1 00:00:00,970 --> 00:00:01,380 Mhm. 2 00:00:02,709 --> 00:00:06,690 Speaker: I don't know if you guys know this about me, but I was a 3 00:00:07,260 --> 00:00:10,360 multi sport athlete in high school. 4 00:00:11,180 --> 00:00:13,570 I, um, played two sports at once. 5 00:00:14,470 --> 00:00:19,370 I marched and I was in band at the same time. 6 00:00:21,070 --> 00:00:21,880 And I got P. 7 00:00:21,890 --> 00:00:22,020 E. 8 00:00:22,020 --> 00:00:24,150 credit for it, just so you know. 9 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:30,920 So I was in marching band in high school, and my band director was terrifying. 10 00:00:32,159 --> 00:00:36,430 My band director looked like Shrek, um, but Mexican. 11 00:00:36,780 --> 00:00:40,310 And I was terrified of this man. 12 00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:44,265 In fact Something he said all the time still sticks in my brain. 13 00:00:44,625 --> 00:00:47,955 My wife loves to apologize for things and whenever we apologize for 14 00:00:47,955 --> 00:00:49,574 something, here's what he would say. 15 00:00:50,425 --> 00:00:51,575 Don't be sorry. 16 00:00:52,295 --> 00:00:53,195 Be better. 17 00:00:53,784 --> 00:00:54,644 Don't be sorry. 18 00:00:54,675 --> 00:00:55,194 Be better. 19 00:00:55,194 --> 00:00:56,195 And he was dead serious. 20 00:00:56,195 --> 00:00:56,865 He wasn't joking. 21 00:00:57,264 --> 00:01:00,665 And I could not play in front of this dude. 22 00:01:00,675 --> 00:01:02,205 I played trumpet, the best instrument. 23 00:01:02,515 --> 00:01:05,695 And I just would shut down. 24 00:01:05,715 --> 00:01:07,025 I would be all shaky. 25 00:01:07,175 --> 00:01:08,695 I would forget things. 26 00:01:08,715 --> 00:01:09,965 I was so scared of this guy. 27 00:01:09,985 --> 00:01:10,784 And I was pretty good. 28 00:01:11,090 --> 00:01:15,220 But I was not good in front of this guy because I was afraid. 29 00:01:15,230 --> 00:01:18,080 I was so nervous and so worried that it would shut down. 30 00:01:18,080 --> 00:01:20,829 And I'm sure you guys have felt like that, maybe not around people, but 31 00:01:20,830 --> 00:01:24,270 maybe in certain situations where you just feel so anxious, so worried, 32 00:01:24,630 --> 00:01:26,870 so nervous that you can't function. 33 00:01:27,200 --> 00:01:31,020 Your brain shuts down, you start shaking, trembling, maybe you start sweating. 34 00:01:31,350 --> 00:01:32,350 You can't think straight. 35 00:01:32,350 --> 00:01:34,890 If someone asked you two plus two, you would say 27. 36 00:01:35,130 --> 00:01:37,920 You don't know anything and see. 37 00:01:38,485 --> 00:01:45,455 If you don't learn how to look at your anxiety and push through and 38 00:01:46,475 --> 00:01:50,764 trust the Lord and find some sort of peace and comfort, you're going to be 39 00:01:50,765 --> 00:01:54,315 stuck in that situation over and over and over for the rest of your life. 40 00:01:54,705 --> 00:01:59,455 Because as you get older, your anxieties are only going to come 41 00:01:59,455 --> 00:02:01,505 to life in bigger situations. 42 00:02:01,605 --> 00:02:05,535 If you think tests are hard, what about a job interview where your whole family 43 00:02:05,535 --> 00:02:06,835 is counting on you to make money? 44 00:02:07,185 --> 00:02:07,924 Or if you think. 45 00:02:09,375 --> 00:02:12,905 You're, uh, you know, being, trying to decide what to wear in 46 00:02:12,905 --> 00:02:14,135 the morning before school is hard. 47 00:02:14,145 --> 00:02:16,635 What about when you're trying to figure out what to feed your 48 00:02:16,635 --> 00:02:18,255 kids, or how to take care of them? 49 00:02:18,495 --> 00:02:21,045 Or when you're carrying a child, and you're not sure if 50 00:02:21,055 --> 00:02:22,495 your child is gonna be okay. 51 00:02:22,815 --> 00:02:27,204 So, if you don't learn how to deal with your anxieties now, as 52 00:02:27,204 --> 00:02:30,204 a young person, it's only going to get harder as you get older. 53 00:02:30,235 --> 00:02:32,105 So, it's really important to grasp that right now. 54 00:02:32,115 --> 00:02:36,125 So, Jesus actually talks about anxieties right here in the Gospel of Matthew. 55 00:02:36,125 --> 00:02:38,275 So, go to Matthew chapter 6. 56 00:02:39,185 --> 00:02:39,995 Matthew chapter 6. 57 00:02:40,005 --> 00:02:45,165 We're going to be continuing our series in the Gospel of Matthew, and you 58 00:02:45,165 --> 00:02:48,655 guys probably have heard this before. 59 00:02:49,035 --> 00:02:52,325 It's a very famous passage, but Matthew chapter 6 60 00:02:54,605 --> 00:02:58,175 I'm going to be covering verses 24 to 34. 61 00:02:58,175 --> 00:03:00,635 Now, if you were paying attention last week, you know that Pastor Rod 62 00:03:00,635 --> 00:03:02,435 already preached on verse 24 last week. 63 00:03:02,735 --> 00:03:08,225 But, I'm connecting these because I think Jesus is connecting them as He talks. 64 00:03:08,225 --> 00:03:08,805 And do you know why? 65 00:03:08,805 --> 00:03:10,215 What does verse 25 start with? 66 00:03:10,215 --> 00:03:12,755 It starts with a word, compound word. 67 00:03:12,755 --> 00:03:17,454 It says, Therefore, and when you come, read a therefore in the Bible. 68 00:03:17,545 --> 00:03:18,395 You know what you're supposed to ask? 69 00:03:19,845 --> 00:03:21,545 What's the therefore therefore? 70 00:03:21,545 --> 00:03:23,825 There we go, all my Sunday School graduates. 71 00:03:23,905 --> 00:03:25,875 It's coming through in the clutch. 72 00:03:25,875 --> 00:03:27,245 So what's the therefore therefore? 73 00:03:27,245 --> 00:03:28,595 Well let's read verse 24. 74 00:03:28,595 --> 00:03:29,435 Look at it there with me. 75 00:03:29,825 --> 00:03:36,015 No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love 76 00:03:36,025 --> 00:03:39,745 the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. 77 00:03:39,875 --> 00:03:43,645 You cannot serve God and money. 78 00:03:44,295 --> 00:03:47,275 So Jesus is saying, hey, you have, you can't have divided loyalties. 79 00:03:47,285 --> 00:03:50,415 You can only really ever truly serve one person. 80 00:03:50,425 --> 00:03:53,335 You can only have one most important thing in your life. 81 00:03:53,720 --> 00:03:59,020 Therefore, verse 25, I tell you, don't be anxious about your life, what you're 82 00:03:59,020 --> 00:04:02,490 gonna eat, what you'll drink, nor about your body, what you'll put on. 83 00:04:02,950 --> 00:04:06,150 Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 84 00:04:06,220 --> 00:04:08,250 Isn't there more to life than what you wear and what you eat? 85 00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:10,620 Look at the birds of the air. 86 00:04:11,060 --> 00:04:14,030 They neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your 87 00:04:14,040 --> 00:04:15,530 heavenly Father feeds them. 88 00:04:16,320 --> 00:04:18,480 Are you not of more value than they are? 89 00:04:19,149 --> 00:04:23,615 And which of you, by being anxious, can add a single hour To his span of life. 90 00:04:24,335 --> 00:04:26,405 Does being anxious ever help you? 91 00:04:27,225 --> 00:04:28,125 That's what Jesus is asking. 92 00:04:28,495 --> 00:04:30,535 And why are you being anxious about clothing? 93 00:04:30,715 --> 00:04:33,205 Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. 94 00:04:33,475 --> 00:04:35,125 They neither toil nor spin, right? 95 00:04:35,125 --> 00:04:36,534 They can't make their own clothes. 96 00:04:37,284 --> 00:04:42,725 But I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory, the richest man in history, was 97 00:04:42,725 --> 00:04:45,345 not arrayed or clothed like one of these. 98 00:04:45,965 --> 00:04:49,525 But if God so clothed the grass of the field, which today is alive and 99 00:04:49,525 --> 00:04:51,045 tomorrow is thrown into the oven. 100 00:04:51,725 --> 00:04:55,455 Will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 101 00:04:56,875 --> 00:05:00,215 Therefore, do not be anxious, saying, What shall we eat, or what shall 102 00:05:00,215 --> 00:05:01,545 we drink, or what should we wear? 103 00:05:01,905 --> 00:05:05,375 For the Gentiles, the people who don't know God, seek after all 104 00:05:05,375 --> 00:05:09,295 these things, and your Heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 105 00:05:10,295 --> 00:05:14,405 But, seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all 106 00:05:14,405 --> 00:05:15,565 these things will be added to you. 107 00:05:16,225 --> 00:05:20,355 Therefore, third time, don't be anxious about tomorrow, for 108 00:05:20,355 --> 00:05:22,105 tomorrow will be anxious for itself. 109 00:05:22,335 --> 00:05:24,975 Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. 110 00:05:24,975 --> 00:05:27,095 Today is enough trouble of its own. 111 00:05:27,645 --> 00:05:32,315 So there's a long passage that Jesus talks about anxiety, and what he's really 112 00:05:32,525 --> 00:05:37,675 pointing out here is that your anxiety, your, your worry, your concern is a 113 00:05:37,675 --> 00:05:41,235 matter of your attention, your focus. 114 00:05:41,835 --> 00:05:45,275 What anxiety comes down to is what you're focused on. 115 00:05:46,115 --> 00:05:47,135 What you're looking at. 116 00:05:47,135 --> 00:05:48,555 What's preoccupying your thoughts. 117 00:05:48,555 --> 00:05:49,865 What you're concerned with. 118 00:05:50,335 --> 00:05:54,105 That's what anxiety and worry comes down to. 119 00:05:54,885 --> 00:06:02,565 And so what I want you guys to grasp today is that anxiety is a 120 00:06:02,575 --> 00:06:05,105 matter of what you're focused on. 121 00:06:05,105 --> 00:06:07,515 And so Jesus, he says, doesn't just say don't be anxious. 122 00:06:07,515 --> 00:06:08,815 Instead he says something else. 123 00:06:08,815 --> 00:06:10,375 He says seek first the Kingdom of God. 124 00:06:10,375 --> 00:06:14,285 And the way I put that for you is to focus. 125 00:06:15,085 --> 00:06:19,295 on God, His righteousness, His priorities. 126 00:06:19,295 --> 00:06:22,255 And let me see, I closed my slide app. 127 00:06:22,325 --> 00:06:23,655 Now I need to get it open again. 128 00:06:24,005 --> 00:06:27,805 This will help me do much better staying organized for you. 129 00:06:34,284 --> 00:06:35,625 I'm, I don't have it up. 130 00:06:35,784 --> 00:06:37,225 So I'll need you to run it from the back. 131 00:06:38,015 --> 00:06:44,805 So we want to focus on God's priority, on His fatherly care 132 00:06:44,815 --> 00:06:47,175 for us and His lasting kingdom. 133 00:06:47,665 --> 00:06:50,685 Instead of worrying about what we think we need. 134 00:06:52,185 --> 00:06:54,125 That's what we want to focus on. 135 00:06:54,525 --> 00:06:57,925 Is we want to fight anxiety with our focus. 136 00:06:58,225 --> 00:07:00,575 Instead of focusing on what we think we need, right? 137 00:07:00,575 --> 00:07:02,265 What we wear, what we drink, what we eat. 138 00:07:02,575 --> 00:07:05,085 We want to focus on things that matter. 139 00:07:05,085 --> 00:07:09,045 Things that help us find peace and comfort. 140 00:07:10,765 --> 00:07:13,305 Now look with me back at verse 24. 141 00:07:13,305 --> 00:07:14,845 I think there's a reason here. 142 00:07:15,685 --> 00:07:21,990 Why Jesus Connects, verse 24 and 25. 143 00:07:22,000 --> 00:07:23,160 He's talking about your master, right? 144 00:07:23,160 --> 00:07:23,890 Verse 24. 145 00:07:23,960 --> 00:07:25,150 No one can serve two masters. 146 00:07:25,430 --> 00:07:29,800 So what he's saying is if you're mastered by this world, you will 147 00:07:29,800 --> 00:07:32,010 be anxious about worldly things. 148 00:07:32,060 --> 00:07:36,170 If your master is money, or fame, or approval, or people's opinions of you, 149 00:07:36,510 --> 00:07:42,990 or success, you're gonna be mastered, controlled, serving, worldly things. 150 00:07:43,760 --> 00:07:47,420 But if your master is God, if you're serving the Lord, you'll 151 00:07:47,430 --> 00:07:48,800 be concerned with His glory. 152 00:07:48,810 --> 00:07:52,680 You want to make God look good, and His priorities, or His kingdom. 153 00:07:54,210 --> 00:07:58,250 Your master, and we saw earlier in verse 19, right, where your, 154 00:07:58,480 --> 00:08:02,300 or verse 21, where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 155 00:08:02,300 --> 00:08:08,560 So, your master and your treasure capture your focus and your concern. 156 00:08:09,705 --> 00:08:13,245 Your master and your treasure capture your focus and your concern. 157 00:08:13,255 --> 00:08:17,735 See, Jesus makes anxiety an issue of your focus, your attention. 158 00:08:18,825 --> 00:08:22,725 If I put it another way, anxiety is paying too much attention to 159 00:08:22,725 --> 00:08:26,865 the wrong things, and not enough attention to the right things. 160 00:08:26,875 --> 00:08:30,405 You're being too concerned about something. 161 00:08:31,455 --> 00:08:34,924 And so we want to focus, instead of focusing on what we think we need, or 162 00:08:34,924 --> 00:08:38,924 our worries, or what we're concerned about, we want to focus on God's fatherly 163 00:08:38,924 --> 00:08:43,275 care and his lasting kingdom, instead of worrying about what we think we need. 164 00:08:43,565 --> 00:08:47,565 And that's the main reason Jesus gives his disciples not to be anxious. 165 00:08:47,695 --> 00:08:48,645 He says, don't be anxious. 166 00:08:48,665 --> 00:08:49,025 Why? 167 00:08:49,075 --> 00:08:50,195 Why, why should I not be anxious? 168 00:08:50,215 --> 00:08:51,575 He says, you kept saying that over and over. 169 00:08:52,135 --> 00:08:55,055 Well, the first thing is to remember that God will take care of you. 170 00:08:55,125 --> 00:08:56,535 So point number one, write it down like this. 171 00:08:56,725 --> 00:08:58,585 Remember your father. 172 00:08:59,535 --> 00:09:00,455 Remember. 173 00:09:01,185 --> 00:09:01,875 Your father, 174 00:09:03,915 --> 00:09:10,665 Jesus keeps drawing their attention back to who God is and, and what he's like. 175 00:09:12,715 --> 00:09:16,975 Look at the, in the end of verse 26, he talks about the birds and he says, 176 00:09:16,975 --> 00:09:19,225 but your heavenly father feeds them. 177 00:09:19,825 --> 00:09:23,605 And then he goes down and talks about the lilies and then verse 30, but if 178 00:09:23,605 --> 00:09:28,195 God closed the grass of the field, so Jesus keeps bringing their attention 179 00:09:28,435 --> 00:09:30,805 back to God away from their concerns. 180 00:09:30,850 --> 00:09:35,800 So, when you're anxious, you need to remember your father. 181 00:09:35,810 --> 00:09:39,120 The first thing you want to remember about your father is that he knows your needs. 182 00:09:39,560 --> 00:09:40,190 He knows your needs. 183 00:09:40,190 --> 00:09:45,190 Now, I just heard Angelo say this to his son, Levi, about five minutes ago. 184 00:09:45,370 --> 00:09:47,190 Levi walks in here without a jacket. 185 00:09:47,830 --> 00:09:49,480 And Angelo's like, where's your jacket? 186 00:09:50,130 --> 00:09:52,300 And Levi goes, outside. 187 00:09:52,300 --> 00:09:55,760 And he's like, I think you need your jacket. 188 00:09:55,860 --> 00:09:57,320 And Levi's like, I don't need my jacket. 189 00:09:58,230 --> 00:10:00,290 Angelo is much smarter than Levi. 190 00:10:00,320 --> 00:10:01,390 I think we can all agree to that. 191 00:10:01,440 --> 00:10:04,080 Angelo is a billion times smarter than Levi. 192 00:10:06,400 --> 00:10:08,150 He knows what Levi needs. 193 00:10:08,540 --> 00:10:10,950 He knows that Le Even if Levi doesn't think he needs his jacket, 194 00:10:10,960 --> 00:10:12,850 he knows Levi needs his jacket. 195 00:10:13,220 --> 00:10:15,310 Levi doesn't think he needs it, but Levi doesn't know that he 196 00:10:15,310 --> 00:10:16,380 might get sick if he's cold. 197 00:10:16,830 --> 00:10:19,940 Levi doesn't know that it's gonna get colder in an hour. 198 00:10:20,620 --> 00:10:21,460 But Angelo knows that. 199 00:10:21,460 --> 00:10:23,990 Angelo is a loving father, a caring father. 200 00:10:24,000 --> 00:10:26,420 He knows what his son needs. 201 00:10:29,425 --> 00:10:33,745 Now, your father in heaven knows your needs better than you do. 202 00:10:34,315 --> 00:10:38,585 See, compared to God, we think Levi might be silly compared to Angelo, but compared 203 00:10:38,585 --> 00:10:42,865 to God, we're way dumber than Levi. 204 00:10:43,695 --> 00:10:45,965 And God is way smarter than Angelo. 205 00:10:46,705 --> 00:10:51,165 And so, us, talking back to God, God, I don't need my jacket. 206 00:10:53,235 --> 00:10:56,345 We look so silly when we think, oh God, I know much better, I 207 00:10:56,345 --> 00:10:57,255 know so much better than you. 208 00:10:57,895 --> 00:10:58,745 I know what I need. 209 00:10:58,785 --> 00:11:00,465 I know what's best for me, God. 210 00:11:01,995 --> 00:11:04,415 See, God is a genius. 211 00:11:04,585 --> 00:11:05,655 God knows everything. 212 00:11:05,655 --> 00:11:06,395 God made you. 213 00:11:06,405 --> 00:11:10,035 He knows exactly what you're like, what you need, how your thoughts work. 214 00:11:10,055 --> 00:11:13,105 God knows exactly what's good for you, what's best for you. 215 00:11:14,955 --> 00:11:17,255 You know, sometimes we don't know what's best for us. 216 00:11:17,255 --> 00:11:18,595 We don't know exactly what we need. 217 00:11:18,595 --> 00:11:20,125 We don't know ourselves perfectly. 218 00:11:20,695 --> 00:11:22,765 But God knows us perfectly. 219 00:11:22,855 --> 00:11:27,035 And so He knows our needs even better than we do. 220 00:11:27,955 --> 00:11:30,415 The second thing I want you to remember about God is that 221 00:11:30,415 --> 00:11:33,855 He wants to meet your needs. 222 00:11:34,855 --> 00:11:35,895 God wants to meet your needs. 223 00:11:35,905 --> 00:11:38,975 Something over and over again in this passage that Jesus says 224 00:11:38,975 --> 00:11:42,465 is, don't worry because, why? 225 00:11:42,485 --> 00:11:44,335 Because God will take care of you. 226 00:11:45,355 --> 00:11:49,975 God knows what you need and He wants to do something about it. 227 00:11:50,425 --> 00:11:54,835 Now, something that revolutionized my Christian life a few years ago. 228 00:11:55,145 --> 00:12:00,435 was when I realized that God is more committed to my good than I am. 229 00:12:02,375 --> 00:12:05,115 God is more committed to my good than I am. 230 00:12:05,515 --> 00:12:09,085 God's more committed to my eternal happiness and satisfaction and 231 00:12:09,085 --> 00:12:12,505 security and safety than I am. 232 00:12:13,155 --> 00:12:15,975 I want me to be happy, but God actually wants me to be 233 00:12:15,975 --> 00:12:17,805 happier than I want me to be. 234 00:12:19,095 --> 00:12:20,645 I don't know if you've ever thought about that before. 235 00:12:21,575 --> 00:12:25,855 But because of the first part, God is wise and knows our needs. 236 00:12:25,985 --> 00:12:29,185 He knows exactly what's best for us, and He wants to give that to 237 00:12:29,185 --> 00:12:30,485 us, even when we don't want it. 238 00:12:31,935 --> 00:12:35,765 And when we're anxious, it's because we're either receiving something 239 00:12:35,765 --> 00:12:36,965 that we don't want from God. 240 00:12:37,055 --> 00:12:38,475 Like, God, I don't want this test. 241 00:12:38,795 --> 00:12:41,525 God, uh, I'm scared about what my friends think of me. 242 00:12:41,695 --> 00:12:46,855 God, I'm afraid of what's gonna happen if this happens in my family. 243 00:12:49,140 --> 00:12:51,760 But we don't know that God actually is using that for good. 244 00:12:52,900 --> 00:12:55,180 And not just kind of good. 245 00:12:55,530 --> 00:12:58,200 It's actually way better than anything we could come up with for ourself. 246 00:12:58,510 --> 00:13:01,050 And God wants us to not have to worry about it. 247 00:13:01,770 --> 00:13:03,100 He wants us to not worry. 248 00:13:03,950 --> 00:13:06,540 That's the whole, it's not like, Oh, don't be anxious, don't be anxious. 249 00:13:06,550 --> 00:13:07,510 You suck because you're anxious. 250 00:13:07,510 --> 00:13:09,500 No, God's like, I don't want you to be stressed. 251 00:13:10,420 --> 00:13:11,990 That's what, that's where God's coming from. 252 00:13:11,990 --> 00:13:13,800 That's God's heart for you in this passage. 253 00:13:15,320 --> 00:13:17,400 It's just, I don't want you to worry. 254 00:13:17,550 --> 00:13:20,490 I don't want you to, to be so concerned about what, what 255 00:13:20,500 --> 00:13:22,460 you're, what you think you need. 256 00:13:22,770 --> 00:13:25,660 I want you to trust me and let me take care of you. 257 00:13:27,180 --> 00:13:30,090 And the third thing I want you to remember about God is that 258 00:13:30,090 --> 00:13:31,690 God is able to meet your needs. 259 00:13:31,690 --> 00:13:35,600 And maybe this is the easiest for you to get so far, but God 260 00:13:35,680 --> 00:13:36,980 can give you what you need. 261 00:13:38,220 --> 00:13:41,580 And so something you'll talk about in small groups is that if God doesn't 262 00:13:41,590 --> 00:13:43,765 give you something, Guess why? 263 00:13:44,415 --> 00:13:48,345 Well one, he's smart so he knows you don't need it. 264 00:13:48,995 --> 00:13:52,235 Two, he loves you so he knows it's actually better for you not to have it. 265 00:13:53,175 --> 00:13:56,755 And three, he could give it to you and so obviously he doesn't want to. 266 00:13:57,215 --> 00:13:59,315 So you don't need to worry about not having something 267 00:13:59,315 --> 00:14:00,145 and being stressed about it. 268 00:14:00,465 --> 00:14:03,435 Or, oh what if I, what if I get this thing? 269 00:14:03,435 --> 00:14:06,205 That would be so much better if I, if I could maybe sin 270 00:14:06,205 --> 00:14:07,345 in this way or do this thing. 271 00:14:07,345 --> 00:14:09,645 Well no, you don't, you don't need to worry about it because God 272 00:14:10,090 --> 00:14:11,740 Has what's best for you in mind. 273 00:14:11,770 --> 00:14:14,540 Maybe you're anxious because you're like, Oh, well, if I obey God, then 274 00:14:15,450 --> 00:14:17,090 this isn't gonna go very well for me. 275 00:14:17,240 --> 00:14:17,410 Right? 276 00:14:17,430 --> 00:14:18,640 These people aren't gonna like me. 277 00:14:18,840 --> 00:14:21,130 Or those people won't be friends with me anymore. 278 00:14:21,130 --> 00:14:23,390 Or I'll get made fun of, or I'll lose this opportunity. 279 00:14:23,390 --> 00:14:24,690 I won't get into that school. 280 00:14:24,970 --> 00:14:26,410 I'll miss out on that experience. 281 00:14:28,310 --> 00:14:30,830 What God's saying in that moment is, you don't need that. 282 00:14:31,460 --> 00:14:32,280 It's not good for you. 283 00:14:32,280 --> 00:14:33,680 I have something better for you. 284 00:14:33,860 --> 00:14:35,720 So trust me, and let me take care of you. 285 00:14:38,865 --> 00:14:43,545 Now, it might not seem like, Oh, this is just gonna calm me down if I 286 00:14:43,605 --> 00:14:45,685 just remember some facts about God. 287 00:14:46,995 --> 00:14:49,625 But, I think that's exactly what Jesus is saying. 288 00:14:49,625 --> 00:14:57,075 Jesus expects these facts, and reasons, and promises to make a difference in your 289 00:14:57,995 --> 00:14:59,745 anxiety, and what you're concerned about. 290 00:15:00,655 --> 00:15:03,545 When Jesus says, and something that really shocked me when I read this 291 00:15:03,545 --> 00:15:07,485 passage is, in this whole passage about anxiety, Jesus never says to pray. 292 00:15:08,695 --> 00:15:09,775 Never mentions it. 293 00:15:10,185 --> 00:15:11,865 Instead, he tells you facts. 294 00:15:12,115 --> 00:15:13,535 He tells you reasons. 295 00:15:13,535 --> 00:15:14,635 He argues with you. 296 00:15:14,645 --> 00:15:16,365 He gives you promises to believe. 297 00:15:16,745 --> 00:15:21,085 Because he expects those to make a difference in what you're concerned about. 298 00:15:22,145 --> 00:15:26,205 He'll say something true to you and he expects that to make a 299 00:15:26,205 --> 00:15:29,825 difference in how you feel and what you're, what you're focused on. 300 00:15:29,835 --> 00:15:31,025 Where you put your attention. 301 00:15:32,520 --> 00:15:36,270 . So if Jesus expects those to make a difference, then what do I do 302 00:15:36,270 --> 00:15:37,620 when, when it's hard to believe? 303 00:15:38,160 --> 00:15:38,910 'cause we've all been there. 304 00:15:38,910 --> 00:15:40,770 I I, I'm nervous. 305 00:15:41,085 --> 00:15:44,910 I, I know what the right thing to do is, but I, I'm stressed about it. 306 00:15:44,910 --> 00:15:45,840 I, I don't know what to do. 307 00:15:47,310 --> 00:15:53,430 Well, the, the link between facts or promises and getting to where your heart 308 00:15:53,430 --> 00:15:56,880 needs to be of peace or comfort is faith. 309 00:15:57,820 --> 00:16:01,540 That's, that's how you get from facts, arguments, and reasons to 310 00:16:01,810 --> 00:16:05,420 peace, comfort, and trust in the Lord. 311 00:16:06,160 --> 00:16:12,070 And so, the second thing to do in anxiety is to strengthen your faith. 312 00:16:13,710 --> 00:16:18,440 See, the opposite of worry is faith. 313 00:16:18,890 --> 00:16:25,364 I had a professor in college who had this really memorable line that stuck with me. 314 00:16:25,815 --> 00:16:31,165 For the past few years, he said anxiety is a mild form of atheism. 315 00:16:32,725 --> 00:16:34,855 Anxiety is a mild form of atheism. 316 00:16:35,485 --> 00:16:38,755 So, when you're anxious, you're functionally living 317 00:16:39,115 --> 00:16:40,365 as if God doesn't exist. 318 00:16:41,295 --> 00:16:46,965 You're living as though God wouldn't, doesn't care about you, 319 00:16:46,965 --> 00:16:50,005 or can't do what he says he can do. 320 00:16:50,450 --> 00:16:53,840 Or isn't involved in your life. 321 00:16:54,150 --> 00:16:57,980 So anxiety is a mild form of atheism. 322 00:16:59,200 --> 00:17:02,640 And so the opposite of anxiety is faith. 323 00:17:03,150 --> 00:17:08,310 So, how do I get faith when I don't have it? 324 00:17:09,880 --> 00:17:12,520 Well, I have three things for you. 325 00:17:12,829 --> 00:17:15,130 How do I get faith when I don't have it? 326 00:17:15,130 --> 00:17:16,003 How do I get faith when I don't have it? 327 00:17:17,055 --> 00:17:19,895 Well, the first thing, so strengthen your faith is point two. 328 00:17:20,105 --> 00:17:24,875 The first thing to how to strengthen your faith is to ask God. 329 00:17:25,244 --> 00:17:26,194 Ask God for help. 330 00:17:28,304 --> 00:17:34,175 We're going to see this all over the Bible, but specifically in the longest 331 00:17:34,175 --> 00:17:36,095 chapter of the Bible in Psalm 119. 332 00:17:36,095 --> 00:17:39,965 Psalm 119 is actually a very emotional psalm. 333 00:17:39,965 --> 00:17:41,085 It's the longest chapter in the Bible. 334 00:17:41,085 --> 00:17:42,794 It's all about the Bible. 335 00:17:42,805 --> 00:17:45,585 So, and what you find. 336 00:17:46,035 --> 00:17:49,445 Are these very high highs of like, Oh, I love the Bible. 337 00:17:49,445 --> 00:17:50,665 The Bible is the greatest thing ever. 338 00:17:50,695 --> 00:17:51,765 God is amazing. 339 00:17:51,975 --> 00:17:55,415 It's so easy to obey God and i'm read this and i'm like, man, I wish 340 00:17:55,415 --> 00:18:01,374 I was like you dude And then you find stuff like this Incline my heart to 341 00:18:01,375 --> 00:18:05,635 your testimonies and not to selfish gain Now if this dude is such a rock 342 00:18:05,635 --> 00:18:08,345 star christian and loves god all the time, why does he need to say that? 343 00:18:09,855 --> 00:18:15,295 Because he's human he needs help and so we ask god god my heart You Is 344 00:18:15,295 --> 00:18:18,225 in, you know, incline is, is like on a treadmill when it's like leaning, 345 00:18:18,245 --> 00:18:19,775 right, or like you're going up or down. 346 00:18:19,995 --> 00:18:21,695 Incline like bending or leaning. 347 00:18:21,695 --> 00:18:25,495 He says, my heart naturally leans towards selfishness. 348 00:18:26,264 --> 00:18:27,304 God, I need your help. 349 00:18:27,304 --> 00:18:29,304 I need you to lean me the other way. 350 00:18:29,960 --> 00:18:30,990 Towards your testimony. 351 00:18:31,000 --> 00:18:31,750 That's God's Word. 352 00:18:32,640 --> 00:18:34,920 And so, he's crying out to God. 353 00:18:34,920 --> 00:18:38,159 And you see this, I just started reading the psalm and wrote down 354 00:18:38,160 --> 00:18:39,050 all the times that it happened. 355 00:18:39,050 --> 00:18:40,350 I gave up after 36. 356 00:18:40,350 --> 00:18:43,720 I was like, there's, there's 176 verses and there's way 357 00:18:43,720 --> 00:18:45,409 more than what I put on there. 358 00:18:45,409 --> 00:18:50,080 But, he's over and over asking God, God, help me believe your Word. 359 00:18:50,080 --> 00:18:50,960 Help me love your Word. 360 00:18:50,970 --> 00:18:52,390 Help me want to do your Word. 361 00:18:53,820 --> 00:18:56,380 And so, don't just be like, oh, well, I read this passage and it 362 00:18:56,380 --> 00:18:57,330 didn't make a difference in my life. 363 00:18:58,260 --> 00:18:59,720 Ask God to help you. 364 00:18:59,880 --> 00:19:01,750 Ask God, help me believe your promises. 365 00:19:01,860 --> 00:19:08,339 So when you're worried about, oh, you know, uh, If I, my friends at 366 00:19:08,340 --> 00:19:12,650 school find out that I'm a Christian, they're gonna leave me, right? 367 00:19:12,650 --> 00:19:13,910 Then, what do you do? 368 00:19:13,910 --> 00:19:17,810 Uh, okay, I need to know something about God. 369 00:19:17,810 --> 00:19:19,430 I need a fact or a reason, right? 370 00:19:19,750 --> 00:19:24,580 So that's when you have to know God's Word, and you say, Okay, um, Jesus said, 371 00:19:24,820 --> 00:19:27,080 um, I will never leave you or forsake you. 372 00:19:27,140 --> 00:19:27,740 Okay, great. 373 00:19:27,890 --> 00:19:32,970 Even if my friends leave me, I'll always have Jesus to embrace me and love me. 374 00:19:32,970 --> 00:19:35,750 Okay, God, that doesn't seem much better. 375 00:19:35,780 --> 00:19:37,790 I'd rather have my friends than Jesus. 376 00:19:37,920 --> 00:19:39,190 I think that's where a lot of you are at, right? 377 00:19:39,190 --> 00:19:41,240 I'd rather be with my friends than be with Jesus. 378 00:19:41,970 --> 00:19:42,700 Well, ask God. 379 00:19:42,700 --> 00:19:44,280 Help me want Jesus. 380 00:19:45,020 --> 00:19:48,750 God, I really have a hard time choosing you over my friends. 381 00:19:49,330 --> 00:19:52,510 Please help me to love you. 382 00:19:52,540 --> 00:19:56,440 To, to, to want you more than I want the approval of my friends. 383 00:19:57,480 --> 00:19:59,190 Ask God for help, and He wants to help you. 384 00:19:59,210 --> 00:20:04,330 God's not like, alright, once you ask four times, then I'll God wants to help you. 385 00:20:05,190 --> 00:20:09,150 He wants you to, to not have to worry or be anxious. 386 00:20:10,870 --> 00:20:15,305 And the second thing Is to argue with yourself. 387 00:20:15,335 --> 00:20:16,285 I know this sounds weird. 388 00:20:16,405 --> 00:20:19,265 I almost made this the whole point instead of strengthening your faith I almost 389 00:20:19,595 --> 00:20:22,015 made it argue with your weak faith. 390 00:20:22,065 --> 00:20:29,045 Look at our passage again in Matthew 6 Look at verse 30 So Jesus is talking 391 00:20:29,624 --> 00:20:34,675 and he says but if God Closed the grass of the field which today is alive and 392 00:20:34,675 --> 00:20:36,025 tomorrow is thrown into the oven, right? 393 00:20:36,025 --> 00:20:37,895 So there's God cares. 394 00:20:37,905 --> 00:20:39,265 He makes the grass grow. 395 00:20:39,385 --> 00:20:42,845 He makes sure that the birds are okay, even in the winter and the snow. 396 00:20:43,085 --> 00:20:44,455 Did you go outside after the snow? 397 00:20:44,665 --> 00:20:46,625 And we saw like birds and squirrels. 398 00:20:46,625 --> 00:20:47,795 I was like, man, they were outside. 399 00:20:47,795 --> 00:20:48,535 They didn't have a heater. 400 00:20:48,754 --> 00:20:50,665 They didn't, they survived all of that. 401 00:20:52,075 --> 00:20:53,625 So God clothes the grass. 402 00:20:53,625 --> 00:20:54,605 He makes it grow. 403 00:20:54,605 --> 00:20:55,235 He takes care of it. 404 00:20:55,235 --> 00:20:58,155 Will he not much more clothe you? 405 00:20:58,565 --> 00:21:02,485 And then this phrase right here, O you of little faith. 406 00:21:03,635 --> 00:21:08,085 Did you know that that is actually just, it's one word in Jesus original language, 407 00:21:08,595 --> 00:21:10,425 and it's probably a word that he made up. 408 00:21:11,265 --> 00:21:14,085 Jesus is like, I'm going to be Shakespeare before Shakespeare and 409 00:21:14,085 --> 00:21:16,044 make up a word that didn't exist. 410 00:21:16,595 --> 00:21:18,444 And so Jesus loves this word. 411 00:21:18,455 --> 00:21:21,074 He uses it in the Gospel of Matthew specifically. 412 00:21:21,375 --> 00:21:25,555 And so I looked, okay, when does Jesus use this word? 413 00:21:25,555 --> 00:21:28,395 When does he say, oh, you of little faith? 414 00:21:28,614 --> 00:21:30,405 Well, he uses it. 415 00:21:31,550 --> 00:21:36,360 When he's arguing with his disciples about why they don't believe. 416 00:21:36,520 --> 00:21:38,990 So these are the three other times in Matthew he uses it. 417 00:21:39,410 --> 00:21:40,310 Why are you afraid? 418 00:21:40,310 --> 00:21:40,890 Are you of little faith? 419 00:21:40,930 --> 00:21:43,400 That's when he's calming a storm, I believe. 420 00:21:43,990 --> 00:21:44,810 Are you of little faith? 421 00:21:44,810 --> 00:21:46,040 Why did you doubt? 422 00:21:46,110 --> 00:21:48,990 So this is all related to fear and anxiety. 423 00:21:48,990 --> 00:21:50,908 Or are you of little faith? 424 00:21:50,908 --> 00:21:55,064 Why are you discussing with yourself the fact that you have no breath? 425 00:21:55,064 --> 00:21:55,383 Right? 426 00:21:55,383 --> 00:21:59,539 And then look what he does, especially at the bottom here in 16th. 427 00:21:59,960 --> 00:22:01,220 Do you not perceive? 428 00:22:01,230 --> 00:22:02,340 Don't you see this? 429 00:22:02,790 --> 00:22:04,430 Or do you not remember? 430 00:22:04,940 --> 00:22:08,170 Or, how is it that you fail to understand? 431 00:22:08,410 --> 00:22:10,230 You see, these are all, this is all up here. 432 00:22:12,340 --> 00:22:13,990 Don't you understand this? 433 00:22:14,059 --> 00:22:15,060 Don't you remember this? 434 00:22:16,420 --> 00:22:18,830 He's almost arguing with the disciples. 435 00:22:18,859 --> 00:22:22,120 Hey, come on, don't you, don't you remember? 436 00:22:24,070 --> 00:22:25,840 I Control the wind and the waves. 437 00:22:25,930 --> 00:22:28,440 Don't you remember I can give you food. 438 00:22:28,570 --> 00:22:31,560 Don't you remember I can take care of you Don't you remember I can do anything. 439 00:22:31,560 --> 00:22:32,170 Don't you remember? 440 00:22:32,200 --> 00:22:38,290 I love you, and I think that's what Jesus wants us to do With our anxiety. 441 00:22:38,299 --> 00:22:43,010 He wants us to to look at ourselves and say come on self Like don't 442 00:22:43,010 --> 00:22:47,230 you know don't you under don't you remember God look look what he's done. 443 00:22:47,570 --> 00:22:51,790 Look what he can do Look how powerful God is. 444 00:22:51,790 --> 00:22:53,360 Look what he said in his word. 445 00:22:53,490 --> 00:22:54,610 When has God let you down? 446 00:22:54,620 --> 00:22:55,990 He wants you to argue with yourself. 447 00:22:55,990 --> 00:23:02,330 In fact, one way to look at this passage is eight reasons not to be anxious. 448 00:23:03,560 --> 00:23:04,420 I put them all up here. 449 00:23:04,420 --> 00:23:05,280 You don't have to write all this down. 450 00:23:05,710 --> 00:23:10,750 But basically what I did is I just went to the passage and went, okay, this 451 00:23:10,750 --> 00:23:14,370 entire passage is basically just Jesus giving you reasons not to be anxious. 452 00:23:15,980 --> 00:23:18,630 And I think what he wants you to do is he wants you to do this with yourself. 453 00:23:19,440 --> 00:23:22,600 He wants you to look yourself in the mirror and say, well, look, 454 00:23:23,980 --> 00:23:27,150 why am I so worried about whether God's going to take care of me? 455 00:23:27,210 --> 00:23:29,490 Isn't my life more than just existing? 456 00:23:30,140 --> 00:23:34,860 Isn't it just more than more than just eating and drinking and staying alive? 457 00:23:34,880 --> 00:23:36,230 Isn't there more to life than that? 458 00:23:37,060 --> 00:23:40,060 Or reason number two, look at the birds. 459 00:23:40,720 --> 00:23:41,780 God takes care of them. 460 00:23:42,170 --> 00:23:44,150 Aren't you much more important than a bird 461 00:23:47,590 --> 00:23:48,990 or reason number three and so on. 462 00:23:48,990 --> 00:23:49,199 Right? 463 00:23:49,260 --> 00:23:51,280 So all of these are arguments. 464 00:23:51,550 --> 00:23:53,880 It's for why you don't have to worry. 465 00:23:55,150 --> 00:23:58,680 And this isn't just something you do once, and, oh, I read Matthew 466 00:23:58,680 --> 00:24:00,360 6 and I'm never going to be anxious for the rest of my life. 467 00:24:00,740 --> 00:24:01,610 That's not how this works. 468 00:24:02,179 --> 00:24:07,330 You have to argue with yourself regularly, hey, Louis, don't call yourself 469 00:24:07,330 --> 00:24:12,110 Louis, but hey Louis, why should I, why are you being anxious right now? 470 00:24:12,120 --> 00:24:16,610 Why are you so worried about what your parents are going through? 471 00:24:17,180 --> 00:24:21,040 Why are you so worried about what that person at school thinks? 472 00:24:21,059 --> 00:24:22,360 Why are you so worried? 473 00:24:23,170 --> 00:24:25,340 about the tornado sirens going off. 474 00:24:26,320 --> 00:24:29,640 Don't you know that God is stronger than a tornado? 475 00:24:29,940 --> 00:24:35,949 Don't you know that God is in control of your parents and their relationship? 476 00:24:36,130 --> 00:24:40,489 Don't you know that God's approval lasts way longer than 477 00:24:40,500 --> 00:24:41,710 the approval of your friends? 478 00:24:41,989 --> 00:24:44,440 Don't you know that following God's commands is way better 479 00:24:44,440 --> 00:24:48,304 for you than hanging out and and doing whatever you want to do? 480 00:24:48,675 --> 00:24:49,605 Your friends want you to do. 481 00:24:49,605 --> 00:24:53,285 Don't you know that God's word is so much better for you than snoozing 482 00:24:53,295 --> 00:24:55,145 your alarm six times in the morning? 483 00:24:55,925 --> 00:24:59,465 You have to argue with yourself and say, come on, self. 484 00:25:00,555 --> 00:25:02,045 Do you not understand? 485 00:25:02,665 --> 00:25:02,865 All right. 486 00:25:02,865 --> 00:25:05,975 So when you're worried and in your anxiety, when you're, when 487 00:25:05,975 --> 00:25:11,865 you're paralyzed by fear, you have to put some effort in to get 488 00:25:11,905 --> 00:25:14,415 faith and argue with yourself. 489 00:25:14,455 --> 00:25:15,005 But guess what? 490 00:25:15,205 --> 00:25:16,635 It's not just you doing it on your own. 491 00:25:16,645 --> 00:25:17,145 God wants 492 00:25:19,800 --> 00:25:22,520 That's why we started with ask God, God will help you. 493 00:25:24,700 --> 00:25:27,560 And the third thing you do to strengthen your faith is what this 494 00:25:27,569 --> 00:25:31,870 passage is really all about is to redirect your focus or your attention. 495 00:25:33,590 --> 00:25:38,329 Jesus, what he's done in this passage is made anxiety a matter of your attention. 496 00:25:40,489 --> 00:25:44,269 So, for our third point, I want you to sharpen your focus. 497 00:25:46,785 --> 00:25:48,445 Sharpen your focus. 498 00:25:49,375 --> 00:25:51,605 So there's three things when you're anxious that you need to worry about. 499 00:25:51,605 --> 00:25:53,045 You need to worry about your father. 500 00:25:53,385 --> 00:25:54,915 You need to worry about your faith. 501 00:25:55,034 --> 00:25:56,525 And you need to worry about your focus. 502 00:25:57,225 --> 00:25:59,745 I went to a Baptist seminary, so they all had to start with the same letter. 503 00:26:00,534 --> 00:26:03,115 So, your faith, your father, and your focus. 504 00:26:03,125 --> 00:26:06,435 Those are your keys for dealing with anxiety and worry. 505 00:26:10,300 --> 00:26:14,460 So, the first thing to focus on is what we talked about in the first point. 506 00:26:14,620 --> 00:26:16,950 Focus on examples of God's care. 507 00:26:16,990 --> 00:26:18,920 Look what Jesus does in our passage. 508 00:26:18,920 --> 00:26:20,660 He gives three commands. 509 00:26:20,700 --> 00:26:26,460 The first two are look at the birds and consider the lilies. 510 00:26:26,530 --> 00:26:31,680 Now these words in Jesus original language aren't just, oh, look at the birds, cool. 511 00:26:32,220 --> 00:26:35,000 It's like study them, consider them. 512 00:26:38,320 --> 00:26:43,120 Look, and understand, and think about what's going on. 513 00:26:43,980 --> 00:26:45,630 And that's what he explains, right? 514 00:26:45,650 --> 00:26:47,749 Those are some of the reasons he gives not to be anxious. 515 00:26:48,060 --> 00:26:51,969 It's like, if God takes care of the birds, isn't he gonna take care of you? 516 00:26:52,500 --> 00:26:57,770 So look at God's care for birds, and then think, think about it. 517 00:26:58,260 --> 00:26:58,480 Right? 518 00:26:58,480 --> 00:26:59,950 Don't just look and be like, oh cool, there's a bird. 519 00:27:00,580 --> 00:27:04,060 But look at the bird, and think about, man, God is the reason 520 00:27:04,060 --> 00:27:05,110 that bird's alive right now. 521 00:27:06,155 --> 00:27:09,805 God is the reason that that bird made it through the snow last week. 522 00:27:11,345 --> 00:27:15,264 And if God cares about that, you know, God knows about that bird's last meal. 523 00:27:15,535 --> 00:27:17,004 God knows about that bird's parents. 524 00:27:17,255 --> 00:27:20,115 God knows about where that bird's nest is. 525 00:27:20,365 --> 00:27:22,304 God knows about where that bird's migrating. 526 00:27:22,305 --> 00:27:23,465 God knows everything about that bird. 527 00:27:23,495 --> 00:27:27,675 And surely, if God knows everything about that random bird, He knows more 528 00:27:27,675 --> 00:27:29,265 about you, and He cares more about you. 529 00:27:31,755 --> 00:27:35,625 Now, there is something that I did want to bring up when we're talking about 530 00:27:37,115 --> 00:27:40,435 God's care is what Jesus says, right? 531 00:27:40,435 --> 00:27:44,095 He says, doesn't God feed the birds and clothe the lilies, right? 532 00:27:44,404 --> 00:27:47,204 But the birds still have to go get their food, right? 533 00:27:47,205 --> 00:27:49,705 So what I don't want you to do is take this passage and be like, Oh, 534 00:27:50,365 --> 00:27:51,575 I don't have to do any homework. 535 00:27:51,665 --> 00:27:52,885 God's going to give me good grades. 536 00:27:53,310 --> 00:27:54,320 I don't have to study. 537 00:27:54,600 --> 00:27:55,990 God's going to give me a good test score. 538 00:27:56,300 --> 00:27:59,900 I don't have to do anything with my life because God's going to take care of me. 539 00:28:00,060 --> 00:28:01,280 That's not what Jesus is saying. 540 00:28:01,870 --> 00:28:06,139 But, God provides for the birds through their work. 541 00:28:06,280 --> 00:28:06,450 Right? 542 00:28:06,450 --> 00:28:09,640 The bird has to go fly somewhere and find something and eat it. 543 00:28:09,880 --> 00:28:12,800 Or hide something for the cold weather so it can come back 544 00:28:12,800 --> 00:28:13,510 to it when the snow melts. 545 00:28:13,530 --> 00:28:16,470 The bird has to do work to provide for itself. 546 00:28:16,890 --> 00:28:21,370 But God is the one providing for the bird through the work. 547 00:28:22,200 --> 00:28:27,670 So, That's just a side note in case you were like, well, Lewis said to not work. 548 00:28:28,070 --> 00:28:28,940 That's not what I said. 549 00:28:29,490 --> 00:28:33,310 So anyway, first thing is when you're in, when you're anxious, 550 00:28:33,590 --> 00:28:35,900 focus on examples of God's care. 551 00:28:37,119 --> 00:28:40,759 Of how God is caring for what's, what's happening. 552 00:28:40,759 --> 00:28:44,960 And that's the, one of the main things Jesus wants us to do in this passage. 553 00:28:46,870 --> 00:28:49,460 But also there's great questions that you can ask. 554 00:28:50,210 --> 00:28:55,320 There's questions that you can ask about yourself and your life or other believers. 555 00:28:55,320 --> 00:28:59,440 This is why God puts you in a church, so that there's other people who've 556 00:28:59,440 --> 00:29:02,470 maybe gone through a situation that you've never gone through before, and 557 00:29:02,470 --> 00:29:06,820 it's your first time, you know, going to a new school, or moving out of state. 558 00:29:07,370 --> 00:29:10,220 And you can say, oh man, well God has provided for those people, 559 00:29:10,270 --> 00:29:11,580 so maybe He'll take care of me. 560 00:29:11,600 --> 00:29:13,260 So these are just some questions that I thought of. 561 00:29:13,460 --> 00:29:15,780 How has the Lord taken care of me in the past, right? 562 00:29:15,780 --> 00:29:16,540 That's an easy one. 563 00:29:16,760 --> 00:29:19,660 Okay, well, God's kept me alive up to this point. 564 00:29:19,840 --> 00:29:24,079 Or God's made sure, you know, the situation in the past where my parents 565 00:29:24,079 --> 00:29:26,770 had a hard time, but God made sure that they could get through it. 566 00:29:26,770 --> 00:29:29,890 Or, oh, I had to go to a new school, but God provided friends for me. 567 00:29:30,265 --> 00:29:34,325 Or, I had to get to a new small group, and I had a new leader. 568 00:29:34,405 --> 00:29:37,075 But, you know, God is gonna take care of me, because he'll 569 00:29:37,075 --> 00:29:38,345 connect me with other leaders. 570 00:29:38,345 --> 00:29:40,845 He's always provided people for me in the past. 571 00:29:42,214 --> 00:29:44,804 Or, how has God helped people in similar situations, right? 572 00:29:44,805 --> 00:29:46,154 You can use your Bible. 573 00:29:46,354 --> 00:29:50,494 You can look at church history if you've read missionary biography. 574 00:29:50,494 --> 00:29:52,455 That's why we VBS all the time. 575 00:29:52,735 --> 00:29:54,325 It's like, look how God provided for those people. 576 00:29:54,325 --> 00:29:55,515 Well, he's the same God. 577 00:29:56,125 --> 00:29:58,525 He's the same loving Father. 578 00:29:58,525 --> 00:29:58,805 Amen. 579 00:30:00,125 --> 00:30:02,385 And then this one, this third one is really helpful. 580 00:30:02,685 --> 00:30:06,095 What has God given me right now to help me through this battle? 581 00:30:06,115 --> 00:30:08,145 Because it is a battle with anxiety. 582 00:30:08,155 --> 00:30:10,185 It's not a walk in the park with your worries. 583 00:30:10,575 --> 00:30:11,354 You're fighting. 584 00:30:11,415 --> 00:30:12,465 You're fighting for faith. 585 00:30:12,465 --> 00:30:14,985 You're fighting to put your attention somewhere that, that matters. 586 00:30:16,034 --> 00:30:18,715 And so think, what resources has God given me? 587 00:30:19,135 --> 00:30:21,935 You know, oh, he's given me friends to talk to, a small group 588 00:30:22,005 --> 00:30:24,045 leader, my parents, or his word. 589 00:30:24,055 --> 00:30:25,315 He's given me things that I can use. 590 00:30:29,280 --> 00:30:31,750 So, the first thing to focus on is examples of God's care. 591 00:30:31,750 --> 00:30:36,140 The second thing is on how you can pursue God's priorities. 592 00:30:36,449 --> 00:30:38,330 And that comes from verse 33. 593 00:30:38,330 --> 00:30:39,340 I'll read it for you again. 594 00:30:40,020 --> 00:30:45,149 Verse 33 says, But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, 595 00:30:45,379 --> 00:30:47,850 and all these things, right, what you eat, what you drink, what 596 00:30:47,850 --> 00:30:50,750 you wear, will be added to you. 597 00:30:50,780 --> 00:30:50,820 Amen. 598 00:30:52,610 --> 00:30:53,324 So Boom. 599 00:30:53,325 --> 00:30:57,135 So, so far, up to that, up to verse 33, Jesus said, don't be anxious, 600 00:30:57,135 --> 00:30:58,055 don't be anxious, don't be anxious. 601 00:30:58,795 --> 00:31:03,654 And now he gives a positive command, but instead, instead of worrying about what 602 00:31:03,655 --> 00:31:07,945 you're going to wear, what you're going to eat, I want you to be concerned about or 603 00:31:07,975 --> 00:31:11,345 focus on what I have for you, my kingdom. 604 00:31:11,665 --> 00:31:16,215 And what that means, seek first the kingdom of God, is 605 00:31:16,285 --> 00:31:17,825 put God's priorities first. 606 00:31:17,835 --> 00:31:22,125 God has plans and purposes and, and, uh, things for us to do. 607 00:31:24,350 --> 00:31:26,780 And he has values and ways we're supposed to live. 608 00:31:28,560 --> 00:31:33,500 So maybe you're saying, maybe you've heard most of the sermon and been like, Oh, you 609 00:31:33,500 --> 00:31:35,170 know, Lewis, I don't really get stressed. 610 00:31:36,059 --> 00:31:37,249 I'm just not that worried. 611 00:31:37,250 --> 00:31:38,689 I'm not a really worried person. 612 00:31:39,330 --> 00:31:40,619 I'm very calm. 613 00:31:41,759 --> 00:31:47,169 Well, Jesus is making anxiety way more than just about stress. 614 00:31:47,929 --> 00:31:50,029 According to Jesus, anxiety 615 00:31:53,365 --> 00:31:56,275 It's when you are too concerned about something that you 616 00:31:56,275 --> 00:31:57,315 don't need to worry about. 617 00:31:57,745 --> 00:32:03,344 So it could even be you're too concerned about your own success, or you're too 618 00:32:03,345 --> 00:32:06,605 concerned about your own appearance, or you're too concerned about what 619 00:32:06,605 --> 00:32:10,105 people think of you, and you're not stressed about it, but that's your focus. 620 00:32:11,415 --> 00:32:13,645 And he's saying that's not what you should be worrying about. 621 00:32:13,675 --> 00:32:15,085 You're worrying about something that doesn't matter. 622 00:32:15,775 --> 00:32:18,125 Remember, we talked about your master and your treasure, so you're, you're 623 00:32:18,135 --> 00:32:20,585 serving something that's not gonna last. 624 00:32:21,015 --> 00:32:22,945 Remember, Jesus said, lay up treasure in heaven. 625 00:32:23,575 --> 00:32:26,525 The approval of your friends at school is not gonna last. 626 00:32:26,864 --> 00:32:30,355 I don't even remember the ASB president from my high school 627 00:32:30,355 --> 00:32:31,114 or my middle school, right? 628 00:32:31,115 --> 00:32:31,985 I don't think anyone does. 629 00:32:34,134 --> 00:32:41,745 And so, the approval of your peers is not gonna last, but the approval of God will. 630 00:32:41,914 --> 00:32:46,710 And so, Your misplaced concern is another way that maybe you're not stressed 631 00:32:46,710 --> 00:32:48,160 about it, but you're consumed by it. 632 00:32:48,170 --> 00:32:49,540 You're serving something. 633 00:32:52,030 --> 00:32:53,230 So pursuing God's priorities. 634 00:32:53,240 --> 00:32:55,889 There's some helpful questions that I, again, I put together 635 00:32:55,889 --> 00:32:57,470 for you to think about, right? 636 00:32:57,500 --> 00:32:59,180 See this word here, seek. 637 00:32:59,539 --> 00:33:02,709 It's not just like, oh, maybe I'll accidentally glorify God today. 638 00:33:03,219 --> 00:33:03,859 That's not gonna happen. 639 00:33:03,929 --> 00:33:06,529 You have to think about it, pursue it, and go after it. 640 00:33:07,870 --> 00:33:10,030 See, we talk about misplaced concern. 641 00:33:10,030 --> 00:33:15,550 The Gentiles, right, the people who don't know God, They are pursuing, or they're 642 00:33:15,550 --> 00:33:22,200 focused on, all these things that don't matter, that you don't need to worry 643 00:33:22,200 --> 00:33:24,930 about, because God knows you need them. 644 00:33:25,360 --> 00:33:26,750 That's why you don't have to worry about them. 645 00:33:27,200 --> 00:33:32,079 That's like asking your dad, you're going on a road trip, Hey dad, do we need gas? 646 00:33:33,929 --> 00:33:34,440 Duh. 647 00:33:35,080 --> 00:33:37,290 Of course I filled up the gas tank before the road trip. 648 00:33:37,910 --> 00:33:40,740 That's what it's like when you're like, Oh God, are you going to take care of me? 649 00:33:41,540 --> 00:33:42,220 Of course He is. 650 00:33:42,220 --> 00:33:43,830 He knows you need to be taken care of. 651 00:33:44,220 --> 00:33:45,350 He's gonna take care of you. 652 00:33:46,430 --> 00:33:48,900 So, when you're anxious, instead of thinking about, 653 00:33:48,900 --> 00:33:49,780 Oh, I'm anxious about this. 654 00:33:49,780 --> 00:33:50,390 I'm anxious about this. 655 00:33:50,390 --> 00:33:51,180 Oh, I'm so worried. 656 00:33:51,180 --> 00:33:52,430 Oh, what's this person gonna do? 657 00:33:53,729 --> 00:33:55,710 Think about, Oh, how can I love Jesus right now? 658 00:33:56,220 --> 00:33:58,970 Turn your focus, your attention to that. 659 00:33:59,209 --> 00:34:00,860 Or, how can I make God look great? 660 00:34:00,860 --> 00:34:01,920 Or, who can I serve? 661 00:34:01,930 --> 00:34:02,870 Who can I help? 662 00:34:03,210 --> 00:34:05,630 Who's someone that needs me to love them right now? 663 00:34:06,310 --> 00:34:09,560 When you're anxious, turn your focus away from yourself. 664 00:34:10,375 --> 00:34:13,605 Don't be like someone who doesn't know God and think about all the things you think 665 00:34:13,605 --> 00:34:18,625 you need, but instead turn your attention, your focus, to what God has for you. 666 00:34:18,924 --> 00:34:19,574 And guess what? 667 00:34:20,344 --> 00:34:22,335 All these things will be added to you. 668 00:34:22,344 --> 00:34:23,975 God will take care of everything else. 669 00:34:24,824 --> 00:34:27,614 God doesn't want you to have to worry about all that stuff. 670 00:34:27,623 --> 00:34:30,565 There's so much for you to worry about, and God's like, no, don't worry about it. 671 00:34:31,475 --> 00:34:34,715 I want you to focus on what I want for you, because what I want for you, 672 00:34:34,715 --> 00:34:35,895 remember we talked about God is good. 673 00:34:36,054 --> 00:34:36,684 He loves you. 674 00:34:37,014 --> 00:34:38,925 He wants you to focus on the things that are good for you. 675 00:34:39,420 --> 00:34:40,860 So you don't have to worry about all the other stuff. 676 00:34:43,659 --> 00:34:46,909 So the third thing to focus on, focus on examples of God's care, focus on 677 00:34:46,909 --> 00:34:51,250 how you can pursue God's priorities, and then I want you to also focus on 678 00:34:51,250 --> 00:34:57,139 what God puts in front of you today, not what might happen tomorrow. 679 00:34:57,139 --> 00:34:59,100 And that's how our passage ends in verse 34. 680 00:35:01,110 --> 00:35:04,660 Therefore, don't be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow 681 00:35:04,660 --> 00:35:06,740 will be anxious for itself. 682 00:35:07,375 --> 00:35:10,755 And that's such a Jesus is, like, such a genius, such a wise teacher, 683 00:35:11,095 --> 00:35:12,225 to come up with a statement like that. 684 00:35:12,225 --> 00:35:14,475 Don't worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow's gonna worry about tomorrow. 685 00:35:15,675 --> 00:35:17,855 Today's got enough for you to worry about. 686 00:35:20,805 --> 00:35:25,345 I heard someone say this, worrying about tomorrow multiplies your problems. 687 00:35:25,925 --> 00:35:27,675 Because you don't have to worry about tomorrow's problems 688 00:35:27,765 --> 00:35:28,425 yet, so don't worry about it. 689 00:35:28,855 --> 00:35:39,385 When I was in school, back in the day, so long ago, like a year ago, Um, I had A, so 690 00:35:39,385 --> 00:35:43,155 my, the way my school schedule worked, I always had projects due over Thanksgiving. 691 00:35:43,525 --> 00:35:46,695 I don't know why, but I always had a big project due because we come back 692 00:35:46,695 --> 00:35:49,855 from Thanksgiving break, and then you have one week, and then you have finals. 693 00:35:50,105 --> 00:35:52,055 So all my professors were like, Oh, we'll just make all the projects 694 00:35:52,055 --> 00:35:54,055 due the week before finals so you can study for your finals. 695 00:35:54,525 --> 00:35:56,375 Thanks, now I have to work on it over Thanksgiving. 696 00:35:56,735 --> 00:35:57,445 Thanks, professor. 697 00:35:57,705 --> 00:36:01,955 So, over Thanksgiving, I have to do all, I, I didn't have a Thanksgiving break 698 00:36:01,955 --> 00:36:03,955 where I could just not do anything. 699 00:36:03,955 --> 00:36:03,995 Thanks. 700 00:36:05,150 --> 00:36:12,460 I always had projects to do, but, I came up with this theory, based on this 701 00:36:12,460 --> 00:36:15,530 verse, that I'm going to pass on to you guys to help you get through school. 702 00:36:16,810 --> 00:36:19,500 People would ask me, oh, like, well, are you going to start your project, or 703 00:36:19,500 --> 00:36:20,470 are you going to work on your project? 704 00:36:20,940 --> 00:36:22,220 And I'm like, no, Thanksgiving? 705 00:36:22,770 --> 00:36:25,090 I'm just going to, I'm going to enjoy my family and do that thing. 706 00:36:25,500 --> 00:36:27,020 That's a Friday Lewis problem. 707 00:36:27,250 --> 00:36:28,570 So Thursday, I'm not gonna worry about it. 708 00:36:28,700 --> 00:36:30,570 Friday Lewis can deal with that. 709 00:36:30,610 --> 00:36:32,320 That was my theory for school. 710 00:36:32,440 --> 00:36:34,790 I was like, I'm not gonna worry about over Thanksgiving, but 711 00:36:34,800 --> 00:36:36,410 Friday Lewis can worry about that. 712 00:36:37,430 --> 00:36:39,260 And Friday Lewis might even be smarter. 713 00:36:40,040 --> 00:36:43,870 Because he has 24 hours more of experience living. 714 00:36:44,280 --> 00:36:47,480 So Friday Lewis is actually better equipped to do his homework. 715 00:36:47,500 --> 00:36:49,110 And don't take this and procrastinate. 716 00:36:49,160 --> 00:36:49,880 That's not what I'm telling you to do. 717 00:36:50,770 --> 00:36:52,210 I know, I know some of you. 718 00:36:52,510 --> 00:36:53,440 And that's what you're gonna do. 719 00:36:53,440 --> 00:36:54,919 That's a good point. 720 00:36:55,470 --> 00:36:58,180 But, that's what Jesus is saying, essentially, He's saying don't 721 00:36:58,180 --> 00:37:01,850 worry about tomorrow's problems when you haven't gotten there yet. 722 00:37:02,190 --> 00:37:05,950 Because you don't know what God's going to do in between today and tomorrow. 723 00:37:07,140 --> 00:37:11,210 God can do something, He can do a lot of things in between today 724 00:37:11,370 --> 00:37:13,790 and tomorrow, or the next day. 725 00:37:15,390 --> 00:37:18,340 And in fact, something else that Jesus said earlier in this 726 00:37:18,340 --> 00:37:24,490 chapter, when He asked us, when He taught us to pray, He said, What? 727 00:37:24,500 --> 00:37:27,260 Pray for your daily bread, your today bread. 728 00:37:27,750 --> 00:37:29,270 He didn't say pray for tomorrow's bread. 729 00:37:29,460 --> 00:37:31,760 God provides for you day by day. 730 00:37:32,530 --> 00:37:33,570 That's how God works. 731 00:37:33,570 --> 00:37:37,560 He doesn't want you to worry about tomorrow's problems with today's grace. 732 00:37:38,870 --> 00:37:41,680 Today's grace is for today's problems, and then tomorrow's 733 00:37:41,690 --> 00:37:43,100 grace is for tomorrow's problems. 734 00:37:43,765 --> 00:37:46,595 So God is giving you what you need day by day, so you don't have to worry about it. 735 00:37:46,965 --> 00:37:49,245 Because your worries, when you're worried about the future, here's 736 00:37:49,245 --> 00:37:50,405 the thing with anxiety, right? 737 00:37:50,405 --> 00:37:52,245 It affects your imagination, right? 738 00:37:52,545 --> 00:37:57,275 It affects your, Oh, well, if, if I show up to school wearing this, or looking 739 00:37:57,275 --> 00:38:00,395 like this, or if they see me talking with those people, or if I get this 740 00:38:00,395 --> 00:38:06,045 grade on the test, then my parents are gonna think this, and then I'm gonna, 741 00:38:06,235 --> 00:38:10,894 see, I had this thing that I was told from certain people at my school about 742 00:38:10,895 --> 00:38:21,190 my grades, um, A was average, B was bad, C was can't have dinner, D was don't 743 00:38:21,190 --> 00:38:24,230 come home, and F is find a new family. 744 00:38:24,580 --> 00:38:30,430 Now, that might sound harsh to some of you, but from my culture, that's normal. 745 00:38:30,670 --> 00:38:34,810 Um, but when you're anxious, when you're anxious, I know that sounds 746 00:38:34,810 --> 00:38:37,050 crazy, but when you're anxious, that's what your mind does, right? 747 00:38:37,050 --> 00:38:40,240 Your brain will go, oh, if my parents, my parents will kill me if they find out 748 00:38:40,240 --> 00:38:42,180 that I got a 44 on my Algebra 2 test. 749 00:38:42,605 --> 00:38:46,205 Or, oh, if I don't get into this school, this is going to happen. 750 00:38:46,205 --> 00:38:49,355 Or, oh, if my friend sees me with this person, this, and you 751 00:38:49,355 --> 00:38:51,445 just steamroll down the road. 752 00:38:51,445 --> 00:38:53,855 And, and suddenly you're saying, oh, I'm going to get disowned 753 00:38:53,855 --> 00:38:55,265 from my family over a quiz. 754 00:38:56,625 --> 00:38:57,765 That's not how it works. 755 00:38:58,485 --> 00:39:02,795 Let's see, your anxieties, your worries, will build an imaginary future for you. 756 00:39:04,425 --> 00:39:06,745 Because you're so worried about tomorrow's problems. 757 00:39:08,465 --> 00:39:11,435 Don't let them do that because remember what Jesus just said in 758 00:39:11,435 --> 00:39:13,055 in earlier in last week's sermon. 759 00:39:13,895 --> 00:39:15,395 He said, lay up for yourselves. 760 00:39:15,395 --> 00:39:16,325 Treasure in heaven. 761 00:39:17,765 --> 00:39:18,875 That's the future. 762 00:39:18,875 --> 00:39:22,715 You should be focused on your eternal future, not the future. 763 00:39:22,715 --> 00:39:24,605 Your anxiety makes up in your head. 764 00:39:25,775 --> 00:39:28,895 Don't worry about tomorrow's future that your anxiety built for you. 765 00:39:29,270 --> 00:39:33,100 That it's not real, but also, God wants you to be worried about something else. 766 00:39:33,100 --> 00:39:35,530 He wants you to be thinking about, oh, how can I store a lasting 767 00:39:35,530 --> 00:39:39,360 treasure that matters forever that's not gonna go away in heaven? 768 00:39:41,250 --> 00:39:44,720 So that's the first thing from this verse that I want you to look at, but also, 769 00:39:45,320 --> 00:39:47,630 God knows about tomorrow's problems, too. 770 00:39:48,240 --> 00:39:50,740 God actually knows about tomorrow's problems way better than you do. 771 00:39:52,430 --> 00:39:57,280 God knows way more about tomorrow that you're worried about So you can 772 00:39:57,290 --> 00:40:00,490 trust Him to deal with tomorrow's problems when you get there. 773 00:40:01,240 --> 00:40:03,400 So you can say, God, I'm gonna trust you with tomorrow. 774 00:40:03,430 --> 00:40:06,080 I'm gonna focus on what you have for me today. 775 00:40:06,750 --> 00:40:10,340 God's given you today for you to live right now. 776 00:40:11,330 --> 00:40:12,930 You don't have to worry about tomorrow yet. 777 00:40:12,950 --> 00:40:17,440 You can worry about it when you get there and ask your questions and fight 778 00:40:17,440 --> 00:40:19,090 for faith and argue with yourself. 779 00:40:19,400 --> 00:40:22,790 You can do all that tomorrow with when you face tomorrow's problems. 780 00:40:22,790 --> 00:40:25,610 But today, Focus on how can I serve God today? 781 00:40:25,610 --> 00:40:26,700 What does God have for me today? 782 00:40:26,710 --> 00:40:29,670 Who has God put in front of me right now, today? 783 00:40:29,680 --> 00:40:32,530 You don't want to be so worried about tomorrow that you miss out on, Oh, 784 00:40:32,530 --> 00:40:36,570 I should have, I should have shared the gospel with that person today. 785 00:40:36,820 --> 00:40:38,960 Oh, I forgot to serve my sibling. 786 00:40:38,960 --> 00:40:41,620 I forgot to bless my, my parents in that way. 787 00:40:43,160 --> 00:40:47,250 So God has you alive today for a purpose and don't waste your 788 00:40:47,270 --> 00:40:48,610 energy worrying about tomorrow. 789 00:40:48,970 --> 00:40:52,980 See anxiety, as you see the top is a battle for your energy. 790 00:40:53,420 --> 00:40:55,460 God's given you limited energy for today. 791 00:40:55,470 --> 00:40:57,800 Don't waste it worrying about tomorrow. 792 00:40:59,180 --> 00:41:02,680 You're not gonna solve tomorrow's problems wasting your energy on them today. 793 00:41:03,190 --> 00:41:08,700 Use the today energy, your daily bread for today, on today's concern, which is 794 00:41:08,700 --> 00:41:12,220 how can I put first God's kingdom today? 795 00:41:14,950 --> 00:41:15,510 Now, 796 00:41:18,060 --> 00:41:22,020 one thing that I don't want you to walk away from this sermon thinking 797 00:41:22,020 --> 00:41:27,445 is Is that God is far off, and distant, and disappointed in me 798 00:41:27,445 --> 00:41:31,525 whenever I get anxious, and just, ah, can't be anxious, can't be anxious, 799 00:41:31,525 --> 00:41:32,435 don't be anxious, don't be anxious. 800 00:41:33,245 --> 00:41:34,455 Suppress my feelings. 801 00:41:34,625 --> 00:41:35,335 Don't be anxious. 802 00:41:36,235 --> 00:41:38,275 That's not what I want you to walk away from this sermon. 803 00:41:38,275 --> 00:41:42,635 This sermon is not a bunch of rules for you, on how to not 804 00:41:42,865 --> 00:41:45,075 worry and make God not mad at you. 805 00:41:45,215 --> 00:41:46,565 That's not, that's not what this is about. 806 00:41:47,135 --> 00:41:49,085 This isn't about, oh, God hates anxious people. 807 00:41:49,095 --> 00:41:50,265 That's not what this sermon's about. 808 00:41:50,625 --> 00:42:00,095 This sermon is about a Father who loves you and wants to take care of 809 00:42:00,095 --> 00:42:05,175 you and doesn't want you to be worried He's not giving you rules to follow 810 00:42:05,175 --> 00:42:11,165 just because he's he's offering you life true life that you don't have to 811 00:42:11,175 --> 00:42:16,885 be consumed by your worries and and other other people think of you and How 812 00:42:16,895 --> 00:42:18,475 this is gonna work out in the future. 813 00:42:18,475 --> 00:42:21,285 He doesn't want you to be worried about that Because He loves you. 814 00:42:21,325 --> 00:42:22,505 He wants what's best for you. 815 00:42:23,085 --> 00:42:25,555 And so He's offering you life and holding you out. 816 00:42:25,555 --> 00:42:32,585 But see, the thing is, is if God isn't your Father, you don't have 817 00:42:32,595 --> 00:42:36,535 access to that sense of care. 818 00:42:37,625 --> 00:42:41,795 Because you don't have a Heavenly Father who's looking out for 819 00:42:41,795 --> 00:42:45,745 you, and taking care of you, and protecting you, and guiding you. 820 00:42:48,015 --> 00:42:51,480 And so, This sermon is also an offer 821 00:42:54,790 --> 00:43:03,160 Because you don't have to be worried, but if you reject God you Naturally will be 822 00:43:03,620 --> 00:43:09,070 because like we talked about the beginning your your master is Not something that can 823 00:43:09,090 --> 00:43:14,400 protect you and give you comfort if your master is the approval of your friends 824 00:43:14,990 --> 00:43:22,585 or if your treasure is worldly success You are going to be worried because that 825 00:43:22,595 --> 00:43:27,175 treasure and that master cannot give you the security you're longing for. 826 00:43:28,305 --> 00:43:33,675 And the only way to find security and peace is a Heavenly Father who 827 00:43:33,725 --> 00:43:40,005 loves you and is all powerful and all wise and all knowing and wants 828 00:43:40,045 --> 00:43:44,415 you to not have to worry about all the things that you're worried about. 829 00:43:44,425 --> 00:43:47,495 He wants you to be able to say, I'm here today. 830 00:43:48,075 --> 00:43:49,655 To live today for your glory. 831 00:43:50,595 --> 00:43:54,325 To put your kingdom first, so I don't have to worry about anything else. 832 00:43:55,935 --> 00:43:59,125 So I'll pray for us, and we talk more about that in small groups. 833 00:44:02,115 --> 00:44:05,795 Heavenly Father, we're so grateful that you don't want us to be 834 00:44:05,795 --> 00:44:07,135 worried, that you care about us. 835 00:44:08,125 --> 00:44:10,905 You don't have to give us special attention. 836 00:44:11,635 --> 00:44:16,535 You're not obligated to want to take our worries away. 837 00:44:17,415 --> 00:44:18,335 But you love us. 838 00:44:19,045 --> 00:44:20,595 And so, you do. 839 00:44:22,355 --> 00:44:29,265 So God, I pray that you help us to see you as a caring, wise father who knows what's 840 00:44:29,265 --> 00:44:30,695 best for us, who knows what we need, 841 00:44:33,085 --> 00:44:37,475 and is always working for our good. 842 00:44:37,835 --> 00:44:38,725 Help us to trust you. 843 00:44:38,775 --> 00:44:42,045 Help us to trust you when we don't understand things, when things happen 844 00:44:42,045 --> 00:44:45,924 in our lives that don't make sense, that make it seem like you're not good, that 845 00:44:45,925 --> 00:44:47,495 make it hard to believe your promises. 846 00:44:48,060 --> 00:44:52,120 Help us to argue with ourselves and fight for faith so that 847 00:44:52,120 --> 00:44:54,410 we can learn to trust you. 848 00:44:55,050 --> 00:44:55,980 Pray this in Jesus name. 849 00:44:56,430 --> 00:44:56,698 Amen.