How to Defeat Anxiety | Brad Straarup

For any person who is in this place that has been struggling with anxiety, that I believe that God wants to come and He wants to give you what you need in order to defeat that thing.

Come on, how many of you believe that you can actually live free from something like anxiety?

You can actually step into the freedom that only God can give, and y'all know that anxiety.

Some of y'all you're you're well acquainted.

Feel that anxiety when you're going to bed at night and you feel like, man, I don't know if I can do tomorrow.

That thing that keeps you up at night.

That thing that can sometimes keep you physically present but mentally absent.

You ever felt that?

Well, you're in the room, you're in the place, but you're not actually in the room.

Because your mind is just going everywhere else.

Just saying, like, God, are you gonna come through for me in that thing?

Are you gonna.

And I think the hard thing about stress is like I said, stress can often be all around you, but anxiety, man, anxiety is different.

Because anxiety isn't centered around everything that's around you, it's something that's in you.

Like sometimes something can happen and it just gets into your soul.

The what ifs of life can just get into your soul.

What if my kids are not gonna be okay?

What if my job is not gonna be okay?

What if my business is not gonna be okay?

And sometimes it can just get into your soul and it can make you sick.

And like I said, I don't know what it is that you're experiencing, but I've come here today to say this that I believe under the power of Jesus that you can be free from that thing.

Come on, Jesus can set you free from whatever it is that you walk in here with, he can set you free.

So, what I want to do today is I want to talk about defeating anxiety and to get some help.

I'm calling on my brother Paul.

If you have your Bible, I wonder if you can turn, I wonder if you can turn to Philippians 4.

Philippians 4.

Paul writes this entire letter from a prison in Philippians.

He is under guard, he is in chains, and from that place he writes a church, he writes a letter to a church in Philippi who is going under immense persecution, and he talks to them about various things, but one of the things he talks to them about is anxiety.

And it's kind of like his greatest hits when he talks about this.

A lot of you know this verse.

Philippians 4, verse 4, he says this rejoice in the Lord always.

Philippians 4:4

I say, rejoice.

Come on, church, say rejoice.

Says, let your gentleness be evident to all.

The Lord is near.

Do not be anxious about anything.

There's our verse.

But in every situation, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your request to God.

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your mind in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers and sisters.

Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if there's anything excellent or praiseworthy, think about those things.

Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me or seen in me, put those things into practice.

And the God of peace will be with you.

Be anxious for nothing.

Be anxious for nothing.

Turn to your neighbor and say, be anxious for nothing.

Be anxious for nothing.

I think sometimes you can hear Paul say that and you're like, Paul, that's really cute.

Because you didn't pay my mortgage.

You're like, that's really cute.

You do not know my boss.

And I think that's the significant thing about this passage is Paul isn't writing this from a beach.

He is writing this from a prison.

What he wants us to know is that we don't have to be anxious.

And I want to talk about defeating anxiety in our lives here today.

Whatever it is that's on you, I pray in the name of Jesus it'll be sent.

Off.

Lord God, I want to thank you for what you're doing.

God, I pray that you will minister to your people.

Lord God, we are listening.

We give this over to you.

In your name, we pray.

And all of God's people said a big.

Come on, all God's people said a big.

Amen and amen and amen.

I got a confession for all of you guys here today, something that many of you may not know about me.

Uh, one of the greatest things in my life that causes me the most anxiety is public speaking.

Y'all, like, why are you in this job?

Like, why are you doing it?

That's kind of weird for a pastor to ever admit that.

That's kind of like a lifeguard telling you, hey, just need to let you know something.

Not a big fan of water.

Like, I just don't like it.

It kind of gives me the creeps.

Like, I just I just want to get in work.

Like, one of the greatest fears of my life has always been public speaking.

And I think that's because if y'all actually knew me, if you knew me growing up, what you would know is I'm the least likely person to ever step on the stage.

I am a hardcore introvert.

I was homeschooled.

Like, I remember being in a group, like a small group, in a spirit group, and you know, there'd be like six to eight of us there.

And my leader would ask me a question and say, Brad, what do you think about that?

And I would give them either a or a like that's all they were getting from me.

Like I never actually said anything.

And I remember I had a youth leader that came up to me and he saw something in me, and he was like, Hey, here's what I need you to do.

I need you to come preach a mini-sermon.

And I was like 16.

And I remember the moment that he asked me to do that, y'all, I felt so much anxiety.

I felt so much stress.

I was like, man, I feel incapable.

Like, I don't know if I have what it takes.

And I remember it came time for me to give that sermon, and y'all, I was like this.

And y'all were like, man, he's just he's just passionate.

No, it's because if I stood still, you would see my leg.

And I was like, as long as I walk, I was like, no one can actually see how terrified I am.

You know, I was like, I could never be like you, because my hand would do this, and and it just was awful.

I got off that and I was like, this is I'm done.

Like, this is this is terrible.

And I remember seven years later, I was here in the States and I got asked to preach at a a large church, and I remember when it happened, I should have felt like, man, what an honor.

But what actually happened is my heart sank into my feet.

And I was like, man, I don't I don't know if I can do that.

Like, I don't think, I don't think they know me like I know me.

I felt so incapable, so inadequate.

And I remember the day that I was asked to the day that it happened, I had low-grade anxiety nonstop.

It's all it's almost like this this elephant sat on my chest and I couldn't stop thinking about it.

And I think at one level, I was like, it's it's not the people that I was afraid of.

It's it it's God, what if I'm not enough?

What if this doesn't work out?

I remember it came to that week, Monday morning.

I'm like getting ready, you know, I'm like, the weekend is here.

Monday morning, my leader was like, hey, let me hear your sermon.

So I preached it and he was like, absolutely not.

I was like, praise God.

And then the next day I came in, I gave him a different sermon, and he said, Absolutely not.

Wednesday came in, gave him another sermon, absolutely not.

And I'm like, great, this is the day, this is the first time in history that someone's gonna be asked to preach and then be asked not to preach, because apparently I don't have what to say.

Thursday, I said something that was like kind of good, and he was like, okay, let's run with that.

And I worked nonstop until I hit that stage Saturday night, preached the weekend, went home, and was like, I'm never doing that again.

I was like, that was the worst thing ever.

But so much anxiety up until that moment, and I think for a lot of you, you know what I'm talking about.

Maybe it isn't attached to a microphone, but it's attached to something else.

There's something right now in this place that you feel anxious about.

There's something in your life, there's something in your family, there's something in your workplace, and it feels like an elephant has sat on your chest, and you're like, God, are you gonna actually help me with this thing?

You know that feeling.

It's that feeling when you feel when your 16-year-old daughter is 40 minutes late from curfew, and her fine mind says that her location is nowhere to be found.

It's that feeling you felt when the doctor calls you and says, Hey, I need to go over these results with you in person.

It's that feeling that you feel when your boss texts you at 9 a.m.

and says, Can we chat at 4?

And you're like, Why would you do that to me?

You know, and you're like, you know, like you're like, what are we talking about?

You know, you're trying to feel it, and then like the bubbles come up and then the bubbles disappear.

And then you're like, oh God, I'm getting fired.

Like, that's exactly what's about to happen.

You know that feeling that you feel when your mortgage is going up in January, and you're at the kitchen table late at night, and you're like, I don't know if I can make these numbers fit.

When you check the baby monitor six times, and your kid has been fine, all six times, but you're gonna check it a seventh.

Something that is just sitting on your chest.

And I think stress can often be around you, but I think the thing about anxiety, the thing that's so hard is it often comes within you, always playing out the worst case scenario.

What if this doesn't work?

What if this doesn't happen?

What if I fail?

What will people think?

What will my family think?

What will that make me think about God?

Wrestling.

I remember when I was growing up, I watched a Pixar movie by the name of Inside Out.

You ever watch Inside Out?

What a movie.

Loved love meet some inside out.

There's some characters that you'll meet if you ever meet Inside Out, if you ever watch the movie.

These are the characters that you that you'll meet in Inside Out.

So there's a couple people.

There's Joy, can you guess who that is?

It's that girl.

Um you get you get disgust and you get sadness and then you get fear.

And can anyone guess what that red little guy is?

Anger.

Yeah, he's just mad.

He's mad, mad.

But the entire Inside Out movie is about Riley, a girl by the name of Riley, and she has these emotions in her head, and they're all fighting for the control panel.

So when someone does something that makes her mad, anger comes and he starts driving.

When she feels sad, sadness comes and she starts driving.

And then inside out, too, you know, Riley's a teenager, so you get introduced to all kinds of other emotions, and one of them you'll meet is that person.

Can anyone guess what her name is?

Anxiety.

You meet anxiety, and the entire movie, anxiety is trying to take the control panel, and all she's doing is planning for what if?

Like, what if this doesn't happen?

What if he doesn't say that?

What if she does?

And that's exactly what our minds do.

That's what anxiety does within us.

It's always planning what if?

What if, what if God doesn't come through?

What if I struggle?

And the worst part of it is that you're living something that has never happened, as though it has.

Time and time again.

And then from that you get well-meaning Christians that will come up to you and you're like, brother, I'm anxious.

And they're like, Do you not know what the Bible says?

And I'm like, please tell me.

And they're like, Well, you know, brother, there's this verse that the great Paul wrote, and he said this, Rejoice, I'll tell you again, rejoice, that your gentleness be evident unto all.

The Lord is near.

Do not be anxious for anything.

He's like, brother, do you know what that means?

I'm like, no, please tell me.

And he says, Whatever you're anxious about, stop.

Whatever that thing is that's bugging you, just stop a little bit.

It'd be bugging you.

And I'm like, man, I just want to give you the right hand of fellowship in this moment.

Like, you know, like like it can't be that easy.

Have you ever read a verse and you're like, it can't be that easy?

Paul's like, don't be anxious.

You're like, great, how?

You tell me, Paul, how?

Have you seen my finances?

How?

Have you seen the economy?

How?

Have you seen the job market?

How?

And I think sometimes we can read parts like that in the Bible and we're like, is this even possible?

Is it even possible to actually live an anxiety-free life?

Now I need to say this, I'm no expert at anxiety.

And some of you, you might have acute anxiety, you might have had trauma.

If that's the case, I'm not an expert, and I actually recommend that some people get counseling for anxiety.

I think sometimes pastors will say you shouldn't do that, but you need to know this.

Counseling is not a lack of faith.

Medication is not a lack of faith.

There are tools that God can use, but what I do know is yes, anxiety can be physical, but most of the time it's spiritual.

So what I'm gonna do today is I want to talk to you about it from a spiritual perspective.

How do we actually deal with anxiety from a spiritual perspective?

There's a couple things I need you to understand.

The first thing is this anxiety is not always a malfunction of your mind, but it is a signal.

Anxiety is not a malfunction of your mind, but it is a signal.

If you feel anxious, if you feel stressed, you are not weak, you are not crazy, but your body is trying to tell you something.

We said last week, it's like the check engine light that's going off and saying, Hey, you gotta do something here.

Like if you're feeling it, it's a signal that something has to happen.

And I think we fall into two extremes.

The one extreme is this that anxiety is always a sin.

Has anyone ever told you this?

Anxiety is always a sin.

You do not have permission to feel anxiety, and people will say this if you just trust God, brother.

God, who owns the cattle of a thousand hills.

Like if you just trust God, you will never have anxiety.

And if you have anxiety, you're sinning.

The only problem is that's not in the Bible.

Why?

Paul had anxiety, 2 Corinthians 11.

Besides all of this, I face daily pressure of my concern.

That's the same Greek word that comes from the family of do not be anxious.

He's saying, I feel concerned.

Not only did Paul feel concerned, Jesus felt concerned in the Garden of Gethsemane.

He was overwhelmed, he was distressed.

It says this 26, verse 37 of Matthew.

He began to feel sorrowful and troubled, and then he said to them, My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.

People will be like, Man, if you just really trusted God, you would never be anxious.

Really?

Last I checked, Jesus is God, and I'm pretty sure Jesus trusts in himself and God.

And if that's the case, if he trusts, then why is it that he is overwhelmed?

Paul in the same letter, Philippians 2.20, he's talking about Timothy, and he says, I have no one else like him who will show genuine concern.

That is actually the exact same word in the Greek as anxiety, do not be anxious.

So in one point he's saying there's this Timothy has genuine concern.

And another place he's saying, do not be concerned.

What's the difference?

One is a concern that is controlled, and the other is a concern that controls you.

And we have to allow God to be in that place.

One extreme is this that we think anxiety is a sin.

The second extreme is this we're like, it's just who I am.

I was born anxious.

Like anxiety, that emotion, what's always controlling me.

It's just it's my identity.

Like it's literally who I am.

No, no, no, the Bible doesn't say that either.

Because Paul says this do not be anxious about anything but.

Say but.

If there's a but, that means we can do something about it.

He says, do not be anxious about anything, but so what we're gonna do, I want to give you an anxiety audit, something that you can use anytime you start feeling anxious.

And the more that you practice it, we're gonna see it right from Philippians 4.

The more you practice it, you can actually step into freedom.

Paul is gonna help us with this thing.

He says this in verse 6 do not be anxious about anything.

He says this, but in every situation, say every, not some, in every situation, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

The first thing that you need to do in order to deal with anxiety is you have to recognize what you're carrying.

He says, in every situation, in every situation, and my question is this do you know your every situation?

Do you actually know the things that you are anxious about?

Because how do you bring something to God that you do not recognize?

I have a bag of tricks here this week.

What I have here is a bunch of ping pong balls.

And all of these ping pong balls represent the anxious thoughts that are in your mind.

Okay?

And there's a whole bunch of anxious thoughts, and they often are disguised as what ifs.

So you have this, what if my money runs out?

Anyone ever had that before?

You're like, okay, what if something bad happens?

What if something happens?

What if nothing happens?

What if I'm behind?

Here's another fear.

What if you're ahead of God?

That's scary too.

What if I'm sick?

What if I missed it?

What if I get fired?

What if I fail my kids?

What if it doesn't last?

Anyone ever had those thoughts?

Some of y'all you're like, Brad, that's really cute.

Because that's not what my head looks like.

My head actually, my head actually looks like this.

Y'all like I have gone all the way to Costco and I have a Costco delivery of anxiety.

Like, that's what I have.

So this is what my life looks like.

I have all of these thoughts bouncing around in my head.

And my question is this what are you actually carrying?

The hard thing is, so often in life, it's not just one thing that I'm worried about, it's many things.

And I'm like, God, you can maybe deal with that one that just fell.

But can you deal with this one that still exists in my head?

We have all of these different kinds of fears.

For me, the one that I struggled with, public speaking.

Another one I struggled with?

What if this church succeeds?

What if it fails?

Here's the crazy thing.

When I look at what God has done over this last year, yo, we've seen 154 people baptized to God be the glory.

God is moving in a powerful way.

There's people finding freedom, there's people getting connected in groups, there's people finding community, saying, Man, I have found my best friends.

The evidence tells me that's not the case.

But what I've learned about anxiety is anxiety doesn't care about evidence.

Everything in your life can be pointing to, no, God is on your side.

And anxiety will say, But what if he stops being on your side?

No, up until this point, he's been faithful in my business.

Yeah, but what if he stops?

See, and the greatest fear for me, if I get to the thing beneath the thing, most of the time I'm not actually scared about the things I can take responsibility for.

Man, I can prep, I can study the word, I can do what I need to do.

What I can't do is make people get saved.

Man, I can do my best, I just can't make them do that.

You're like, I can show up to work faithful every single day, doing what I need to do, praying, asking God to lead me.

You're like, I can do that, but I can't control my success.

And what I've noticed most of the time with anxiety, our problem is not that we can't take responsibility, our problem is that we try to take sovereignty.

And we try to take God's job, and we try to take control of that thing.

And whenever we try to take God's job, we feel anxious.

God wants his job back.

God wants his job back.

What I've realized most of the time is anxiety is actually just misplaced responsibility.

Anxiety is misplaced responsibility.

You are responsible to parent your kids, but you cannot control what happens to them.

You are responsible to steward your money, but you cannot control the economy.

You are responsible to lead your family faithfully, but you cannot control how people respond.

I have responsibility, I do not have sovereignty, and my anxiety will always show up whenever I try to carry the parts that only God can.

So here's my question: what are you actually carrying?

Like, not the thing, like the thing beneath the thing.

You see, because it wasn't actually public speaking that I was afraid of.

It wasn't standing in front of you, it was the inadequacy that I so often felt in my soul.

I'm worried if I lose my job.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

But that's not actually the thing that you're worried about.

The thing that you're worried about is if you lose your job and you fail your family, what are they gonna think about you?

And what does that tell you about what you think about God?

It's never the thing, it's the thing beneath the thing.

So my question is this whenever you start feeling that anxiety, you're gonna think, oh no, this is the symptom.

No, no, no, go all the way to the root.

What is it that you are actually afraid of?

Because how can God take something off your plate that you can't even name?

You don't even know what the actual thing is.

It says this in every situation, you can't release what you don't what you will not name.

But this is what he says, verse 6, do not be anxious.

In every situation, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, we are gonna present our requests to God.

So, first thing is you have to recognize what you're actually carrying.

The second thing is you have to release what you can't control.

Say release it.

Turn to your neighbor, say release it.

You gotta release what you can't control.

He says this we do this by how?

Prayer.

What is that?

Talking to God by petition.

What is that?

Making a request of God.

And then he says this with thanksgiving.

What is that?

Remembering God's faithfulness.

When we're handing stuff over to God, we're saying, God, this is what I need.

God, I'm asking this.

But God, as I ask this, I'm also remembering your faithfulness in the past.

And I'm coming to a place that I've realized if he has been faithful before, he can be faithful again.

Come on, if he's done it before, he can do it again.

If he has healed them, he can heal you.

He has the ability.

We make requests, how?

By prayer and petition with thanksgiving.

You have to learn to release.

So here's the question that I want you to ask when it comes to releasing.

It's this what part is mine and what part is God's?

What part can you control and what part can God control?

What part of this belongs to me, and what part of this actually belongs to God?

You see, I have all my ping pong balls right over here.

And I have two buckets.

Y'all like it?

I got a bag of tricks.

Let's look at that.

I have two buckets.

One of them is called mine, and the other one is called his.

So not only do you have to realize what you're carrying, you have to recognize what you're carrying, but then you have to release the parts that aren't yours.

And you have to hold on to the parts that are yours.

So for me, studying the word, preaching faithfully, is that mine or is that God's?

Mine.

People getting saved, mine or God's?

God's.

You being faithful in your workplace, yours or God's?

Yours.

That thing growing, that thing succeeding, God's.

The problem comes when we start getting this messed up.

And we either put everything in our bucket or we put everything in God's.

Like I talk to people in the lobby and they're like, brother, I'm looking for a job.

I'm like, praise God, man.

I'm like, tell me what are you doing?

And they're like, I'm praying.

I'm like, that's a good start.

What else are you doing?

And they're like, no, man, I'm just praying.

I'm like, have you done a resume?

And they're like, no, that's him.

Have you applied?

No, no, no, no, no, no.

That's him.

Have you even tried to put yourself?

No, no, no, no, no.

Him.

Brad, I'm single.

That's great.

Have you gone out in public?

No, no, no.

I'm in my house and they're coming.

They're just gonna show up.

In fact, Jesus.

More, Lord.

There is more.

Amen.

I believe that.

I'm just I believe that.

I believe.

The problem is when you put everything in God's bucket, you'll become even more anxious because the money's running around, running out.

The money is running out and you won't even apply.

Same thing happens when you put everything in your bucket.

You're like, nope, I'm gonna do that, and the result is up to me, and whether God comes through is up to me.

And God, I think you're good, but have you seen my SAT scores?

Like, I got this, God, like I'm good.

Like, it's gonna be me and me, and you're gonna be anxious too.

You will always be anxious.

If number one, you don't recognize what it is that you're actually carrying, and number two, you don't decide to release what you need to release and hold on to the things that you need to hold on to.

We have to come to this place where we understand this that obedience is our job, but outcome is his.

Obedience is your job, but the outcome of that thing is his.

So today's assignment is what has God called you to do.

Tomorrow actually belongs to God.

That's why Jesus says this, Matthew 6, 27, can any of you by watering add a single hour to your life?

He says, No, you can't.

He says, look at the lilies and how God provides for them.

Look at all of this and how God provides.

He says, How much more so you that God actually loves, and then he ends it.

Verse 34, he says this.

Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.

Each day has enough trouble of its own.

We can only do what God has called us to do today, and we have to release the parts that we can't control, which is tomorrow to God.

We have to release the things that we call.

Peter says it this way, Peter 1:5, 6 says this.

Humble yourself, therefore, under God's mighty hand, and he will lift you up in due time.

He says, Compast all, say all.

Not some, cost all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

That's not a polite little toss.

He's like, No, throw everything onto God.

Why?

Because he cares.

Your cares are not burdensome to God.

He can carry them.

You can't, and he invites you to literally throw it on him.

Cost it on him.

The crazy thing about this, for those of you who are like Bible geeks and Bible nerds, I got something for you.

In the Greek grammar, this entire verse is actually one sentence.

It says, humble yourself, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.

Cost your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Costing is actually connected to humility.

Let me say it this way: costing your anxiety is actually how you humble yourself.

God wants someone who's humble.

The most humble thing you can do is say, God, I can't.

Man, I watched my dad do this in 2008.

My dad's a real estate broker where everything was crashing.

And every single day he was facing bankruptcy.

And I asked him, I was like, Dad, how did you do it?

And he said, I did everything to the best of my ability.

And I got into bed at night and I said, Lord, I have done everything that I can.

I have tried my best.

And he says, I'm just gonna trust that you have this and I'm gonna go to bed.

And I remember there were times that my dad was like, we need 10,000 Rand by tomorrow.

I was like, Dad, what are you gonna do?

He's like, I have no idea.

And we would wake up the next day, no one knew what we were going through, and someone had put 10,000 Rand through the door.

And he said, God, I can't do this.

I've done my part.

Can you do yours?

Can you do yours?

It is actually how you humble yourself.

And the Bible says this when you humble yourself under his hand, he will lift you up in due time.

And I wonder what will happen in our lives if we moved from what ifs to even ifs.

What ifs to even ifs.

We had that kind of trust in God.

Reminded of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the book of Daniel.

King Nebuchadnezzar puts up this golden statue and he says, Bow.

Bow.

And they say, we won't.

And he says, Great, I'm gonna throw you into the fire.

And they say this, Nebuchadnezzar, I need you to know something.

That our God is able to deliver us.

And he will deliver us.

And they say this.

But even if he does not, we will not bow down to your God.

What does that look like?

Man, my God is able.

But even if he doesn't heal, he is still healer.

Even if he doesn't provide, he is a provider.

Even if he doesn't do exactly what I want him to do, he is good.

He is God.

And he is good at being God.

Even if faith.

We have to recognize the things that we're carrying, the anxiety that you're feeling.

And then you have to release it, the right stuff.

Release it to God.

Carry the things that you need to carry.

And I love it.

He says, when you release control, watch this.

When you do it, and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and mind.

You need to know this.

Paul is writing this under guard.

He has a physical person guarding him.

And he says, Here's what you need to do.

You need to not be anxious for anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving.

You need to present your request to God.

And he says, And what will happen?

And in fact, he's looking around and he sees this guard who is guarding him.

And he says, Man, when you do that thing, the same way this guard is guarding me, God's peace will guard you.

Will guard your mind.

Will guard your heart.

When you give it to God, now when Satan comes and he wants to say, Hey, you're not good enough, you're like, hey, hey, hey, by the way, I gave that to God.

I cost that over to God.

You don't have to talk to me, you gotta talk to Him.

He's the one who's defending me.

And God's like, nope, my peace is gonna guard their hearts and guard their minds.

But what you have to do is you have to release it.

The challenge about this is you can hear this and you can be like, great, that's all I need to do.

I just I just need to recognize and I need to release.

Yeah, the problem though is uh you can release something to God at 2.30 a.m.

and you'll pick that thing right up at 2.35.

Y'all know that.

Five minutes later, you're like, God, I'm picking that thing back on up.

You haven't done anything in five minutes, and I got this.

That's why it's not enough just to recognize and ultimately to release the lost.

The third thing you need to do is you're gonna replace what you're rehearsing.

You're gonna replace the Philippines 4 verse 8 that says this, finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if it's anything excellent or praiseworthy, think about these things.

Here's the question you need to ask yourself is this what is actually true right now?

The problem is anxiety rehearses.

What if I lose my job?

What if I lose my marriage?

What if they don't forgive me?

What if I'm alone forever?

You've lived through it 20 times, but it hasn't actually happened once.

The beautiful thing about every what if is there's a truth on the other side of that ping pong bowl.

What if this fails?

What if God provides?

What if he blows your mind?

What if I can't make that payment?

Well, he's provided every month for you so far.

What if they're mad at me?

Or what if you repent, if you apologize, and he does something significant in that place?

What is actually true?

Because the Bible says you need to think about those things.

What is true is noble, is right, is pure, is lovely, is mirable.

Notice this, he doesn't say think about what is possible.

Some of us were so good about thinking about what is possible.

Yo, anxiety is a bad prophet.

In my anxious mind, I have died 400 times.

It's like this is gonna kill you.

It's like, oh no, that person's driving at you, they're gonna kill you.

Like, I have literally died in my mind 400 times.

Anxiety is a terrible prophet.

It's predicted 400 of my funerals, and none of them have come true.

None of them have come true.

It doesn't say think about what is possible or probable.

It also doesn't say think about what is positive.

It says this, think about what is true.

In other words, you have to have a filter in your mind that the second and anxious bull wants to come and it's bouncing around in your mind.

Paul says this before you let it settle, ask that thought, are you true?

Are you noble?

Are you right?

Because if you're not a better word, God's Bible speaks a better word.

So I refuse to believe this, and I and I choose to believe this.

You've got to replace it with something that is actually true.

He says, with thanksgiving, we remember.

What is thanksgiving?

It's remembering what he has done in your past.

That is also true.

Think about how he's been faithful before.

And watch this.

Every time we thank him for yesterday, it gives us faith for tomorrow.

So the way you're not gonna pick that thing back up is you're gonna recognize, you're gonna release, and then you're gonna remind yourself, you're gonna replace the lies with the truth, and the final thing that I want you to do is return to today's obedience when you do that.

Once you've done all of that, return to today's obedience.

Philippians 4 verse 9.

Philippians 4:9

Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me or seen in practice, put it into practice, and the peace of God will be with you.

So here's the question I want you to ask you What is my faithful step that God has called me to take today?

Put that into practice.

Because this is what he says.

Verse 7, when we release, the peace of God will guard you.

Verse 9, when we obey, the peace of God will be with you.

Peace isn't only something that God gives, it is who he is.

And when we trust in him, he comes with it.

See, anxiety is gonna always ask you to plan your entire future, but God is gonna ask you to obey him today.

Just today.

What about tomorrow?

He'll be there tomorrow.

What about the next day?

He'll be there too.

He's not asking about all that.

He's just saying, Will you obey me today?

In the Old Testament, he taught the Israelites this time and time again.

One of the ways that he taught him this was through manna.

It was a food that God would give them every single day.

Exodus 16, 19, Moses said to them, No one is to keep any of it until morning.

However, some of them paid no attention.

God's like, Don't worry about tomorrow.

And they're like, Yeah, I'm not gonna do that.

I'm gonna keep working.

They paid no attention to Moses, they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and it began to smell.

So Moses was angry with them.

Today's bread, tomorrow's bread today, ended up getting worms.

God doesn't give you tomorrow's grace today, he gives you tomorrow's grace tomorrow.

So you gotta trust him with today.

That's why Jesus says, give us this day, our daily bread.

That's why he says, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.

So, what's your faithful step today?

Maybe it's to say sorry, to apologize, to actually have the conversation.

Man, maybe the step that you need to take is just take a nap.

Stop working so hard.

Take a Sabbath.

You know a Sabbath is an act of faith?

Because you're taking one day where you're not gonna work.

Because you're saying, God, I believe that if I give you this one day, that you can do more with my six.

It is literally an act of faith to take a Sabbath.

But we don't do that.

Why?

Because I got it.

No, you don't.

You don't have to solve the next 10 days.

You just have to solve today.

Forgive me, I've been struggling with my voice this week.

We have to come to a place where we recognize what we're carrying, we release what's ours and what's God's, we replace the lies with the truth.

And then what we do is we decide to walk in today's grace today.

Y'all don't know this, but before I get on the stage, we have the sign back there, backstage.

And it says this it's a privilege to be on the stage.

Thank you, God, for choosing me.

And every service before I walk out, I put my hand on that sign and I pray.

And I say, Lord, man, I don't feel like I have what it takes.

I'm anxious.

I still get nervous.

Why?

Because I care.

I'm like, but Lord, here's what I know.

If you want anyone else to have that stage, they can have it.

This is your church, this isn't mine.

But today, you have called me, and today you have graced me.

So today I walk in your boldness, I walk in your courage, and I come up.

What am I doing in that moment?

I'm recognizing God, I feel inadequate, and I'm releasing the parts of God.

You can have that stage, but I'm replacing the lie with the truth.

But today, you have called me.

So I step in confidence.

How have I dealt with my anxiety?

That's how.

By recognizing what is God's and what is mine, stepping into it.

Final thing I want to share is part of my favorite thing about this scripture.

Paul's writing this, and a lot of times, like I said, he wasn't writing it on a beach, he was writing it from a prison.

Not only that, he was white, he was writing while he was waiting to find out if he was going to be executed.

Don't know that.

Philippians 120.

Christ be exalted in my body, whether I live or I die.

121, for me to live as Christ, to die as Gain.

123, I'm torn between the two.

217.

Even if I'm poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith.

Yo, he was wrestling with the possibility of dying.

And he said this: don't be anxious for anything.

But prayer, petition, thanksgiving.

Present your request to God.

Oh, and God's peace will guard your mind and your heart in Christ Jesus.

He was able to not be anxious, and probably one of the most anxiousful things.

I think I had a bad day.

And Paul thinks he had a bad day.

There's a guy that had it worse.

His name was Jesus.

Because in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus was under such anguish.

Luke 22, 44 said this.

He prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.

You see, Jesus wasn't wrestling with a what if.

He was wrestling with a what is.

It wasn't a what if I go to the cross.

He knew he was going to the cross.

And he said, This father, if you're willing, take this cup away from me.

He's like, Lord, Lord, Lord, if you can take that, and then he said, But not my will, your will be done.

And he said, God, I know what you called me to do, and I'm gonna do it today.

You need to recognize this.

We can cost our anxiety upon Him, but Jesus didn't get to cost His cup, He drank it, and He drank it, so we can cost it.

And He trusted God with the outcome, and He did the hardest thing that any man has ever done.

He took the sin and shame of the world and He went onto a cross.

And obedience looked really tough, but the outcome was really, really, really beautiful.

Because of that, we can be restored to relationship with the Father.

God wants his job back.

He wants you to trust him.

Your anxiety will only go away.

If we get to a place where we say, Jesus, teach me to love like you.

Let me do what's mine.

And let me trust God with the rest.

Even if it doesn't look like what I want it to look like, I still believe that you are good and you are God.

And you are good at being God.

And what the enemy thought he destroyed what looked like a defeat was actually the most beautiful victory.

Hand it to him.

Amen.

Four questions you can ask yourself every single time that you're faced with it.

What are you carrying?

What is that thing you're carrying?

What is yours?

What is God's?

How can you replace that lie with truth?

And how can I be obedient today?

Can I pray for you?

Well God, I want to thank you for every single person that's here.

Lord, I don't know what they're facing, I don't know what they're struggling with.

But you do.

Lord, you know why they're here.

You know the things that keep them up at night.

And God, I just want to pray that they will have such a faith in who you are.

Lord, speak to them.

Lord, help them discern what's yours, what's theirs.

And may you bring such a peace.

May your peace guard every single one of their hearts and their minds.

While you continue praying, I just want to take a second and just talk to anyone who have heard about this man, Jesus, that died for your sins.

And the what if is you're like, man, I don't know if I'm good with God.

I'm a million miles away from him.

I'm not following him right now.

And the Bible says this, that every single one of us, we've made mistakes, we've sinned.

But Jesus, Jesus came to this earth, he died on a cross for your sins.

And he was, he raised again from the dead, that we can have life.

And if you're here today and you want to give your life to him, I want to encourage you to do that.

We're gonna pray a prayer.

I want all of us to pray it for the for those praying it for the very first time.

Just repeat off to me.

Say, Dear Jesus, I believe that you're the Son of God and the Savior of the world.

I believe you came to this earth, you died on a cross, you were raised, that I can have life.

Make you my Lord.

Make you my Savior.

Jesus' name.

In Jesus' name, if you're here with every head bowed and eyes closed and you prayed that for the very first time, I would love to celebrate with you.

All I want you to do is just lift up your hand, just wave at me and say, Brad, that's me.

Here we go.

One, two, three.

If you prayed that for the very first time, thank you, brother.

I see that.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I love that.

I love that.

Come on, that's incredible.

Hey, church, do me a favor, put your hands together.

Come on, for everyone who just did that.

We love you, church.

And hey, if you just said yes to Jesus, I want to be the first to tell you that this is the best decision you could ever make.

Congratulations.

And we do have a next step for you.

We would love for you to let us know and text the keyword Jesus to 480-485-3405 because we want to send you a devotional called You Said Yes.

It's a 21-day devotional that we'd love to get in your hands so that you don't have to walk this journey with Jesus alone.

And hey, if this ministry has meant anything to you, has impacted you, we would love for you to pray about two things.

First, I'd love for you to pray about sharing this message.

You never know how much a simple share could impact someone's life.

And the second, we'd love for you to pray about partnering with us financially because your giving enables us to get this message not only in your hands, but into the hands of people all around the world.

And so thank you for the way that you give.

And if you want to do that today, you can go to spiritchurch.co forward slash give.

We love you, church, and we will see you right back here next week.

And remember that with God, there is more.