Sermon Tone Analysis

I AM…NEAR- Finding God Through Our Anxiety

(NIV)

(NIV)

4 Rejoice in the Lord always.

I will say it again: Rejoice!

4 Rejoice in the Lord always.

I will say it again: Rejoice!

Amen!

I will rejoice in the Lord.

When it is easy to rejoice.

Many of you know that this verse comes from the book of Philippians.

Paul writes this letter to the church of Philippi while he is in chains in prison.

His situation was bleak.

I’m sure he had some anxious moments yet he was able to rejoice.

How many of you rejoice today?

I will rejoice in the Lord…

5 Let your gentleness be evident to all.

The Lord is near.

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

How many of you would be able to rejoice if you were the author who wrote these verses?

Many of you know that this verse comes from the book of Philippians.

Paul writes this letter to the church of Philippi while he is in chains in prison.

His situation was bleak.

I’m sure he had some anxious moments yet he was able to rejoice.

Q.

What lies at the bottom of the ocean and twitches?

A. A nervous wreck.

He continues…

I know many of you have had things in your life happen recently that makes you a nervous wreck.

5 Let your gentleness be evident to all.

The Lord is near.

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Have you ever woken up out of a deep sleep, wide awake, and filled with worry?

You look at your clock and see that it is 3 o’clock.

You try to close your eyes and go back to sleep, but it is no use.

You are wide awake.

Your anxiety is at an all time high as you sit there thinking about what was or what will be.

I want to take a moment before I go any further and pray.

(pray for peace the transcends all understanding)

These last few weeks have been a whirlwind.

Our community was dealt a blow with the future closing of two hospitals.

People close to me that I love very much trying to figure out what their next steps will be.

Many of you are wondering what the future holds.

You have lost your doctors, and some have lost your jobs.

Mongoose

I have been to the hospitals to visit people these last two weeks who are anxious about test that are being run or procedures being done.

I am… anxious

I have talked to many of you who have sent your kids off to college for their first time or in my case sending my baby to high school.

Kids are anxious about starting a new school year with different teachers and some at different schools altogether.

Q.

What lies at the bottom of the ocean and twitches?

A. A nervous wreck.

Parents are anxious about sending their kids into somebody else’s care.

People that you know could never care us much about them as you do.

You ask yourself if you have prepared them enough.

Are they ready?

I know many of you have had things in your life happen recently that makes you a nervous wreck.

Your anxiety level is at an all-time high.

Recent statistics show that you are not alone.

In fact, recent research has shown that Generation Z (our kids in school right now) are the most stressed generation ever.

Today, I want to talk to you about finding God through our anxiety.

Anxiety is a thin stream of fear trickling through the mind.

If encouraged, it cuts a channel into which all others thoughts are drained.

Have you ever woken up out of a deep sleep, wide awake, and filled with worry?

You look at your clock and see that it is 3 o’clock.

You try to close your eyes and go back to sleep, but it is no use.

You are wide awake.

Your anxiety is at an all time high as you sit there thinking about what was or what will be.

Arthur Somers Roche.

These last few weeks have been a whirlwind.

Our community was dealt a blow with the future closing of two hospitals.

People close to me that I love very much trying to figure out what their next steps will be.

Many of you are wondering what the future holds.

You have lost your doctors, and some have lost your jobs.

So, we all deal with anxiety.

In fact, a recent study broke down the focus of our anxiety.

I have been to the hospitals to visit people these last two weeks who are anxious about test that are being run or procedures being done.

An average person's anxiety is focused on :

I have talked to many of you who have sent your kids off to college for their first time or in my case sending my baby to high school.

Kids are anxious about starting a new school year with different teachers and some at different schools altogether.

40% -- things that will never happen

30% -- things about the past that can't be changed

12% -- things about criticism by others, mostly untrue

10% -- about health, which gets worse with stress

8% -- about real problems that will be faced

Parents are anxious about sending their kids into somebody else’s care.

People that you know could never care us much about them as you do.

You ask yourself if you have prepared them enough.

Are they ready?

Just recently I started to feel super anxious about how fast life was coming at me.

I recently turned 40, I have a son who is a junior, my baby girl is a freshman, and my niece just went to college.

I talked to a beautiful couple from the church that asked me to start doing pre-marital counselling for them.

The girl that is getting married was in one of the first classes that I ever taught.

It was a preschool class.

Wow!

Recent statistics show that you are not alone.

In fact, recent research has shown that Generation Z (our kids in school right now) are the most stressed generation ever.

Many of you can relate.

You have other anxiety that you struggle with.

The struggle is real!