He 00:12:01.179 --> 00:12:04.379 is with us always, even to the end of the age. 00:12:05.100 --> 00:12:07.779 And listen, let me say this. It's not only Jesus 00:12:07.779 --> 00:12:10.590 that's with you. Our community of faith wants 00:12:10.590 --> 00:12:14.210 to stand with you as well. We want to navigate 00:12:14.210 --> 00:12:16.850 the anxiety, the storms that you are currently 00:12:16.850 --> 00:12:20.649 walking through. Why is that important? Well, 00:12:20.690 --> 00:12:23.330 Pastor Erwin McManus says it this way about empathy. 00:12:24.149 --> 00:12:27.210 Empathy represents the highest level of human 00:12:27.210 --> 00:12:30.230 intelligence and is the ultimate expression of 00:12:30.230 --> 00:12:34.490 genius, surpassing traditional academic or intellectual 00:12:34.490 --> 00:12:38.299 brilliance. What is empathy? It's not just an 00:12:38.299 --> 00:12:41.539 emotion. It's a profound intellectual capacity 00:12:41.539 --> 00:12:46.259 to see life from another's perspective. To understand 00:12:46.259 --> 00:12:50.039 what they are going through. And I'm telling 00:12:50.039 --> 00:12:55.220 you this today. Your storm can become your story 00:12:55.220 --> 00:12:58.059 that will one day be a part of someone else's 00:12:58.059 --> 00:13:03.840 survival kit. Your storm can become your story 00:13:03.840 --> 00:13:07.759 that helps someone else survive and make it through 00:13:07.759 --> 00:13:12.879 life. We need your story, but I want to encourage 00:13:12.879 --> 00:13:16.200 you. You have to endure. You have to get connected. 00:13:16.480 --> 00:13:20.120 You can't just walk through life isolated and 00:13:20.120 --> 00:13:21.980 alone and have a sound mind. Did everyone hear 00:13:21.980 --> 00:13:25.179 that? You need encouragement. You need people 00:13:25.179 --> 00:13:29.460 to stand with you. See, those two issues, isolation 00:13:29.460 --> 00:13:33.039 and a sound mind, are incompatible with one another. 00:13:33.610 --> 00:13:37.529 We have to be connected into a community. You 00:13:37.529 --> 00:13:40.549 heard Rudy say that today is team up Sunday. 00:13:40.690 --> 00:13:42.490 What is that? Well, every second Sunday of the 00:13:42.490 --> 00:13:45.370 month, we encourage you, get on a team. Because 00:13:45.370 --> 00:13:47.929 we desire people within our community of faith 00:13:47.929 --> 00:13:52.110 to actively connect, serve, and plant yourself 00:13:52.110 --> 00:13:56.289 here. There's so much more than walking in and 00:13:56.289 --> 00:13:58.570 out of here on a Sunday morning. Listen, walking 00:13:58.570 --> 00:14:00.549 in and out of here on a Sunday morning is not 00:14:00.549 --> 00:14:02.669 going to church. God wants us to be the church. 00:14:03.259 --> 00:14:06.179 And being the church happens Monday through Saturday 00:14:06.179 --> 00:14:08.659 when we're supporting one another, encouraging 00:14:08.659 --> 00:14:12.399 one another, and changing the world. The Bible 00:14:12.399 --> 00:14:16.120 tells us that we need to be connected and planted 00:14:16.120 --> 00:14:20.700 within a community of faith because that's when 00:14:20.700 --> 00:14:25.220 our fruit begins to grow. And if your mind is 00:14:25.220 --> 00:14:28.340 overwhelming you right now, listen to me. You 00:14:28.340 --> 00:14:31.580 are not alone. There's people all around you. 00:14:31.620 --> 00:14:35.460 Jesus is with you. And just like spring comes 00:14:35.460 --> 00:14:39.220 after winter every single year, though it seems 00:14:39.220 --> 00:14:41.080 to be procrastinating in the tri -state area 00:14:41.080 --> 00:14:45.399 this year, spring will always come after winter. 00:14:46.860 --> 00:14:49.960 Storms are dark, but none of them are permanent. 00:14:50.620 --> 00:14:55.200 We have to keep pursuing Jesus. We have to keep 00:14:55.200 --> 00:14:58.889 living in Jesus' name. I mean, think about this 00:14:58.889 --> 00:15:01.450 story that we're reading about. It doesn't even 00:15:01.450 --> 00:15:03.990 begin in daylight. It doesn't begin in the morning. 00:15:04.049 --> 00:15:06.429 It begins in the evening as it's getting dark 00:15:06.429 --> 00:15:10.029 and then darker. And Jesus is encouraging us 00:15:10.029 --> 00:15:12.429 in the midst of that darkness, keep paddling, 00:15:12.649 --> 00:15:17.669 keep pushing. And I get it. Pain has a way of 00:15:17.669 --> 00:15:19.950 feeling permanent, but keep pushing through. 00:15:21.009 --> 00:15:24.470 Anxiety feels like it can be debilitating and 00:15:24.470 --> 00:15:27.399 make you pull back. But I want to encourage you, 00:15:27.419 --> 00:15:31.539 look up. There never has been a night that a 00:15:31.539 --> 00:15:35.000 sunrise hasn't conquered. And now we can see 00:15:35.000 --> 00:15:38.600 the sunrise early every morning and grab a hold 00:15:38.600 --> 00:15:42.519 of the reality that we are not alone. Which leads 00:15:42.519 --> 00:15:45.519 us to our second activation. See, church, we 00:15:45.519 --> 00:15:49.000 would worry less if we had less to worry about. 00:15:50.019 --> 00:15:53.549 We would worry less. If we had less to worry 00:15:53.549 --> 00:15:57.309 about, Mark 4, 36 -37. So they took Jesus in 00:15:57.309 --> 00:16:00.029 the boat and started out leaving the crowds behind, 00:16:00.169 --> 00:16:03.889 although other boats followed. But soon, a fierce 00:16:03.889 --> 00:16:06.090 storm came up. High waves were breaking into 00:16:06.090 --> 00:16:10.029 the boat, and it began to fill with water. Truth. 00:16:10.289 --> 00:16:15.230 We are surrounded by storms in this world. It's 00:16:15.230 --> 00:16:19.330 the truth. We saw it in the video. But I wonder... 00:16:19.759 --> 00:16:22.360 Are we letting unnecessary waves of worry and 00:16:22.360 --> 00:16:26.220 anxiety into our boats? Waves that God says, 00:16:26.399 --> 00:16:30.980 I never asked you to let that in your boat. I 00:16:30.980 --> 00:16:33.360 mean, if we're constantly scrolling and scrolling 00:16:33.360 --> 00:16:36.720 and scrolling and reading the news and the tragedies 00:16:36.720 --> 00:16:38.860 and the war and the chaos and the bombings and 00:16:38.860 --> 00:16:43.220 the murder, more, more, more. Our minds and our 00:16:43.220 --> 00:16:47.110 bodies. Begin to fill up with waves and waves 00:16:47.110 --> 00:16:50.610 of worry, doubt, frustration, and anxiety in 00:16:50.610 --> 00:16:54.710 this world. What is true about our body is also 00:16:54.710 --> 00:16:59.909 true about our minds. We are what we eat. So 00:16:59.909 --> 00:17:02.710 the life that comes out of you tomorrow will 00:17:02.710 --> 00:17:05.990 be made up of the content that you put in your 00:17:05.990 --> 00:17:09.829 mind today. So if you're binge watching The Last 00:17:09.829 --> 00:17:14.369 of Us today, chances are tomorrow the life that's 00:17:14.369 --> 00:17:17.089 coming out of you is probably a little more fearful, 00:17:17.309 --> 00:17:21.710 downcast, depressed, and negative. If every day 00:17:21.710 --> 00:17:24.349 there is more than an hour or two of endless 00:17:24.349 --> 00:17:27.710 scrolling on social media, it's not rocket science 00:17:27.710 --> 00:17:30.029 to understand that the life coming out of you 00:17:30.029 --> 00:17:33.869 is one of comparison, which steals your joy in 00:17:33.869 --> 00:17:37.190 the process. See, the life that comes out of 00:17:37.190 --> 00:17:41.900 us is made up of the content we put in. And here's 00:17:41.900 --> 00:17:45.400 the reality. It might not even be sinful stuff 00:17:45.400 --> 00:17:48.900 that we're taking in. Hebrews 12 .1 tells us, 00:17:49.099 --> 00:17:52.180 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a 00:17:52.180 --> 00:17:54.220 huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, 00:17:54.519 --> 00:17:58.059 let us strip off every weight that slows us down, 00:17:58.240 --> 00:18:01.279 especially the sin that so easily trips us up. 00:18:01.359 --> 00:18:04.700 And notice, notice that the author first starts 00:18:04.700 --> 00:18:09.259 with every weight. He's not talking about sinful 00:18:09.259 --> 00:18:12.349 practices. He's just talking about those things 00:18:12.349 --> 00:18:15.710 that may not be sinful that steal our time and 00:18:15.710 --> 00:18:19.049 our joy and our energy. So the content that you 00:18:19.049 --> 00:18:23.410 are taking in may not be sinful. In fact, it 00:18:23.410 --> 00:18:27.930 might be common or normal. But in 2026, the last 00:18:27.930 --> 00:18:30.829 thing you want to be is normal. Do you want to 00:18:30.829 --> 00:18:33.349 hear what's normal in our society? Addiction 00:18:33.349 --> 00:18:37.329 is normal. Panic attacks, normal. Restlessness, 00:18:37.609 --> 00:18:41.269 rage, unhappiness, all normal. Stress and anxiety, 00:18:41.630 --> 00:18:44.990 normal. I mean, I don't know about you, but you 00:18:44.990 --> 00:18:46.730 can't tell me you want to be normal right now. 00:18:47.970 --> 00:18:52.750 And I wonder if our boats are feeling swamped 00:18:52.750 --> 00:18:55.869 right now because we're all on information overload. 00:18:56.829 --> 00:18:59.730 See, we know way too much about what is happening 00:18:59.730 --> 00:19:03.910 in this world right now in real time, and we're 00:19:03.910 --> 00:19:05.690 not even designed to handle that information. 00:19:07.029 --> 00:19:09.369 See, there's this thing known as knowledge velocity. 00:19:10.389 --> 00:19:13.650 Knowledge velocity is the amount of time it takes 00:19:13.650 --> 00:19:16.529 for all the knowledge in the known world to double. 00:19:18.170 --> 00:19:21.349 Now, in years prior, it used to take about 20 00:19:21.349 --> 00:19:26.029 years to double. Fast forward to today, sociologists 00:19:26.029 --> 00:19:31.210 suggest that it now doubles in one day. And listen, 00:19:31.369 --> 00:19:33.309 I don't even know how that's possible. I just 00:19:33.309 --> 00:19:39.160 read it. But one thing I know. The graph of knowledge 00:19:39.160 --> 00:19:43.740 velocity Increasing looks very similar to the 00:19:43.740 --> 00:19:46.640 graph of anxiety velocity in our current culture 00:19:46.640 --> 00:19:51.539 and that's normal Then we ignore that inner turmoil 00:19:51.539 --> 00:19:54.700 That anxiety if you will you know what anxiety 00:19:54.700 --> 00:19:59.720 is it's alarms going off within us Which creates 00:19:59.720 --> 00:20:03.519 more minefields? Because because our bodies telling 00:20:03.519 --> 00:20:06.799 us stop focusing on it stop thinking about it. 00:20:06.880 --> 00:20:09.859 But when then we focus on all these storms, our 00:20:09.859 --> 00:20:13.660 body begins to lose control. And the crazy thing 00:20:13.660 --> 00:20:16.140 is all the storms that we watch and read about, 00:20:16.200 --> 00:20:18.940 we have no control over them. Yet it impacts 00:20:18.940 --> 00:20:21.579 how we live, how we think, how we post, how we 00:20:21.579 --> 00:20:24.099 serve, how we love. And then we get into arguments 00:20:24.099 --> 00:20:26.599 and fights and point fingers for no reason. We 00:20:26.599 --> 00:20:31.440 can't control it. I wonder if the reason we have 00:20:31.440 --> 00:20:34.319 so many storms in our minds It's because we know 00:20:34.319 --> 00:20:38.640 about every storm in the world. I wonder if the 00:20:38.640 --> 00:20:41.700 reason we are anxious is because we are aware 00:20:41.700 --> 00:20:44.079 of every reason on the planet that we should 00:20:44.079 --> 00:20:47.920 be when we shouldn't be. We would worry less 00:20:47.920 --> 00:20:52.700 if we had less to worry about. And King David 00:20:52.700 --> 00:20:55.500 supports this thought. He writes this in Psalm 00:20:55.500 --> 00:20:58.819 131 verse 1. Lord, my heart is not proud. My 00:20:58.819 --> 00:21:02.460 eyes are not awed. I don't concern myself with 00:21:02.460 --> 00:21:05.440 matters too great or too awesome for me to grasp. 00:21:06.319 --> 00:21:09.160 Now think about it. This is a king writing this 00:21:09.160 --> 00:21:12.640 truth. David was a man before his time. Yes, 00:21:12.700 --> 00:21:15.559 he lived before the iPhone. But remember, he 00:21:15.559 --> 00:21:19.859 was king. So just like you and me, he had unlimited 00:21:19.859 --> 00:21:24.099 access to all the info in the known world. But 00:21:24.099 --> 00:21:27.579 notice what he did. He limited what he took in. 00:21:28.430 --> 00:21:31.509 He said, I don't concern myself with matters 00:21:31.509 --> 00:21:37.130 too great. Translation, I'm not God. I'm giving 00:21:37.130 --> 00:21:40.230 it to him. And when the temptation comes into 00:21:40.230 --> 00:21:43.190 your mind to be the God of your own life, I want 00:21:43.190 --> 00:21:45.789 to let you know, we can't carry the weight of 00:21:45.789 --> 00:21:48.529 the world on our shoulders. Because not only 00:21:48.529 --> 00:21:50.769 is it the weight of the world on our shoulders, 00:21:50.970 --> 00:21:52.930 but then we got everybody else's interpretations, 00:21:53.210 --> 00:21:56.940 opinions, and comments. That just makes our brain 00:21:56.940 --> 00:22:03.319 go to complete overload. Our minds are on information 00:22:03.319 --> 00:22:06.859 overload. Right? We're on information overload. 00:22:06.880 --> 00:22:08.359 We're stressed. We're worried. Then we're like, 00:22:08.420 --> 00:22:12.140 God, God, give me peace. Give me joy in the midst 00:22:12.140 --> 00:22:14.720 of this. And God's yelling back at us. I'm trying 00:22:14.720 --> 00:22:20.079 to, Chris, but there's no room to put it. And 00:22:20.079 --> 00:22:24.509 we laugh. But it's true. Because our minds are 00:22:24.509 --> 00:22:27.150 overwhelmed with all the unnecessary waves of 00:22:27.150 --> 00:22:29.829 worry and anxiety that we're allowing into the 00:22:29.829 --> 00:22:34.869 boats. And here's the truth. We have the authority 00:22:34.869 --> 00:22:39.029 to take ownership over that mind. And we have 00:22:39.029 --> 00:22:44.210 to trust that God is in control. Anxiety is simply 00:22:44.210 --> 00:22:48.130 our body telling us, hey, Jesus follower, it's 00:22:48.130 --> 00:22:52.210 time to pray. Philippians 4, 6 through 7, don't. 00:22:52.410 --> 00:22:54.549 Worry about anything. Instead, pray about everything. 00:22:55.109 --> 00:22:57.210 Tell God what you need. Thank him for what he's 00:22:57.210 --> 00:23:02.230 done. Then, then, then you experience God's peace, 00:23:02.490 --> 00:23:04.950 which exceeds anything we can understand. His 00:23:04.950 --> 00:23:06.690 peace will guard our hearts and minds as you 00:23:06.690 --> 00:23:11.890 live in Christ Jesus. Listen, it's not possible 00:23:11.890 --> 00:23:15.450 to continue to worry and call it prayer. No, 00:23:15.569 --> 00:23:18.809 you've got to pray and believe that God will 00:23:18.809 --> 00:23:23.880 calm the storms. And as we offload the anxiety, 00:23:24.099 --> 00:23:27.380 the worry, the information, we just learned his 00:23:27.380 --> 00:23:32.079 peace will guard our hearts and our minds, which 00:23:32.079 --> 00:23:35.539 means we will then walk in and activate a sound 00:23:35.539 --> 00:23:39.019 mind through Christ Jesus, which leads us to 00:23:39.019 --> 00:23:43.140 our third activation. A sound mind is a promise 00:23:43.140 --> 00:23:48.039 we practice. We've got to practice a sound mind. 00:23:48.099 --> 00:23:51.720 Mark 4, 38 to 39, Jesus. was sleeping at the 00:23:51.720 --> 00:23:54.180 back of the boat with his head on a cushion. 00:23:54.240 --> 00:23:56.440 And please understand, scholars, when they're 00:23:56.440 --> 00:23:59.619 interpreting the Gospel of Mark, have said that 00:23:59.619 --> 00:24:03.279 that means Jesus was asleep at the stern or where 00:24:03.279 --> 00:24:08.799 the captain of the boat would have sat. The disciples 00:24:08.799 --> 00:24:11.799 woke him up shouting, Teacher, don't you care 00:24:11.799 --> 00:24:16.099 that we're going to drown? And I find this interesting. 00:24:16.259 --> 00:24:18.339 It says the disciples woke him up, but then it 00:24:18.339 --> 00:24:22.099 says, when Jesus woke up. Which means he didn't 00:24:22.099 --> 00:24:25.559 wake up when they first called. He took his time. 00:24:26.920 --> 00:24:29.980 When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said 00:24:29.980 --> 00:24:32.000 to the waves, silence, be still. Suddenly the 00:24:32.000 --> 00:24:35.839 wind stopped and there was a great calm. And 00:24:35.839 --> 00:24:40.240 we read that and we don't really realize the 00:24:40.240 --> 00:24:43.799 power of it. Jesus just spoke to a storm and 00:24:43.799 --> 00:24:47.579 it listened. Now there's a lot of smart people 00:24:47.579 --> 00:24:49.380 in our world with a lot of power and a lot of 00:24:49.380 --> 00:24:54.910 money. Nobody can do that. Not one person. The 00:24:54.910 --> 00:24:58.950 weather may be sunny or cloudy tomorrow. None 00:24:58.950 --> 00:25:02.230 of us really get a vote. Some professionals believe 00:25:02.230 --> 00:25:05.930 they know, and half the time they don't. But 00:25:05.930 --> 00:25:11.569 Jesus does. He has all the authority. And that 00:25:11.569 --> 00:25:14.890 is why he chose to sleep. See, Jesus is showing 00:25:14.890 --> 00:25:20.000 us, I'm in control of this storm. And why is 00:25:20.000 --> 00:25:22.680 he in control? Because he has all the authority. 00:25:22.759 --> 00:25:26.160 Matthew 28, 18. Jesus came and told his disciples, 00:25:26.440 --> 00:25:32.359 I have been given all authority in heaven and 00:25:32.359 --> 00:25:35.680 on earth. And by the way, when Jesus shares that 00:25:35.680 --> 00:25:39.859 with us, that means he's giving us some of that 00:25:39.859 --> 00:25:43.680 same authority. See, we have God given authority. 00:25:44.740 --> 00:25:47.559 Therefore, we have been given the authority over 00:25:47.559 --> 00:25:50.839 the six inches of space between our ears. See, 00:25:50.900 --> 00:25:54.920 we have authority over this thing. We can take 00:25:54.920 --> 00:25:59.779 control of the anxiety. And we can speak to the 00:25:59.779 --> 00:26:03.160 anxiety. At the same time, we can talk ourselves 00:26:03.160 --> 00:26:07.039 into anxiety. And if we can talk ourselves into 00:26:07.039 --> 00:26:09.720 anxiety, then we can sing ourselves to a sound 00:26:09.720 --> 00:26:15.740 mind. We have the authority over our minds. Therefore, 00:26:15.839 --> 00:26:18.180 we need to speak to that anxiety, to that fear 00:26:18.180 --> 00:26:21.420 in Jesus' name. See, living with a sound mind 00:26:21.420 --> 00:26:24.880 is a promise we practice. And just like Jesus 00:26:24.880 --> 00:26:26.980 stood with authority at the front of the boat, 00:26:27.039 --> 00:26:28.319 what did he do? He stood at the front of the 00:26:28.319 --> 00:26:32.000 boat, be still. God has given us the same ability 00:26:32.000 --> 00:26:34.200 to stand with authority over our minds, over 00:26:34.200 --> 00:26:37.099 our thoughts, and over our actions. Practically 00:26:37.099 --> 00:26:39.980 speaking, having a sound mind is taking care 00:26:39.980 --> 00:26:42.690 of the brain we have been given. We have got 00:26:42.690 --> 00:26:45.509 to take care of this thing. I mean, think about 00:26:45.509 --> 00:26:48.910 it, church. There's a little irony to eating 00:26:48.910 --> 00:26:52.109 nothing but processed foods, fast foods, never 00:26:52.109 --> 00:26:54.750 reading, never exercising, gossiping, scrolling, 00:26:55.130 --> 00:26:57.829 binge -watching, smoking, and then, hey, God, 00:26:57.910 --> 00:27:04.369 I need a sound mind. Like, that's not a good 00:27:04.369 --> 00:27:08.029 prayer. That's not even a spiritual problem. 00:27:08.690 --> 00:27:12.039 That's a physical one. And it all goes back to 00:27:12.039 --> 00:27:15.980 what? Our decisions and our habits. See, God 00:27:15.980 --> 00:27:18.859 gave us a brain and we need to take care of it. 00:27:19.039 --> 00:27:21.460 We need to protect it. We need to nourish it. 00:27:22.180 --> 00:27:26.480 Medically speaking, do you know how much easier 00:27:26.480 --> 00:27:29.640 of a time we'll have attacking anxiety and fear 00:27:29.640 --> 00:27:33.660 if we simply exercise daily? I mean, just take 00:27:33.660 --> 00:27:37.920 a walk. Like you can get outside and take a walk. 00:27:38.569 --> 00:27:40.390 Right? If you're in a relationship with Jesus, 00:27:40.529 --> 00:27:43.470 you need prayer and a Peloton. I mean, just mix 00:27:43.470 --> 00:27:48.890 them together. Because that's how we care for 00:27:48.890 --> 00:27:52.589 what God has given us. Did you know that in the 00:27:52.589 --> 00:27:55.450 front of your brain, there's this thing called 00:27:55.450 --> 00:28:01.349 the prefrontal cortex, the PFC. This is designed 00:28:01.349 --> 00:28:04.970 by God and gives us the authority over our minds 00:28:04.970 --> 00:28:10.400 to make decisions. See, the PFC allows us to 00:28:10.400 --> 00:28:14.339 think about what we think about. Have you ever 00:28:14.339 --> 00:28:17.039 thought about that? Like there's this thing in 00:28:17.039 --> 00:28:19.039 our brain that allows us to think about what 00:28:19.039 --> 00:28:24.160 we think about. And that is how we now, as followers 00:28:24.160 --> 00:28:27.440 of Jesus, have the ability to take every thought 00:28:27.440 --> 00:28:33.140 captive. And here's the crazy thing. And we overlook 00:28:33.140 --> 00:28:36.500 this truth. God wouldn't tell us to do something. 00:28:37.000 --> 00:28:40.200 if he didn't give us the tools to do it. The 00:28:40.200 --> 00:28:44.579 PFC makes Romans 12 too possible. Don't copy 00:28:44.579 --> 00:28:47.359 the behavior and customs of this world, but let 00:28:47.359 --> 00:28:49.680 God transform you into a new person by what? 00:28:50.200 --> 00:28:54.619 Changing the way you think. Then you will learn 00:28:54.619 --> 00:28:56.359 to know God's will for you, which is good and 00:28:56.359 --> 00:29:00.420 pleasing and perfect. See, it's amazing that 00:29:00.420 --> 00:29:04.180 scripture... Written more than 2 ,000 years ago, 00:29:04.380 --> 00:29:07.019 neuroscience is now starting to prove it today. 00:29:07.920 --> 00:29:14.240 We have a sound mind. Or, as the New Living Translation 00:29:14.240 --> 00:29:17.839 puts it, 2 Timothy 1 .7, self -discipline. For 00:29:17.839 --> 00:29:20.039 God has not given us the spirit of fear and timidity, 00:29:20.180 --> 00:29:24.539 but of love, power, and self -discipline. And 00:29:24.539 --> 00:29:28.119 notice, that's scripture right there. That's 00:29:28.119 --> 00:29:32.569 not a prayer. Nowhere in those verses does it 00:29:32.569 --> 00:29:37.289 say, pray for self -discipline. Pray for a sound 00:29:37.289 --> 00:29:41.230 mind. No, it's an agreement. It doesn't tell 00:29:41.230 --> 00:29:43.670 us to pray for a sound mind. It says, declare 00:29:43.670 --> 00:29:49.150 you have a sound mind over yourself. I have been 00:29:49.150 --> 00:29:52.309 given a sound mind. And I want to challenge you 00:29:52.309 --> 00:29:55.269 this week. When anxiety, when fear begins to 00:29:55.269 --> 00:29:59.089 grip you, no, speak to it in Jesus' name. You 00:29:59.089 --> 00:30:03.210 have the authority. And that is why anxiety and 00:30:03.210 --> 00:30:05.230 depression is not comfortable for us. It makes 00:30:05.230 --> 00:30:07.769 us uncomfortable. Because God has already given 00:30:07.769 --> 00:30:09.990 us a sound mind. And we're trying to figure out 00:30:09.990 --> 00:30:12.130 why our heart's racing. You know, why we're getting 00:30:12.130 --> 00:30:13.710 overwhelmed. We feel like just a panic attack. 00:30:13.869 --> 00:30:17.150 God's put a sound mind in your brain. And he 00:30:17.150 --> 00:30:20.549 wants you to activate it. Don't pray for a sound 00:30:20.549 --> 00:30:23.970 mind. Don't pray for something that could happen 00:30:23.970 --> 00:30:27.470 tomorrow. Simply realize a sound mind is a promise 00:30:27.470 --> 00:30:30.539 from God. that you've already been given. And 00:30:30.539 --> 00:30:33.279 we just need to simply agree with it and activate 00:30:33.279 --> 00:30:37.920 it today. Remember, anxiety is a pattern of the 00:30:37.920 --> 00:30:42.059 world. A sound mind is a pattern and a promise 00:30:42.059 --> 00:30:45.500 of the kingdom of God. It's the fruit of agreeing 00:30:45.500 --> 00:30:48.980 with truth, which leads us to our fourth activation. 00:30:49.059 --> 00:30:51.000 And this is going to be freedom for some of you. 00:30:51.619 --> 00:30:57.700 It's okay to not be okay. Like, Take your mask 00:30:57.700 --> 00:31:03.200 off. It's okay to not be okay. Mark 4, 40 to 00:31:03.200 --> 00:31:06.799 41. Then he asked them, you know, you just see 00:31:06.799 --> 00:31:10.980 Jesus in the boat. Why are you so afraid? Do 00:31:10.980 --> 00:31:14.279 you have no faith? And notice the disciples' 00:31:14.539 --> 00:31:17.200 response. They were terrified. Who is this man? 00:31:17.359 --> 00:31:19.799 They asked each other. Even the wind and the 00:31:19.799 --> 00:31:22.900 waves obey him. I mean, God is so in control 00:31:22.900 --> 00:31:27.420 that God is okay. even when the disciples weren't. 00:31:28.799 --> 00:31:32.039 That's good news for us. It's good news because 00:31:32.039 --> 00:31:34.500 it's okay to not be okay, and that is the truth 00:31:34.500 --> 00:31:38.740 of the kingdom of God. There is no shame in anxiety. 00:31:39.039 --> 00:31:42.220 There is no stigma with depression. Not in the 00:31:42.220 --> 00:31:45.740 kingdom of God. I want you to know there are 00:31:45.740 --> 00:31:48.539 no second -class citizens in our community of 00:31:48.539 --> 00:31:51.579 faith. God loves you just the way you walked 00:31:51.579 --> 00:31:59.309 into this building. And listen, God is not more 00:31:59.309 --> 00:32:01.750 in love with the future you who has it all together. 00:32:03.289 --> 00:32:07.150 He loves you just the same right now today. Your 00:32:07.150 --> 00:32:10.289 past mistakes don't disqualify you from the plans 00:32:10.289 --> 00:32:14.250 God has on your life today. That incident is 00:32:14.250 --> 00:32:17.910 not your identity. You are not damaged goods. 00:32:18.730 --> 00:32:23.230 It doesn't define who you are. It's okay to not 00:32:23.230 --> 00:32:26.299 be okay. And some of you are thinking, well, 00:32:26.339 --> 00:32:29.500 Chris, how can you prove that to me? Abraham 00:32:29.500 --> 00:32:33.160 was too old. Josiah was too young. Noah had a 00:32:33.160 --> 00:32:36.500 drinking problem. Moses killed a dude. Adam and 00:32:36.500 --> 00:32:39.400 Eve ruined everything. Jacob was a liar. Gideon 00:32:39.400 --> 00:32:42.000 was afraid. David was an adulterer and a murderer. 00:32:42.339 --> 00:32:45.619 Solomon was spoiled. Samson was a flirt, to put 00:32:45.619 --> 00:32:49.299 it modestly. Rahab was a prostitute. So was Mary 00:32:49.299 --> 00:32:52.700 Magdalene. Jonah ran away. Peter denied. Thomas 00:32:52.700 --> 00:32:56.099 doubted. Paul persecuted the church. I was an 00:32:56.099 --> 00:32:59.539 addict. Rudy was a womanizer. And the list goes 00:32:59.539 --> 00:33:05.210 on and on and on. See, not only does God love 00:33:05.210 --> 00:33:11.130 us, but he uses us to advance his kingdom. Some 00:33:11.130 --> 00:33:14.710 of you need to hear this. It's okay to not be 00:33:14.710 --> 00:33:18.349 okay. And you think, well, how do I find comfort 00:33:18.349 --> 00:33:22.990 in that? Jesus was sleeping on a pillow in the 00:33:22.990 --> 00:33:27.470 stern of the boat. I mean, remember, Jesus promised 00:33:27.470 --> 00:33:29.470 that we would have trouble in this world. John 00:33:29.470 --> 00:33:32.349 16, 33, I've told you all this so that you have 00:33:32.349 --> 00:33:34.609 peace in me. See, that's not anxiety. He says, 00:33:34.690 --> 00:33:36.470 I didn't tell you all this to fill your minds 00:33:36.470 --> 00:33:38.569 with anxiety. Here on earth, you're going to 00:33:38.569 --> 00:33:40.369 have trials and sorrows, but take heart, I've 00:33:40.369 --> 00:33:44.569 overcome the world. See, we need to stop making 00:33:44.569 --> 00:33:46.410 a relationship with Jesus harder than what it 00:33:46.410 --> 00:33:49.349 has to be. Stop doing it in your own strength. 00:33:50.109 --> 00:33:53.549 Rely on the power and the presence of God. See, 00:33:53.589 --> 00:33:56.549 Jesus is inviting us to realize that we're not 00:33:56.549 --> 00:33:58.309 going to have it all together in this world. 00:33:58.450 --> 00:34:01.769 We're just not. Have a little grace for yourself. 00:34:02.450 --> 00:34:06.309 Stop trying to be perfect. He desires that we 00:34:06.309 --> 00:34:10.429 become to a place of freedom and lightness. Matthew 00:34:10.429 --> 00:34:14.369 11, 30. For my yoke is easy to bear and the burden 00:34:14.369 --> 00:34:19.550 I give you is light. See, the power of the gospel. 00:34:21.460 --> 00:34:25.360 That's good news of God's love for you and for 00:34:25.360 --> 00:34:29.059 me. Extend some grace to yourself and push on 00:34:29.059 --> 00:34:31.840 to the other side, which leads us to our fifth 00:34:31.840 --> 00:34:36.420 and final activation. Get in the game. Get in 00:34:36.420 --> 00:34:40.920 the game. Luke 11, 13. So if you sinful people 00:34:40.920 --> 00:34:43.280 know how to give good gifts to your children, 00:34:43.340 --> 00:34:45.159 how much more will your heavenly father give 00:34:45.159 --> 00:34:47.639 the Holy Spirit to those who ask him? And see, 00:34:47.679 --> 00:34:51.579 I use this scripture reference. Last Sunday in 00:34:51.579 --> 00:34:55.579 the last week of our Holy Spirit class. And I 00:34:55.579 --> 00:34:58.760 want you to notice what it says here. How much 00:34:58.760 --> 00:35:03.739 more? How much more will God give us what we 00:35:03.739 --> 00:35:08.079 need? God will give us more than we need. He 00:35:08.079 --> 00:35:11.059 releases gifts into us, even in the midst of 00:35:11.059 --> 00:35:13.679 trials and anxiety and storms. But we need to 00:35:13.679 --> 00:35:17.380 activate them. We need to be walking in what 00:35:17.380 --> 00:35:20.800 God has given us. And as we walk in those giftings, 00:35:20.800 --> 00:35:23.719 as we serve others and love on others, he transforms 00:35:23.719 --> 00:35:28.139 the way we think. Now, in my own life, on Thursday, 00:35:28.320 --> 00:35:31.239 I was working through this outline, preparing 00:35:31.239 --> 00:35:35.280 for it. And everything built up to this point 00:35:35.280 --> 00:35:38.599 where I was outside in the evening taking trash 00:35:38.599 --> 00:35:42.599 out. It was, of course, rainy. Phoenix was out 00:35:42.599 --> 00:35:45.440 getting a drink for his sister. And, of course, 00:35:45.500 --> 00:35:48.400 he sprints back inside. As he sprints back inside, 00:35:48.800 --> 00:35:52.159 he slips on some slate, comes right down on his 00:35:52.159 --> 00:35:56.300 arm, screams a sheer shriek, gets up holding 00:35:56.300 --> 00:36:02.980 his arm. And in my mind, in my mind, I said, 00:36:03.059 --> 00:36:08.719 it's broke. He just broke his arm. I gathered 00:36:08.719 --> 00:36:12.599 him up, took him inside. gave him the jest, and 00:36:12.599 --> 00:36:17.579 just walked away and said, I am done. I mean, 00:36:17.599 --> 00:36:21.760 our family has been going through it. Sickness, 00:36:21.880 --> 00:36:25.119 just, I still have a sink backed up. I mean, 00:36:25.159 --> 00:36:28.679 I can't even explain to you what is going on 00:36:28.679 --> 00:36:33.719 to our families. And in my mind, at that moment, 00:36:33.760 --> 00:36:38.159 I was not okay. I was about at the breaking point. 00:36:38.670 --> 00:36:41.349 And I had to go upstairs and throw my hands up 00:36:41.349 --> 00:36:47.769 and say, I'm done. But again, it was in my mind. 00:36:48.510 --> 00:36:52.449 I came back downstairs. Phoenix was fine. Now 00:36:52.449 --> 00:36:56.289 he was sprinting inside. Arm was fine. No issues. 00:36:56.789 --> 00:37:00.630 It's not broken. And I had to rely on the Holy 00:37:00.630 --> 00:37:04.610 Spirit to calm me down out of my mind. I had 00:37:04.610 --> 00:37:09.039 to take deep breaths. And realize God has more 00:37:09.039 --> 00:37:12.500 for me to do. And even through that challenging 00:37:12.500 --> 00:37:15.599 week, those storms and those trials, that anxiety, 00:37:15.659 --> 00:37:19.400 that fear, that doubt, God used me to speak to 00:37:19.400 --> 00:37:22.619 families that were hurting. God used me to inspire 00:37:22.619 --> 00:37:25.420 others. God used me to pray and encourage others. 00:37:25.739 --> 00:37:33.059 Why? Because it's okay to not be okay. But you 00:37:33.059 --> 00:37:35.820 have to be in the game. See, if you're not in 00:37:35.820 --> 00:37:37.619 the game, if you're not serving others, if you're 00:37:37.619 --> 00:37:39.500 not serving in our community of faith, if you're 00:37:39.500 --> 00:37:41.760 not using your giftings, guess what? Your mind's 00:37:41.760 --> 00:37:44.460 going to take over and run wild. We have to be 00:37:44.460 --> 00:37:46.619 partnering with God to bring his kingdom into 00:37:46.619 --> 00:37:49.940 this world, into our reality. Remember our prayer? 00:37:50.820 --> 00:37:55.320 God, bring your heaven to earth. We have what 00:37:55.320 --> 00:37:58.820 it takes to be successful, but we have to start 00:37:58.820 --> 00:38:02.420 practicing. Many of you know that I'm a softball 00:38:02.420 --> 00:38:05.659 coach and practice started for the last two weeks 00:38:05.659 --> 00:38:08.519 at St. James. And every year, I have all these 00:38:08.519 --> 00:38:11.159 girls that come out, never played the game before. 00:38:11.860 --> 00:38:18.059 Ever. Haven't even picked up a ball. But now, 00:38:18.179 --> 00:38:21.239 two and a half weeks into it, they're catching 00:38:21.239 --> 00:38:24.159 fly balls. They're throwing the ball. They're 00:38:24.159 --> 00:38:30.190 hitting the ball. They're in the game. They're 00:38:30.190 --> 00:38:34.110 participating. See, activating a sound mind is 00:38:34.110 --> 00:38:37.670 a constant decision with your God -given authority 00:38:37.670 --> 00:38:41.969 to fix your focus on Jesus. When everything in 00:38:41.969 --> 00:38:45.650 our mind tells us to focus on the storms. See, 00:38:45.789 --> 00:38:48.789 your diagnosis, your sickness is not your idol. 00:38:48.909 --> 00:38:51.670 It's not who you are. Your mistakes are not what 00:38:51.670 --> 00:38:53.829 defines you. Your trauma is not your trophy. 00:38:53.949 --> 00:38:58.550 God desires to work infinitely more. in you than 00:38:58.550 --> 00:39:01.789 we could even imagine in Ephesians 3 .20. Now, 00:39:01.789 --> 00:39:03.769 glory to God who is able through his mighty power 00:39:03.769 --> 00:39:06.530 at work within us to accomplish infinitely more 00:39:06.530 --> 00:39:10.650 than we might ask or think. Will you stand with 00:39:10.650 --> 00:39:20.809 me? Listen, it doesn't take rocket science to 00:39:20.809 --> 00:39:24.250 realize that half of you are struggling with 00:39:24.250 --> 00:39:27.320 anxiety right now. Because that's the statistic. 00:39:28.619 --> 00:39:31.760 You're struggling. You're overwhelmed. You're 00:39:31.760 --> 00:39:36.579 fearful. You're doubting. You're negative. That 00:39:36.579 --> 00:39:41.079 is not the attributes of a sound mind. God desires 00:39:41.079 --> 00:39:45.340 that you activate your sound mind. That you focus 00:39:45.340 --> 00:39:48.320 on Jesus. You invite the Holy Spirit to come. 00:39:48.440 --> 00:39:52.159 You live in a relationship with Him. And if you 00:39:52.159 --> 00:39:54.619 say, Chris, I can't activate a sound mind, then 00:39:54.619 --> 00:39:57.320 you're not in a relationship with Jesus. Just 00:39:57.320 --> 00:40:00.699 saying. Because if you're in a relationship with 00:40:00.699 --> 00:40:02.780 Jesus, you have the same spirit living in you 00:40:02.780 --> 00:40:06.400 that raised Jesus from the dead. You have the 00:40:06.400 --> 00:40:09.880 same authority that Jesus had is now given to 00:40:09.880 --> 00:40:13.739 us. And you can activate your mind and speak 00:40:13.739 --> 00:40:17.139 to your mind so that you can overcome this anxiety 00:40:17.139 --> 00:40:20.579 and this doubt and this frustration. But again, 00:40:20.659 --> 00:40:23.599 it's a choice. So before we move forward, we're 00:40:23.599 --> 00:40:25.159 going to pray a simple prayer because I believe 00:40:25.159 --> 00:40:28.059 people come into our midst every single Sunday 00:40:28.059 --> 00:40:29.719 that are distant, far from God, or have never 00:40:29.719 --> 00:40:31.659 been in a relationship with him. Listen, God 00:40:31.659 --> 00:40:34.920 wants to release a sound mind into you. Wants 00:40:34.920 --> 00:40:37.519 to give you a new purpose and a new life free 00:40:37.519 --> 00:40:40.780 from guilt, shame, and regret. And we all pray 00:40:40.780 --> 00:40:44.619 it together here. Let's pray. Jesus, I'm broken. 00:40:45.300 --> 00:40:50.690 I'm full of doubt, shame, regret. Sin. Change 00:40:50.690 --> 00:40:56.130 me. Forgive me. I believe you're God's son. I 00:40:56.130 --> 00:41:01.369 believe you died for me. Make me new. Set me 00:41:01.369 --> 00:41:05.889 free. Fill me with your spirit. Help me, God, 00:41:05.969 --> 00:41:11.590 to serve others. In Jesus' name. Amen. Now, whoever 00:41:11.590 --> 00:41:13.570 that was for, welcome to the family. I believe 00:41:13.570 --> 00:41:16.909 God just brought you home. Now, we're going to 00:41:16.909 --> 00:41:20.769 close. By singing a song. As I was praying about 00:41:20.769 --> 00:41:24.550 how to end this, I was taking my kids to school 00:41:24.550 --> 00:41:29.309 one morning, and the song It Is Well came over 00:41:29.309 --> 00:41:33.610 my playlist. And it was like God said to me, 00:41:33.789 --> 00:41:40.510 practicing a sound mind is declaring it is well. 00:41:40.929 --> 00:41:44.670 So here's what I want you to do. This right here 00:41:44.670 --> 00:41:47.699 means you want to receive. So I want to invite 00:41:47.699 --> 00:41:49.800 all of you to get into this practice right now. 00:41:49.840 --> 00:41:52.820 I want to receive God. If you feel comfortable, 00:41:52.860 --> 00:41:54.119 of course, I'm not going to tell you what to 00:41:54.119 --> 00:41:59.099 do. And as Stacey sings these words, I want you 00:41:59.099 --> 00:42:03.579 to receive them. Okay? But then when we get to 00:42:03.579 --> 00:42:07.059 the, is it the chorus? What is that part? It 00:42:07.059 --> 00:42:09.280 is well. What is that called? It's the chorus. 00:42:09.340 --> 00:42:12.579 I was right. All right. When we get to the chorus, 00:42:12.679 --> 00:42:18.039 I want you to move from receiving. To declaring. 00:42:18.659 --> 00:42:22.960 Right? You see the difference? I receive, I receive 00:42:22.960 --> 00:42:28.719 a sound mind. I declare I have a sound mind. 00:42:28.960 --> 00:42:33.579 So can we do that? Okay. All right. Hold on. 00:42:33.739 --> 00:42:36.480 Before we do, there are several words of knowledge. 00:42:36.639 --> 00:42:38.639 As people are singing, our prayer team will be 00:42:38.639 --> 00:42:41.000 on my left and my right. You have lower back 00:42:41.000 --> 00:42:44.360 pain on your left side. You have pain in your 00:42:44.360 --> 00:42:48.019 right elbow just below it. You have pulsating 00:42:48.019 --> 00:42:51.699 pain in your right ear. You have pain in the 00:42:51.699 --> 00:42:55.340 upper part of your left arm. And if you're struggling 00:42:55.340 --> 00:42:59.679 with debilitating anxiety, we want to pray for 00:42:59.679 --> 00:43:02.920 you personally. Amen? Otherwise, we are going 00:43:02.920 --> 00:43:07.239 to first receive, and then we're going to declare. 00:43:07.619 --> 00:47:35.809 All right, let's do it. As we walk out these 00:47:35.809 --> 00:47:38.929 doors, God, I pray joy over every single individual 00:47:38.929 --> 00:47:42.030 in this room. God, that they will walk out of 00:47:42.030 --> 00:47:45.730 here skipping and jumping and praising your name. 00:47:46.690 --> 00:47:49.289 That they will walk out of here, God, just feeling 00:47:49.289 --> 00:48:04.820 your love and your peace. Thank you, Jesus. grind 00:48:04.820 --> 00:48:06.960 not knowing you gave your life for mine either 00:48:06.960 --> 00:48:09.679 one turn water into wine please fix my heart 00:48:09.679 --> 00:48:10.320 things inside