July 17 2016 Conquering Inner Anxiety

CONQUERING INNER ANXIETY

Psalm 23

While we may often walk in the valleys, we need not fear it’s shadow.

1. Anxiety is conquered by a personal relationship with God.

Verse 1a – The Lord is my Shepherd.

2. Anxiety is conquered by understanding His provisions.

Verse 1b – I shall not be in want.

Matthew 6:25 & 32 – Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink or about your body, what you will wear, your heavenly Father knows that you need them.

Verse 33- But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness and all those things will be given to you as well.

3. Anxiety is conquered by seeing His promises.

Verse 4 – I will fear no evil.

Verse 5 – Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life.

4. The practical application of this Psalm.

Verse 6 – I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

• Admit it
• Commit it to God
• Stand firm in God’s strength

CAST YOUR BURDEN UPON THE LORD AND HE WILL SUSTAIN YOU

May 19 2013 How To Conquer Complaining

How To Conquer Complaining

Philippians 2:14-15 - Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe.

I.  Four types of complainers:

1.  The whiner: Wakes up negative.

Psalm 73:13 - (David) Have I been wasting my time?  Why take all the trouble to be pure?  All I get out of it is trouble and woe.

Matthew 21:11-12 - They took their money and started grumbling against the employer.  We put up with a whole day’s work in the hot sun, yet you paid them the same as you paid us.

2.  The martyr: No one appreciates me.

Numbers 11:11 - Moses said to the Lord, why pick on me, to give me the burden of a people like this?  I can’t carry this nation by myself!  If you’re going to treat me like this, please kill me right not, it will be a kindness!  Let me out of this impossible situation.

3.  The cynic: Nothing will ever change.

(Solomon)  Ecclesiastes 1:2-4, 9 - Life is useless, you spend your time working and what do you have to show for it?  The world stays just the same, what has been done before will be done again.

4.  The perfectionist: Is that the best you can do?

Proverbs 27:15 - A nagging wife is like water going drip, drip, drip on a rainy day.

Proverbs 21:19 - Better to live out in the desert than with a nagging, complaining wife.

II.  How to conquer complaining:

1.  Admit it’s a problem for you.

Proverbs 28:13 - A man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful.  But if he confesses and forsakes them, he gets another chance.

2.  Accept responsibility for our own life.

Proverbs 19:3 - Some people ruin themselves by their own stupid mistakes, and then blame the Lord.

3.  Develop the attitude of gratitude.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 - Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:11 - I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.

4.  Practice speaking positively.

Ephesians 4:29 - Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Ephesians 6:4 - Don’t keep on scolding and nagging your children, making them angry and resentful, rather bring them up with loving discipline and Godly advice.

RESULT:  BE A STAR

Philippians 2:15

May 5 2013 How To Replace Discouragement With Joy

How To Replace Discouragement With Joy
Psalm 43:4 - I will go to God, the source of all my joy.

6 Ways To Conquer Discouragement

1.  Set aside all regrets.
Philippians 3:13 b - One thing I do is to forget what is behind me and do my best to reach what is ahead.

Isaiah 43:18-19 - Forget what happened in the past and don’t dwell on the events from long ago because I’m going to do something new.

2.  Stop all worries about the future.
Philippians 4:6 - Don’t worry about anything, instead pray about everything.  Tell God what you need and thank Him for all He has done.

3.  Surrender yourself to God’s purpose.
Philippians 1:21 - For me to live is Christ.

2 Timothy 1:3 - My only purpose in life is to please Him.

Romans 6:13 - Give yourself completely to God, every part of you to be tools in the hands of God to be used for His good purpose.

4.  Focus on what’s good.
Philippians4:8 - Fix your thoughts on what is true, honorable and right.  Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable.  Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

5.  Use your life to help others.
Philippians 4:1 - Dear brothers and sisters, I love you and I long to see you, for you are my joy and the reward of my work.

Philippians 3:21-24 - For me, living means opportunity for Christ, and dying, well, that’s better yet!  But, if living will give me more opportunities to win people to Christ, then I really don’t know which is better, to live or die, sometimes I want to live and at other times I don’t, for I long to go and be with Christ.  How much happier for me then living here, but the fact is, that I can be of more help to you by staying.

6.  Learn to be content.
Philippians 4:11 - I have learned to be content, whatever the circumstances.

2 Corinthians 11:23 - I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely and been exposed to death again and again.

March 10 2013 Letting Love Change Your Life

*no audio for this sermon*

LETTING LOVE CHANGE YOUR LIFE
John 13:1

John 13:1 - Jesus knew that the time had come for Him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved His own who were in the word, He now showed them the full extent of His love.

Full extent: Love to the end.

Three Ways To Let God’s Love Change Us

1. Remember God’s love will cancel your past.
Colossians 2:14 - He has forgiven all our sins and canceled every record of the debt we had to pay. He did it by allowing Christ to be nailed to the cross.

Jeremiah 31:34 - I will remember their sins no more.

How Does This Happen?

I John 1:9 - If we confess our sins He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins.

Why Can God Cancel the Past?

John 19:30 - “It is finished.”
Romans 8:1 - Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:13-14 - I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

2. Allow God’s love to conquer your problems.
Romans 8:35 - Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?


Verse 37 - Know in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

Galatians 5:22 - But the fruit of the spirit is love.
Romans 8:28 -God works for the good of those who love Him.

3. Understand that God’s love will change your life.

Three Steps:

* Ask Christ to be a part of your life.
II Corinthians 5:17 - If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old is gone, the new has come!

* Completely devote yourself to Christ.
Mark 12:28-29 - Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.

* It’s a lifetime process.
Romans 12:2 - Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its mold, but let God remake you so that your whole attitude of mind is changed. Thus you will prove in practice that the will of God is good, acceptable to Him and perfect.

One More Thing To Consider:
* Don’t put it off.
John 13:1 - He now showed them the full extent of His love.