Anxiety as a Signal - My Anxious Thoughts

Hey Pantano, it's so good to see you in the Lord's house today. Why don't you stand with us, it's time to worship and celebrate some baptisms and give Him praise. It's a narrow road that leads to life, but I want to be on it. It's a narrow road, but the mercy is wide, cause you're good on your promise. I'll take you at your word, if you said it I'd believe it. I've seen how good it works, if you started you'll complete it. I'll take you at your word. You spoke, and the chaos fell in line. And I know, cause I've seen it in my life. It's a narrow road that leads to life, but I want to be on it. It's a narrow road, the tide is high, but you're part of the water. I'll take you at your word, if you said it I'd believe it. I've seen how good it works, if you started you'll complete it. I'll take you at your word, if you said it I'd believe it. I've seen how good it works, if you started you'll complete it. I'll take you at your word. I'll take you at your word. You said your love will never give up. You said your grace is always enough. You said your heart will never forget or forsake me. You said I'm saved, you called me yours. You said my future is full of your hope. You never failed, so I know that you'll never fail me. You said your love will never give up. You said your grace is always enough. You said your heart will never forget or forsake me. You said I'm saved, you called me yours. You said my future is full of your hope. You never failed, so I know that you'll never fail me. I'll take you at your word.

If you said it I'll believe it. I've seen how good it works, if you started you'll complete it. I'll take you at your word. If you said it I'll believe it. I've seen how good it works. If you started you'll complete it. I'll take you at your word. Oh, I know, I know. I'll take you at your word. I'll take you at your word. There's no one like the Lord. There's no one like the Lord. You're the only one who is worthy. The emperor of forgiveness, rich in mercy. I was dead in sin, but you pulled me from the pit. God, you saved my soul and I can't get over it. I respond to your grace with faith on fire. I surrender it all with hands held high from my heart. To the heavens, you're my God. I love you, I love you. Jesus, I give you my worship. You can have my whole heart. No one else is worth like you are. Jesus, you alone deserve it. Here's my hallelujah. No one else is worth like you are. Like you are. The holy one, the highest king of heaven. Enthroned upon the praises of your people. He will bow down and every tongue proclaim. You get all the glory, all the honor, all the praise. Jesus, I give you my worship.

You can have my whole heart. No one else is worth like you are. Jesus, you alone deserve it. Here's my hallelujah. No one else is worth like you are. Like you are. I respond to your grace with faith on fire. I surrender it all with hands held high from my heart. To the heavens, you're my God. I love you. I respond to your grace with faith on fire. I surrender it all with hands held high from my heart. To the heavens, you're my God. I love you, I love you. Jesus, I give you my worship. You can have my whole heart. No one else is worth like you are. Jesus, you alone deserve it. Here's my hallelujah. No one else is worth like you are. Like you are. No one else is worth like you are. ♪♪♪ There's a grace when the heart is under fire. Another way when the walls are closing in. And when I look at the space between where I used to be and this reckoning, I know I will never be alone. There was another in the fire standing next to me. There was another in the waters holding back the seas. And should I ever need a reminder of how I've been set free, there is a cross that bears my name. Where another died for me, there is another in the fire.

All my dead that were dead beneath the waters I'm no longer a slave to my sin anymore And should I fall in the space between what remains of me and this reckoning Either way I'm bound to the things of this world And I know I will never be alone There is another in the fire, standing next to me There is another in the waters, holding back the sea And should I ever need reminding, where power set me free There is a grave that holds nobody, and now the power lives in me There is another in the fire, oh There is another in the fire, oh There is another in the fire, oh There is another in the fire, oh And I can see the light in the darkness, as the darkness bows to him I can hear the roar in the heavens, as the space between wears thin I can feel the ground shake beneath us, as the splitting walls cave in Nothing stands between us, nothing stands between us There is no other name but the name that is Jesus Amen He who was and still is and will be through it all So come what may in the space between all the things unseen and this reckoning And I know I will never be alone And I know I will never be alone There will be another in the fire, standing next to me There will be another in the waters, holding back the sea And should I ever need reminding, how good you've been to me I'll count the joy from every battle, cause I know that's where you'll be And I can see the light in the darkness, as the darkness bows to him I can hear the roar in the heavens, as the space between wears thin I can feel the ground shake beneath us, as the splitting walls cave in

Nothing stands between us, nothing stands between us There will be another in the fire, standing next to me There will be another in the waters, holding back the sea And should I ever need reminding, how good you've been to me I'll count the joy from every battle, cause I know that's where you'll be I'll count the joy from every battle, cause I know that's where you'll be I'll count the joy from every battle, cause I know that's where you'll be I'll count the joy from every battle, cause I know that's where you'll be I'll count the joy from every battle There is one that goes with you everywhere that you go if you belong to him he is with you through every trial through every temptation when it feels like the water is over your head and you can't get your head up to take a breath of air when you're walking through the fire and it seems like the hottest fire you've ever been through the hardest trial he is there with you through it all he's with you that's been on my heart today he is with you no matter what you're going through no matter what you're facing he is with you so as you take your seats and prepare for communion Jesus we want to thank you for all that you've done for us but thank you for being with us thank you for taking upon yourself our sins our sicknesses everything about us thank you for loving us where we are and as we are and thank you for the change that comes once we've accepted you as our Lord and our Savior thank you for your body and blood thank you for your sacrifice and we will be forever grateful we pray this in Jesus name amen let me take you in you when you're ready hey Pantano I'm Grady and I'm so glad you're joining us today whether this is your first time with us or you've been part of our church family for years we're so glad you're here if you're joining us on campus swing by next steps after service and say hello we'd love to meet you answer your questions and help

you find your place here and if you're joining us online we'd love to connect with you to fill out a connect card through next steps so we can get to know you keep you in the loop and help you take your next step stay connected with Pantano all week long by following us on social media it's the best place to catch event updates encouraging content ministry stories and all that's happening across our campuses no matter how you're joining us today we're excited to connect with you join us in November as we head to Rocky Point Mexico for our short-term mission trip for over 30 years we partnered with the local community to build homes and bring hope to families in need all while loving people to Jesus through practical service and compassion head over to next steps for all the details and to register we'd love for you to join us as we make a difference together generosity is more than an act it's a reflection of God's love we believe radical generosity reshapes our world every gift you give helps bring hope healing and transformation throughout Tucson Benson and beyond thank you for being a part of that impact to give simply drop your gift in the giving boxes give online through our website or text give to four six three five six thanks again for joining us we're so glad you're here Pantano Church, how are we doing today? This is a lively crew. I am so excited to be with you today as we continue our series, My Anxious Thoughts. But before we get to that, I have a couple of announcements. First of all, I want to welcome in each and every person tuning in online, because as you know, we have people from all over the country, all over the globe with us via our online campus. We also have Pantano Benson, the Gospel Rescue Mission, and the guys at the Santa Rita Unit at the Wilmot Prison. Can you help me welcome in each and every person? We are so grateful for you and grateful that you are part of the Pantano family. I have heard from so many of you that this series has really resonated.

And one of the reasons that I've been excited personally about this series is because I am so passionate about the intersection of faith and mental health. And I think these are conversations that the church needs to have more often, and I'm so grateful that we get to have one together today. And it's not just this series. We actually have an event coming up I want you to know about. It's called Stronger Together. It's on July 25th. It's a mental health forum right here at the Pantano Houghton Campus. So to share a little bit more about this event, can you help me welcome Sonia Zarate to the stage? The people love you, Sonia. Yay. Thank you, Sonia. This event is happening in just a few days, and I would love for you to share a little bit more about how this idea for a mental health forum at Pantano came about and why you felt it was important for the church to create space for these types of conversations. Well, I'd love to take credit, but it wasn't my idea. It was actually a former employee of ours. Her name is Janelle. She had the heart for mental health, and she actually planted the seed last year. We focused on students. This year we're focusing on everybody. So we felt like this is something that we need to talk about more, and it's okay to talk about it. So whether you deal with mental illness yourself or a loved one, we want you to know that we're here to help you, and you are seen and loved, and we want to just keep focusing on what we could do to make a change. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah.

We saw a need. Now, here's something you may not know. Only one in four are diagnosed with a mental illness, 25%, and that's just diagnosed mental illness. There's much more in terms of undiagnosed and experiencing symptoms. So this is really critical. So Sonia, as people attend the forum, what are you hoping that they experience or take away from it? My hope is that everyone who attends feels encouraged and that they feel hopeful. I also hope that whether you find a helpful resource, you hear from a professional, that you walk away knowing that we are here to support you, and it's not something to be ashamed of. It's something that we need to talk about, and we also want you to know that we here at Pantano are committed to continuing this conversation. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. Here's what I want people to know. I want people to know that asking for help is not a sign of weakness. It's a sign of wisdom, and in fact, the research shows that 50% of people struggling actually don't seek help. And so as a church, we want you to know that we want you to get help. We want you to have the tools and the support and the resources and opportunities like this are critical in changing that stat. So please, please, please join us on July 25th. I'm going to be there. We have just an all-star lineup of presenters and workshops. It is going to be an incredible day. Yes, ma'am. We hope to see you there. Yeah.

Awesome. Thank you, Sonia. I'm so grateful for Sonia and the team who has put a ton of energy and effort into this event, and I promise you won't want to miss it. If you and I haven't personally had the opportunity to meet, I'd love the chance to reintroduce myself. My name is Rebecca Hamlin, and I am part of the teaching team here at Pantano. But here's something you may not know about me. A lot of people actually assume that I work at the church, but I don't. In fact, this is what I do for fun. Yeah. Because I love it. But during the week, my nine to five, I am a therapist. and the owner of a wellness practice that provides counseling services. So for a series on anxiety, it probably makes sense that I get to be the token therapist. Now, as a therapist, what I can admit is that being a therapist is a little strange. If you think about it, for just a moment, I'm a therapist, which means I know exactly why I'm doing the unhealthy thing while I continue doing the unhealthy thing. And I'm a therapist, which means it's a successful day if someone leaves my office crying and then thanks me for it. And so being a therapist is a little strange, right? In fact, whenever I tell people what I do, I can usually see a little discomfort start to show up. Almost immediately, they will think or ask,

are you analyzing me right now? So let me put you at ease. Therapy is what I get paid to do. I don't do it for free. So you don't have to worry. So as a recap, I am a therapist, I'm a business owner, I'm also a mom, you know what that means? I have experienced a lot of anxiety in my life. There's like the trifecta of anxiety, and now I'm basically an expert. The reality though is that this topic of anxiety is incredibly important, simply because of the prevalence. Anxiety disorders affect about 359 million people worldwide. Now that's hard to wrap your mind around numbers that large, but that's just diagnosed anxiety disorders. We all know what it feels like to be anxious. At some point in your life, you will experience anxiety, because it's part of the human condition, it's part of being human. And being a person of faith does not create immunity from that. In fact, I hear from people all the time who are struggling with anxiety, but don't know how to reconcile that with their faith and their love for God. It feels like there's a tension there, so this is a really important conversation to have. So whether you experience anxiety yourself, or whether you love someone who does, I wanna encourage you to lean in today.

I know this topic can be a little uncomfortable, but I believe that God has something to speak to each and every one of us today. And here's where I wanna start. I wanna acknowledge that the church, and I don't mean really Pantano Church, I mean all churches, religious institutions, historically have not always engaged well on the topic of mental health. And it's so well-meaning, but when we encourage people who are experiencing anxiety to just have more faith, or to surrender, or just to trust God, those are all good things, but we are inadvertently communicating a pretty harmful message. So if you're here today, if you're watching online, and that's the message you've received, I wanna acknowledge that, and I wanna apologize. The last thing someone who is struggling wants to feel is the shame of then letting God down. That not only is it hard being a human, but now you're bad at your faith too. And that message simply perpetuates shame and stigma, and just makes it harder for someone to get the help that they need. So this is what I want you to know today. Probably the most important thing I'll say. Having overwhelming feelings, including anxiety, is part of the human experience. And our humanity has never disqualified our holiness.

Our humanity has never disqualified our holiness. It doesn't. The scriptures are full of people having hard feelings, overwhelming feelings. We're gonna look at several of them today. And so I need you to hear me say this, that God has never been disappointed in you for your anxiety. You're not bad. God is not mad at you. If I could encourage you with anything today, it's this. Even when you're experiencing anxiety, overwhelming anxiety even, God loves you more than you will ever understand, more than you could ever comprehend. And you don't have to deny your humanity to experience that love. This whole series, we're unpacking how to navigate anxiety, but it doesn't matter if you don't understand this, that God loves you. in spite of your struggles, but just as you are. Messy and a little bit complicated. God loves you. Not only does he love you, but I think it's important that we get this. He understands what you're experiencing. The author of Hebrews states it this way. It says this in chapter four, this high priest of ours understands our weaknesses. For he faced all of the same testings we do,

yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. You know what this scripture is saying? There is nothing you will ever experience that Jesus himself has not experienced. And because of that, you can come boldly, confidently into God's presence, and you will find what? Grace, grace. So if you're experiencing anxiety, if you love someone who is experiencing anxiety, you know what is needed more than anything else? Grace, grace, and God has that for you today. This scripture in Hebrews speaks to the way that Jesus himself experienced overwhelming feelings like anxiety, but if you're still not sure, consider the garden of Gethsemane. You can find the account in Luke 22. Jesus was praying, begging God to let him avoid the cross, and in scripture it says, and being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly. And his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. Sweating blood is not hyperbole. It's actually a legit medical condition caused by overwhelming emotional and physical stress. It was profound anguish and grief that Jesus was experiencing.

And I think there's so much comfort in knowing that God doesn't just get it intellectually, but he experienced it physically in his body. So hear this today. If you are experiencing anxiety, you are not alone. You are not alone. So not only does God love you, not only has he also experienced the crushing weight of anxiety, but know this, that God wants you to experience healing and freedom. You have to know that you are not beyond help and you are not beyond hope. I wouldn't do this work if I didn't believe that. And even more importantly, I believe that our faith has a critical role in that healing. And so the question is, how? We have a short time together today, and I don't have a magic wand. So we can't solve this completely today. And the danger is, I don't wanna be overly reductive and simplify a pretty complicated, nuanced issue. But I do wanna give you what I believe are some of the most underutilized tools you can use to navigate anxiety as a Christian, as a Christ follower, as someone who wants to honor God with their life. And these are tools we see practiced in scripture.

They're also backed up by psychology. But the first thing we have to do is we have to shift the way that we think about anxiety. Instead of figuring out how to get rid of it, I want you to see anxiety as a signal, like a flashing red light on the dashboard of your car. There's an opportunity to get curious about it. So anytime anxiety surfaces, think of it as a signal to do three things. Notice, name, invite. Notice, name, invite. Say it with me. Notice, name, invite. Yes, let's take these one at a time, and we'll look at a few people in scripture who practice these principles. The first one is notice. Notice what's happening in your body. Anxiety is uncomfortable. Have you ever noticed that? Like right now, I'm sweating. My mouth is dry. There are a lot of people in this room, a lot of people joining us online. What anxiety does to our brains and our bodies is wild, and our body will give us signals before our mind catches up. They're called feelings, because we feel them in our body. I mentioned earlier that I am a mom. I have two incredible kids, seriously amazing humans.

You know what has caused me the most anxiety in my life? My children. I don't know if I had anxiety before I had kids, but you know what I know is that now, I have not had a good night's sleep in 21 years, because that is the age of my oldest. So whether they're sticking things in light sockets or trying to run out into traffic like my son did, or whether they're learning to drive or dating, or whether you find burner phones in their bedroom, I won't tell you which kid did that. Or whether they're moving out of the house, living on their own, having kids is just a long, extended experience of anxiety and helplessness, because everything feels like it's out of your control, and it is terrifying. And I feel that anxiety in my body before I can even name it, before I even know what's happening. And it's in that moment that we can experience anxiety as a signal, and we can just simply notice it, that my heart is beating fast, my stomach is doing somersaults, I'm biting my nails. In Scripture, David says things all throughout the Psalms that give a clear example of this. Psalm 6, have mercy on me, Lord, for I am faint. Heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony, my soul is in deep anguish. Psalm 38, there is no soundness in my body,

my wounds fester, I am bowed down, I am feeble and utterly crushed. I groan in anguish of heart, my heart pounds, my strength fails me. Psalm 42, my tears have been my food day and night, my bones suffer mortal agony. Psalm 55, my heart pounds in my chest, the terror of death assaults me, fear and trembling overwhelm me, and I can't stop shaking. You know what David is doing? He's just noticing. That emotional suffering is something he feels in his body. He feels it physically, and he notices it. Anxiety impacts all of us in different ways, but we all have tells. Figure out what yours is. One of mine is I will just ruminate on something. If I'm emotionally hooked, if I'm anxious about something, I cannot stop thinking about it, and I will wake up in the middle of the night thinking of the worst case scenario. It becomes a cycle I cannot get out of. So what do I do? First of all, I notice it, and then I name it. Notice and name. This is the second one. Name it honestly before God. Name it honestly before God.

There's a story in 1 Kings 19. It's one of my favorite stories in the Old Testament. Trevor preached on this a couple of weeks ago, so I can't share the full context, but I wanna go back to it just briefly because there's something important here I want you to see. 1 Kings 19, verses three and four. It says Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it, and prayed that he might die. I have had enough, Lord, he said. Take my life. I am no better than my ancestors. Elijah literally prayed that God would take his life. And for some of us, this may feel shocking to read in Scripture, but you know what Elijah was doing? He was simply being honest with God about how he was feeling. He was naming it, but he was naming it in the presence of God. And you know what I love about God? One of the many things that I love about God is he is not afraid of our honesty. He's not afraid of our honesty, and yet so many of us, we withhold the truth of our emotions and our experiences from God,

as if we could hide from him. Or maybe that's not what we do. Maybe instead, we worry in the general direction of God. And for me, at least, what I notice is that is extremely unproductive. But you know what is productive? If I can honestly name my experience in his presence, knowing I can be brutally honest, that I can bear my heart and my soul. And not only is there a spiritual practice in naming our emotions in the presence of God, but there is something psychological when we do this. One of the best ways. to change our emotions is actually to acknowledge them. This alone often will reduce the intensity and the duration of strong emotions. It's in fact our resistance that keeps us stuck. But when you name your emotions, you can feel more power to change them. So acknowledge your emotions is more powerful than you realize. Here's some others in scripture that did this. Job felt abandoned by God. He said, I cry out to you, God, but you do not answer me. Habakkuk asked God why he didn't act. How long, Lord? Must I call for help? But you do not listen. Hannah was devastated by infertility. Scripture says Hannah was in deep anguish,

crying bitterly as she prayed to the Lord. These people did not hold back. And this is just a few examples. This kind of raw honesty is written throughout the pages of scripture and something so striking in scripture is that God never rebukes people for bringing painful emotions to him. The biblical model isn't to suppress hard emotions. It's to bring them honestly into God's presence, trusting that he is able to hold our pain. But instead, we spend so much time avoiding, suppressing, resisting. But church, we can't defeat what we can't define and you cannot heal from a wound you ignore. Prayer isn't a reward for people who have it all together. Prayer is an invitation for people who know they don't. So when anxiety surfaces, it's a signal, notice it and then name it honestly before God. I've shared this before, but during COVID, my anxiety was so high. And because I had so much more time, because everything had slowed down, I started a new rhythm where immediately when I woke up, I would sit in my backyard quietly with God for the first part of my morning. And sometimes it was a chance to meditate on scripture. Sometimes it was a chance to listen for his voice, but it was always a chance to name how I was feeling in his presence. And it was such an impactful rhythm

that six years later, I'm still practicing it. This isn't the only time that I spend with Jesus, but it is the only time that I spend with God. This isn't the only time that I spend with Jesus, but it is absolutely the most important time because it is the most grounding, meditative, peace-filled part of my day. That before news or social media or email or work, I spend time with Jesus. And you have to know that it is not easy to prioritize this because like you, I have a million things I need to do every day. But it is absolutely critical because God is giving me the peace that I need for that day, for whatever I will experience, for whatever is worrying me, whatever is causing me anxiety, whatever is on my mind. God wants to give me peace. There's an incredible prayer in 2 Chronicles. It's prayed by a man named Jehoshaphat. At the end of it, he simply says to God, we do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you. Isn't that a beautiful example of naming your truth before God? So anxiety from a spiritual perspective is just a signal alerting us

that it's time to pray, to take our burdens to the God who we know cares for us. And you can be brutally honest with him. When you're anxious, cry out to God and know that he hears the cries of your heart. Dr. Caroline Leaf is a communication pathologist and cognitive neuroscientist, so big brain. And from her research, she writes that it's been found that just 12 minutes of daily focused prayer over an eight-week period can change the brain to such an extent that it can be measured on a brain scan. Isn't that incredible? That prayer not only changes the heart of God, but it also changes our brain chemistry, which is great news because sometimes I can feel like my brain is stuck. But just 12 minutes a day of focused prayer can bring about real change. The word in Scripture most translated as anxiety is mireemna or mireemno, which literally means divided in mind, or to dwell or ponder on fearful thoughts. It's a great definition of anxiety. When we dwell on fearful thoughts, we're just training our brains to focus on the negative and to be anxious, which unfortunately is natural.

It's normal, so how do we combat that? How do we combat the anxiety that kills our peace? Through prayer. In prayer, you take your mind off of what you're afraid of and instead fix your thoughts on whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable. So prayer breaks the cycle. So when anxiety surfaces, let it be a signal that you need God, that you need his presence, you need his power, and you need to pray and pray as honestly as you can. 1 Peter 5, 7 says, cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. That sounds simple, but how do you actually do that? The Greek word translated cast is a pripto, which literally means to throw or hurl. So get this, God is asking us to take off our anxieties and to put it on him, to take our cares to take our cares and literally throw them upon him. It's an active process. God, I don't want this anymore. God, you take this. Casting means we can pray. God, I don't like it. God, I don't understand. God, I'm hurting, I'm desperate, I'm alone. God, my heart is beating fast.

I'm sweating, I'm freaking out. I don't know what to do. So God, I'm looking to you. I am putting all of this on you. I want to encourage you with this today. Experience anxiety as an opportunity to lean into Jesus. In your anxiety, experience his presence, his power, his peace. Let his word refresh your weary soul. Let his grace be made perfect in your weakness. In your anxiety, experience, encounter his unconditional love that goes beyond your human ability beyond your human ability to understand. Religion often says, hide your anxiety. The world says, manage your anxiety. You know what Jesus says? He says, bring your anxiety to me. Bring your anxiety to me. So let your anxiety be the signal to pray, to name what you're feeling with God. Allow God to meet you in those feelings. Bring the honest, ugly, filter-free truth to God and allow God to love you just as you are. Then what do you do? The third step is invite, invite. Let anxiety be an invitation. You know what this is about? Acknowledging that you need help. That you can't do it on your own. And I want to remind you of what I said earlier,

that asking for help is not a sign of weakness, it's a sign of wisdom. It's a sign of wisdom. So anxiety is just a signal, it's an invitation, not into panic, but into dependence. And it reminds us that we're not designed to carry the weight of life by ourselves. So anxiety is an invitation to lean on God and to let God's people carry part of the load with us. Why? Because some of us are in a negative thought pattern that we cannot get out of. And it's driving our anxiety and our fear and our worry. Some of you have trained yourself to expect the worst. And what I know is that you have to fight for peace. It doesn't come naturally. You know what comes easily, naturally? Negativity, anxiety, worry. And if I think toxic thoughts long enough, I will start to believe them. And I will need help to get out of that pattern because when I am in that place, I cannot do it on my own. So if you wanna ensure anxiety rules your heart and your life, don't let other people in. Just lie to people. Tell them you're fine. Don't confide, don't confess. Don't ask for help because you will not find healing in isolation. A doctor with Stanford University writes,

people who feel more connected to others have lower levels of anxiety and depression because feeling well-connected to others contributes to mental health, meaning in life, and even physical well-being. Sometimes the miracle isn't that God removes your anxiety. It's that God removes your anxiety. Sometimes the miracle is that he doesn't leave you to fight it alone. So acknowledge that you need help from other people, and that might be a professional counselor who you meet with regularly to get a different perspective, to get tools to help you, or a doctor who helps by prescribing medication, or a change of diet, more sleep. Not only is professional help critical when you're struggling with anxiety, but it's also important to invite in friends and a supportive faith-filled community. Martin Luther was a 16th century German monk, a theologian, and a central figure of the Protestant Reformation. He emphasized that salvation comes by God's grace through faith in Christ, not through human effort. So significant influence on the faith that we practice today. And yet, despite that enormous influence, what you may not know about Luther is that he struggled with depression and anxiety, and he wrote candidly about his struggles,

including seasons of despair and feeling abandoned by God. He wrote these words. He said, I spent more than a week in death and hell, completely abandoned by Christ. I labored under the vacillations and storms of desperation and blasphemy against God. He was clearly in a dark place. So how did Martin Luther survive this? He goes on to write, but through the prayers of the saints, God began to have mercy on me and pulled my soul from the inferno below. Luther credited the support and the prayers of encouraging Christian friends as the rope that he grabbed onto so that God could pull him out of the depths of hell. What incredible imagery. So mental health is about getting what's inside of us out with God, with trusted friends, with professional supports. Ecclesiastes says it this way. Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help, but someone who falls alone is in real trouble. If anxiety has been running your life, don't let today leave with you carrying it alone. Don't let today end with you carrying it alone. Recognize anxiety as a signal to make the appointment, to join the group, to tell a trusted friend, to ask someone to pray with you before you leave today

because church healing begins the moment we stop hiding. Healing begins the moment we stop hiding. God is near to you. I believe that, and one of the ways we experience his nearness is through his people. There are so many ways to invite people to walk with you. There are My Anxious Thoughts groups that are starting at the conclusion of this series, but you can sign up and get registered now. For the students here who are watching online, just a reminder that Connect kicks off August 12th. And again, I wanna remind you of the Mental Health Forum coming up next Saturday, July 25th. It's gonna be an incredible event. So there are so many ways to invite others to walk this journey with you. You don't have to do it alone. You don't have to do it alone. Notice, name, invite. Notice, name, invite. It's not a cure for anxiety because there's no cure for being human. But maybe we can begin to see our humanity and our struggles, certainly our anxieties, as an invitation into intimacy with God and with others. And as Christ followers, we have something that the world does not have, a faith that offers hope and peace and joy regardless of circumstances. What a gift.

I wanna invite you to stand all across this room, those of you joining us online. I'm gonna invite you to stand with us. We're going to worship together. And if you're here, if you're struggling with anxiety, I just wanna encourage you that worship is just an opportunity to focus our eyes on him, to say, God, I don't know what to do. But our eyes are on him. Eyes are on you, that's what worship is. I wanna encourage you to say, God, I don't know what to do. But first I wanna pray a scripture over you, a scripture I've been meditating on, a scripture that I'm claiming in my own life. And so if you feel comfortable, I just wanna invite you to hold out your hands just like this in a posture of receiving because I believe that God may wanna give you something today. I'm gonna pray Romans 15, 13 over you. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus name, amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Have a blessed night.

Amen. ♪ I don't wanna feel the storm just because I hear You Lord ♪ ♪ I don't wanna feel the storm, I don't wanna feel the storm ♪ ♪ Be still, You are here so it is well ♪ ♪ Even when my eyes can't see ♪ ♪ I will trust the voice that's near me ♪ ♪ I'm not gonna be afraid, cause these waves are on their ways ♪ ♪ I'm not gonna be afraid, oh I'm not gonna be afraid ♪ ♪ I'm not gonna fear the storm, walk greater than its roar ♪ ♪ I'm not gonna fear the storm, oh I'm not gonna fear at all ♪ ♪ Please be still, say the word and I will set my feet upon the sea ♪ ♪ Till I'm dancing in the deep of night ♪ ♪ Please be still, You are here so it is well ♪ ♪ Even when my eyes can't see, I will trust the voice that speaks ♪ ♪ Peace, peace on the face, oh peace Jesus ♪ ♪ You're the peace, my Lord ♪ ♪ Let faith rise up, oh heart believe it ♪ ♪ Let faith rise up in me ♪ ♪ Let faith rise up, oh heart believe it ♪ ♪ Let faith rise up in me, oh ♪ ♪ Let faith rise up, oh heart believe it ♪ ♪ Let faith rise up in me, oh ♪ ♪ Let faith rise up, oh heart believe it ♪ ♪ Believe it, let faith rise up in me, oh ♪ ♪ Peace, peace, oh Lord, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ I will say the word and I will set my feet upon the sea ♪ ♪ Till I'm dancing in the deep love, peace, be still ♪ ♪ You are here so it is well, even when my eyes can't see ♪ ♪ I will trust the voice that speaks, peace, be still ♪ ♪ Over me, oh ♪

♪ Peace, Jesus, peace, life, over me, oh ♪ ♪ Let your peace come and wash over me ♪ ♪ Oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ You're the peace in the storm ♪ ♪ You're riding every wrong, oh Jesus ♪ ♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ Rest in you, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ I see you, oh oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ See me in you ♪ ♪ Let faith rise up, oh heart, believe it ♪ ♪ Let faith rise up in me ♪ ♪ Let faith rise up, oh heart, believe it ♪ ♪ Let faith rise up in me ♪ ♪ One more time again ♪ ♪ Let faith rise up, oh heart, believe it ♪ ♪ Let faith rise up in me ♪ ♪ Let faith rise up, oh heart, believe it ♪ ♪ Let faith rise up in me ♪ That is our prayer for you this morning. May faith rise in your heart. No matter what might be going on outside or inside for that matter, He is our peace speaker. And whether it feels like it or not, He is always with you. And you can have faith even in those times. It might seem small or be small, but Jesus Himself said, if your faith is as a grain of mustard seed,

which are very small seeds, but they have great potential. So even in those times, when He seems a million miles away and you feel so alone, know that He's with you. And may faith rise in your heart. May your heart believe that He's there. Church, He loves you so much, more than you could ever imagine, as do we. This is your community. This is your family. If you need prayer or encouragement, we're your family. Reach out. Like Rebecca said, God isn't afraid of your honesty and neither should we be afraid of your honesty. But may the Lord bless you and keep you this week. May you feel His presence everywhere that you go. And if you do need prayer today, please don't leave without visiting our prayer room across the courtyard. Our prayer teams, they're waiting for you. They'll pray with you and over you. And if it's your first time here, thank you for coming. But there's more that the Lord wants to do. And in next steps, also across the courtyard, we have a team there. waiting to get you plugged into what God is doing here because he's doing amazing things. But again, Church, we love you. He loves you. And we'll see you again next time.