What do you stress about? Or maybe the better question is… What don’t you stress about? We live in a culture full of fear and worry, but you don’t have to live stressed out! Pastor Jeremy unpacks a few practical ways to reduce stress in your life.
Notes 📓✏️:
STRESS
Stress is a part of everyday life. The problem is when it becomes your life.
The World Health Organization defines stress as…
“A state of worry or mental tension caused by a difficult situation.”
Stress is meant to signal something, not strangle us.
Proverbs 14:30 states, “A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body.”
Peace isn’t just an emotion – it’s medicine.
Stress may be common, but peace is God’s promise.
What do you stress about?
1. The Weight of Worry
Corrie Ten Boom once said, “Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.”
Matthew 6:34 (NIV): “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
Worry doesn’t change your tomorrow; it only drains your today.
2. The Pace of Hurry
Psalm 23:1-4 (NIV): “The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right path for His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”
Many times, hurry is the enemy of holy.
The faster you run, the less you hear God’s whisper.
3. The Trap of Too Many Choices
Too many choices overwhelm us, and stress takes over.
Narrow your focus.
James 1:8: “A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.”
Indecision is still a decision. It keeps you stuck.
When everything looks urgent, you lose sight of what’s important.
4. The Pressure of Being Watched
Hebrews 13:6: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”
Stop living for the crowd’s approval when you already have the Father’s.
5. The Fear of the Future
Joshua 1:9: “Be strong and courageous… for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Fear imagines life’s problems without God’s help, but faith remembers He’s already got it taken care of.
Quit trying to control everything.
1 Peter 5:7: “Cast all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.”
God says, “No – leave it with Me.”
Peace begins where control ends.
Do what you can, trust God with what you can’t.
World Health Organization states the following ways of dealing with stress:
1. Keep daily routine.
2. Get plenty of sleep.
3. Connect with others.
4. Eat healthy.
5. Exercise.
6. Limit time following the news.
Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is take a nap and eat a healthy meal.
Discussion Questions 📝❓:
- Pastor Jeremy mentions that “stress is meant to signal something, not strangle us.” What are some healthy ways we can use stress as a signal in out lives rather than letting it control us?
- Based on Proverbs 14:30 which says “a peaceful heart leads to a healthy body,” how do you see the connection between your spiritual/emotional well-being and your physical health?
- The sermon discusses how “hurry is the enemy of holy.” In what ways does our culture’s obsession with speed and efficiency impact out spiritual life and relationship with God?
- How does trying to control everything in our lives contribute to stress, and what does it look like to practically “cast all your anxieties on Him” as mentioned in 1 Peter?