Sermon Notes 7.2.23
June 30, 2023
What’s The Focus?
Peace Within Series - Lesson 1
Sermon Notes - July 2, 2023
I. Living In An Anxious Culture
A. According to the American Institute of Health, approximately
% of all visits to primary care physicians are for stress-related problems.
B. Anxiety is the most
mental health issue in America.
1. Almost one-third of Americans will have an
disorder at some point in their lifetime.
2. Anxiety disorders affect
% of adolescents, between the ages of 13-18.
C. According to Amazon, the most highlighted passage in any book is
.
D. Reflection/Discussion Question: What experiences have you and your family had with anxiety? From your perspective, what are some possible reasons why Americans struggle so much with anxiety problems? What are some possible reasons why adolescents, and even children, experience so much anxiety today?
II. Two Basic Assumptions About Anxiety
A. Anxiety is
and experiencing anxiety does not mean you are weak or unfaithful. It means you are human!
1. After predicting His betrayal, John says “Jesus was troubled in spirit…” (John 13:21)
B. Anxiety comes in many
and flavors.
C. While most of us do not have an anxiety disorder, many of us would fit the description of what Dr. Luana Marques, Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School refers to as “
anxious.”
D. Some anxieties can be rooted in a heart that has become divided or
. (Matthew 6:25-27)
1. Paul’s instructions about “not being anxious about anything” can best be interpreted by this statement: Do not live in a state of perpetual anxiety! (Philippians 4:6)
2. Anxiety is real, but we do not have to live in a
of anxiety.
E. Reflection/Discussion Question: What assumptions do people sometimes make about anxiety or about those who struggle with it? What teaching about anxiety have you received or heard in your church experiences? In what ways can anxiety have a spiritual or faith dimension to it?
III. Spiritual Resources For Anxiety (Philippians 4:4-9)
A. We must develop a settled confidence in the
and goodness of God! (Philippians 4:4-5)
1. Jesus says:
to me, all you who are weary and burdened! (Matthew 11:28-30)
2. You are going to lose the battle with anxiety until you ground your soul in the one thing you can never lose-
! (Luke 10:41-42)
B. Jesus is offering
for the stressed! (Matthew 11:28)
C. Jesus is offering
in the midst of trouble! (John 14:1, 27; 16:33)
D. Reflection/Discussion Question: You are going to have troubles in this life, but your heart doesn’t have to be troubled! How can this statement be true? What havebeen some situations in your life or the life of your family when you have “lived” this statement or witnessed it being lived out?
IV. Where’s My Focus?
A. Escaping the bondage of anxiety requires an intentional and steadfast
on God! (Isaiah 26:3)
B. Anxiety will be inevitable when
becomes the one thing we turn to instead of Jesus!
C. While we don’t know what will happen tomorrow, what we believe gives us “
within” today!
D. Reflection/Discussion Question: How can believing in and coming to Jesus enable us to cultivate “peace within” even when life is full of trouble on the outside? What do you specifically believe about Jesus that provides your soul with peace and rest?