Sermon Tone Analysis

My daughter came home to take her check ride this weekend.

It’s her pilots exam.

Funny thing about that, I don't’ worry about my daughter flying…I worry about being able to pay for it all.

When Michelle stresses about it…i tell her it will be fine.

But inside I’m all wound up.

I start having this conversation with myself, that I should be able to provide these things for my family.

All sorts of unhealthy thoughts go through my head; like: “What kind of loser am I not being able to provide for my child’s education?”

“If you had a real job, you would be able to afford this like you should.”

“What good is all that education you have if you can’t afford their education?”

Me

Me

My Worries

I dont’ worry about my daughter flying…I worry about being able to pay for it all.

When my wife stresses about it…i tell her it will be fine.

But inside I’m all wound up.

I start having this conversation with myself, that I shoudl be able to provide these things for my family.

What kind of loser am I not being able to provide for my child’s education?

That’s what struggles do.

They reveal our anxieties, our insecurities, our fears, even our hard heartedness.

While it may be a person, a situation, or an issue that we seem to struggle with, in reality, our struggle is with ourself.

It comes from what I tell myself about what SHOULD happen.

While it may be a person or a circumstance, or a situation, or an issue that we

seem to struggle with, in reality, my struggle is with myself.

It comes from what I tell myself

And if I’m not careful, when I struggle with myself, it affects the way I treat others.

When I have to deal with criticism, I’ll get defensive.

anxious, insecure, fear, hard hearted,

Because I enjoyed starting more

When I'm criticized, I get defensive.

When I face a challenge, I’ll look to escape or a fight.

But the real struggle isn't with people or with my situation.

9/10 My real struggle, your real struggle comes from inside us.

But the real struggle isn't with people or with my situation.

9/10 My real struggle, your real struggle comes from inside us.

I bet many of you are like me.

Not all of us will have serious health problems; not all of us will face financial struggles; not all of us will face marriage problems; not all of us will struggle with raising kids; not all of us will struggle with our faith...But we will all struggle with worry.

It is the one thing that is common to all of us.

Us

I bet many of you are like me.

Not all of us will have serious health problems; not all of us will face financial struggles; not all of us will face marriage problems; not all of us will struggle with raising kids; not all of us will struggle with our faith...But we will all struggle with worry.

It is the one thing that is common to all of us.

Even if you aren’t a Christian, you deal with this.

And if you aren’t a Christian, this must might be the one thing that might convince you to give faith in Jesus chance to solve this spiritual problem.

Billy Graham "Anxiety is the natural result when our hopes are centered in anything short of God and his will for us."

Billy Graham "Anxiety is the natural result when our hopes are centered in anything short of God and his will for us."

What’s the problem with worry and what makes it a spiritual problem?

Jesus explains it this way while he was telling a story of planting seeds.

Some of the seeds fall among the weeds and vines.

Jesus explains it this way:

That’s it, worries and anxieties make our lives unfruitful as they choke out faith, and faith is just what enables us to accomplish our full potential.

You see, for some of you, your worries and fears may be just what is keeping you from believing.

Anxieties make our lives unfruitful

because they prevent us from accomplishing our full potential.

Anxieties are burdens that prevent us from accomplishing our full potential.

Now, I want to be clear here.

There is a difference between chronic anxiety and the more common worries, fears, and anxiousness.

Anxieties can become a very real and serious problem for some people.

I don’t want to make you think that you have poor faith if you struggle with anxieties.

You may need some professional help to put in place the principals that Jesus teaches.

Now, I want to be clear here.

Difference between chronic anxiety and general worries, fears, and anxiousness.

Anxieties can be a very serious problem for some people.

I don’t want to make you think that you have poor faith if you struggle with anxieties.

You may need some professional help to put in place the very things changes that Jesus teaches.

Anxieties can be a very serious problem for some people.

I don’t want to make you think that you have poor faith if you struggle with anxieties.

You may need some professional help to put in place the very things changes that Jesus teaches.

But most people just worry.

They don’t have anxiety disorder.

But either way, the principal that Jesus would teach and the principals that your counselor would teach are the same.

Stimulus - [Feelings / Thoughts] - Response

Our anxieties are a response to an event, person, experience.

A response produced by our feelings about a given situation.

Feelings shaped by our existing thought patterns.

In order to change our feelings and our responses, we need to change our thought patterns.

Am I saying that you can’t be faithful if you worry?

Not at all.

But what I am saying is that Jesus wants us to be free from our worries and anxieties.

He knows we have them, and he wants to help because he loves us.

Jesus teaches us and Peter reminds us that God gives us a solution to our worries rooted in the reality that God has a purpose for our lives and our anxieties hold us from fully realizing that purpose.

Jesus teaches us and Peter reminds us that God gives us a solution to our worries rooted in the reality that God has a purpose for our lives and our anxieties hold us from fully realizing that purpose.

God has a purpose for our lives and anxieties hold us from fully reaching them.

Am I saying that you can’t be faithful if you worry?

Not at all.

But what I am saying is that Jesus wants us to be free from our worries and anxieties.

He knows we have them, and he wants to help because he loves us.

Now, wouldn’t it be nice if we could just read some scripture, pray a prayer, and be set free from this struggle?

Wouldn’t it be nice if we coudl just read some scripture and be set free from this struggle?

Maybe we could read passages like:

“Come to me you who are weak and heavy burdened and I will give you rest.”

or

Cast your cares upon me

Don’t Worry

Peter had been following Jesus for several years.

He knew these verses…but he also had his own fears and worries.

The NT records a few of those...

When he walked on the water only to be overcome by the moment and sink

When he was the last to attend Jesus’s trial but overcome with fear and eventually deny Christ.

What happened to Peter?

Simple.