Good morning church. It is good to be with you. I love every chance I get to be on the stage and get to share the word with you this morning. Excited about the topic we're going to land into today. If you've been with us for a little while, you know that we have this summer, been kind of walking through the Sermon on the Mount. About six or eight weeks ago, Pastor Matt came to me. And he had said, hey, I want you to preach on this Sunday. And I started looking through and seeing kind of where it landed. And I thought, wow, this is perfect. This is probably the best one of the whole sermon series. Not all of them aren't because Jesus did the whole sermon. So, I don't want to pick at when Jesus preached on. But this was obviously like a great point. And I thought this is a good spot to land. And a great point for us to land this morning. So, I'm excited about where we're going to go. Over the past couple of weeks, we've heard some really good sermon points and challenges some high points throughout this sermon that Jesus spoke, and I'm excited now to kind of get to land in another point here. But last week, Pastor Matt landed on an amazing principle as he ended out the message. And he said this, he said, the issue is not what I have, but what and who controls me. Now, that automatically kind of leads us right into where we're going today. It directs us straight into where we're going to go today, this principle kind of walks directly into what we're going to focus on this morning. Now what we're going to focus on this morning, I want you to understand, I feel that every one of us deals with this. I don't think there's an age limit to it. I don't believe that it's something that you just all of a sudden get or don't get. I believe we all deal with this issue.

I think you can define us. I think it can direct our life. I think it can impact our relationships, it can control our present, and future way of life. It also is, to me one of the most dangerous and damaging things that can impact us both physically and spiritually. And it's this thing called worry, something we all deal with. And we all have situations with it. So, I'm going to ask you for just a second, just go in for a second. How many of you here by raising your hand and I like no that no one like, to do this? How many of you here by raising your hand would say, I worry? I worry sometimes. Yeah? How many of you didn't raise your hand, because you're worried about what someone's going to think about you if you raise your hand?  Yeah?  Some of you are like, yeah, I'm not going to do that. Yeah. So, we all worry about so many different things. I mean, the worry is limitless. There’re so many things that we worry about when it comes to like, what do people think about me? We worry about that. We're like, I'm really kind of concerned what people think about me, what they think of me, how do we look? How do I look?  I mean, I'm worried about how I look. Now, there's nothing wrong with wanting to be healthy. There's nothing wrong with wanting to look good. But sometimes we worry too much about that. And we focus so much on the outward appearance of who we are. And we focus so much on how do we look? How do we think people think of us? Do they like us? I mean, do people like us?  I mean, I don't know anybody that says I just hope people hate me. No, I think all of us want to be liked by somebody, right? At least our spouse, like we want to be liked. No one likes to not be liked. I like compliments. I like it when people say nice things. I like it when people say they like me. But sometimes we worry so much about that to people like us. Do we have enough? Like what is enough? But we worry about, do I have enough money? Do I have enough possessions?  Do I have enough things? Do I have enough this or that? Do I have enough in my life? Are we doing the right things with our life? We're worried about that.  Like am I doing what I'm supposed to be doing?  I mean, I thought it was, I feel like I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing?  What am I doing?  But am I?  And we worry about that.  Am I doing what I'm supposed to be doing with my life? And one of the greatest worries that I feel that's around us and a part of our generations around us now, is this worry of being left out?  This whole thing called FOMO. Right?  It's a real thing now.  It's the fear of missing out. We worry about, are we being left out of something?  I hear them talking about me over there. They looked over here at me and I'm kind of worried what am I missing? Or hey, you know what?  They went to this, and I didn't get to go and wonder why they didn't invite me?  Or hey, am I missing this? I didn't get to see that.  I didn't get to do that.  And we all have these moments of fear that literally leads to like stress and anxiety, and we sit here we mull over these things, and we worry about these things and we're like oh, I'm worried about this.  When in reality maybe it's nothing.  But we worry about missing out, being left out.  We worry about our social media.  Do we have enough followers?  Like, do we have enough friends on our social media? Do people care enough about us to follow us, especially those ones that want to follow you, but then they don't want to follow you back? You're like, why don't you want to follow me back? I followed you, right? 

This is how this works. I follow you; you follow me. We're all friends, right? And we think, well, do I have enough of these followers? Do I have enough people that really care where my dog went today? Or where I went? Or all these things.   Do I have enough people that really want to know these things about me? Do I have enough followers or for some of us as parents in the room? You know, is my kid in enough advanced classes? Yes. I mean, Lord knows, if they don't get in advanced math, they're going to fail the rest of their life.  That's it they're done. Might as well give up now, right? If you don't get an advanced math.  But we worry about that. Are my kids in enough advanced classes?  If they're not in enough advanced classes, are they going to get into the right college?  Are they're going to get the right scholarship?  Are they going to get into the right things?  Are they going to have the right grades?  Are they going to hang around with the right people?  Only advanced kids are good kids, right? My kid was an advanced kid all the time, so I just need you to know that.  And some of the things we say is, hey, if my kids are not in an advanced class, are they going to be, okay? If they're not in enough, are they going to fail? For some of us in this room we worry about relationships. Like, who am I going to be in a relationship with? Who am I going to marry? Should I swipe right or left on this one? I'm not really sure. You know, there's no way that I could date in this world today. I just wouldn't know how to do it. Some of you agree with me. I just couldn't do it. But I understand. It's a struggle nowadays. And it's a form of what people do now to meet people. But they worry.  A lot of people worry about, Am I just going to be single the rest of my life?  Well, maybe you will. Praise the Lord. Maybe you will. God may have that planned for you. What?  But who am I going to marry?  Who am I going to be in a relationship with? What's it going to be? Am I going to be successful at my job? Am I leading right? Am I doing the right things? Am I good at what I do? Am I good communicator? I don't know. So, we worry about those things. Am I good at what I do, and these places that I do it?

And we worry about all those things. But even some of us, we worry about worrying too much. Right? We're like, am I a worrier? I worry that I'm a worrier.  I worry way too much about the things that I worry about, you know, and it's this constant, just this endless kind of possibilities of things that I worry about.  I may have not mentioned the thing that you worry about.  But we all worry about something, and they're just limitless. But what I need you to understand this morning, is that we find out in the scripture that worry, it's a sin. And we don't like to hear that. We don't like to hear that as a Christian it's been brought up in church, we like to say I'm not worrying. I'm just concerned. Bless your heart, you know, I'll be praying for you. I'm just concerned about this situation. And we'd like to interchange those words and kind of water down sins in our life, and the things that are controlling. So, I started thinking, as I was preparing for this, what if worrying is kind of doubting and not relying on the power and the goodness of God?  As a Christian, I don't want to be a worrier, right? Because I don't want to say that I'm doubting the things of God, that I'm not relying on the power of God, I'm not going to say that. I'm not a worrier, I'm a concerned person, right? And if we're going to say this thing, so I start thinking, well what's the difference? How do I distinguish concern from worry? So, in my mind, I had to look it up, I had to think about it, I had to figure out what it means. And concern is this.  Concern is when you are in control of your thoughts and feelings. That's concern. But worry is when the circumstances control your thoughts, actions and feelings. When they start to control those sleepless nights, when your life starts to spin in directions, and your anxiety starts to lift, and your stress starts to happen, because you worry, you're not concerned, because that circumstance now controls your thoughts and your actions and your feelings. That's worry. Different people deal with worry in different ways. Some of us we eat our worries away. Like, I'll take another Little Debbie, because I'm stressed. I had a bad day. So, it's okay, we're off the diet for today. Let's go all you can eat tonight. And we're like, whatever. We eat our stresses away, some drink their stresses away, some shop. They're distractions, right, they shop their stresses away, they're not worried. They just go shopping. They decided that if I shop enough, it's going to distract me from the things that I worry about. For some of us. We just try to sleep. Like I'm going to sleep to avoid it. So, if I just can get some sleep, I wake up and it's all going to be gone. But the reality is, none of this takes the worries away in our life.

Instead, what happens is, when we wake up and we stop eating and we stop distracting ourselves. The worry comes back, and it comes back and even a stronger force than before. And before we know it, it's still controlling us and we're panicking over the sin because we're worrying.  So, Jesus says right here in Matthew chapter 6, verse 25, He says, "Therefore, I tell you do not worry about your life, what you eat or drink; or about your body, what you'll wear."  But He says a key word there. He says, "Therefore."  This word, therefore, is so important in the scripture because it shows that something happens because of something else.  He says, hey, remember those past messages that we heard, because you're the salt and the light of the world. Don't worry. Because you understand what I've done for you. Because you understand what Jesus has done for you, don't worry.  Since you understand, and you're not concerned with building up your earthly possessions, because you know who controls you, don't worry. Don't worry. See, this word is said three times, don't worry, is said three times in this passage. For the Greek word used for worries, this concept of strangling or choking out. So, the reality is this. He said, don't be choked out, don't be strangled by the things in this world. Don't worry, don't allow these things to hold you. Hey, if you're a follower of Christ, these are Kingdom ethic type things. These are things that you and I, as Christians are supposed to understand that we're not supposed to worry because of what Christ has already done. He set us free from that. But the reality is worry leads us to frustration. It strangles us, it holds us, it binds us, and it leads us to frustration, when you should be set free. When you should be set free. But why do you worry? What keeps you up at night? What makes your mind keeps spinning? What's taking your thoughts and controlling you? Why is your worry controlling?  You see worry, it gives the enemy an area of control in your life.  When we worry it just gives that one little moment, the small little sin moment where Satan steps in and goes oh, we're going to take this one for a ride.  And he likes to blow that up bigger than it ever was. And when we start to worry, and we start to sit in those moments of worry, it gives the enemy that area of control in our life, that God says you've been set free from that.  Matthew 6:25-27 we're going to read through it a little further. It says, "Therefore I tell you do not worry about your life, what you eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.  Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying at a single hour to your life?"   As I read that I thought, why does it say look at the birds? Don't worry, look at the birds. I'm like, Oh, cool. Let's look at birds.  Let's all be bird watchers. You know, nothing wrong with that. If you like looking at birds, go for it. It's a fun hobby. But I don't believe He's literally thinking, hey, let's just look at some birds. I think the reality of this being said here is this is the easiest to understand that we need to stop looking down at our worries and start looking up at what God has created for us, and how he's taking care of everyone around us everything around us. So many times, we focus on the things of this world that we stopped looking at the things that God has created for us and that we are valuable when we look up.  When we look up and see what God has done for us, when we look up and see how creative God is and how he is provided for the least of things like a bird. And then he says but you are more valuable than they are. Don't worry because you're valuable. He says in verse 26, and you are you not much more valuable than they.

So, look up. Look up at what God has done and what God is doing. In Romans 5:8, it says, "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." You're valuable when we didn't deserve it. When we hadn't earned it. When we couldn't earn it. He demonstrated his love for us that while we were still sinners because we're valuable, look up and see how valuable you are to God that he would demonstrate His love for you to the point of dying for you.  In Ephesians 2:4-5 it says, "...because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our transgressions-it is by grace you have been saved." It is not by something you and I do. We don't deserve it. But God values us, and we are valuable to Him, and He says, His great love for us, He made us alive.

So, look up Isaiah 43:4 it says, "Because you are so precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you. I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life."  You're precious, you're valuable you are loved.  John 3:16, which if you've been in church for any time whatsoever, you've heard this verse, but many times we forget the true meaning and how what it truly means. It says, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."  Why? Because you're valuable. You save things that are valuable. You don't throw them away. You save them. And He says, hey, I gave My Son. Why? Because you're valuable. So don't worry, stop looking into the worry, stop looking into the moments, stop looking into the circumstances and allowing them to control your life, your actions and your feelings and look up. And let's just look for a moment at what God has done for you and for I and how He loves us and how He values us and how He cares for us. Then He says in verse 28.  "Why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers in the fields grow? They do not labor or spin."  See, what I've learned about worry is this. The one thing that I worry the most about is usually the one thing I'm laboring over the most and the one thing that's spinning the most out of control in my life.  I mean it's waking me up at night. I'm working to try to fix it. And before I know it, I'm just spinning out of control thinking I'm going to fix it and I can't. And so, what I do I sit in that moment I labor, and I spin, and I get out of control. And I worry. The Scripture says, don't worry. Now I know when you read that, and at least when I read it. It goes oh okay, so don't worry, that's easy. Okay. Just don't do it, right?  For some of us who were like, well, that's not easy. That's easily said, not easily done, right? It's just one of those kind of moments like Jesus is like, hey, don't worry.  Okay, I'm done. I won't do it anymore. I'm done. I'm not going to worry anymore. It's over. Right? No, it's not that easy. And I get it. You know, I was growing up. My dad used to love to watch this show. The Bob Newhart Show. I don't know if any of you guys ever watched that. My dad used to watch it on Nick at night and I would watch it with him. And I never thought that Bob Newhart one day would end up in a sermon, but he is today. And so, I remember watching it with him. And there were different shows that he would watch. And I remember there was this little skit that came off from The Bob Newhart and from Bob, where he did this whole skit where he was like a psychiatrist, right? And he would sit down, and he would listen to people's worries, or people's situations or things that were going on, and they would pour their heart out to him. And at the end, he goes, "Are you done?" He's like, "Yeah." And then he'd look at them and go, "Stop it." And they're like, "What?" And he'd go.  "Just stop it."  And you're like, that's what I feel like sometimes when I'm reading the Scripture, I'm like, it's like Him saying, just don't worry about it. I'm like, okay, I won't.  I'm done. You know it?  

But it's not that easy. So, I started thinking through that, and I thought, well, okay, if I'm a follower of Christ, I'm supposed to be the salt in the life of the world. If I'm supposed to live for Jesus, I get it. Jesus, you told me not to worry. This isn't an easy thing to do. We're all kind of dealing with especially over the past year, it was a big year of anxiety and stress for a lot of us, right? And so, we're like, how am I supposed to not worry? Well, so I came up with like five ways to kind of fight this whole worry thing for us that I find in Scripture.  That I find in God's Word, and it says this.  The first one is this and I want to walk through these with you.  First one is pray more, worry less. Now I get it. It's back to that. Can I just pray more, right? spends more time in prayer. Two weeks ago, Pastor Matt spent an entire Sunday on prayer. I'm not going to try to re preach it. If you want to hear a good sermon, go back two weeks ago when you hear it, okay? You can listen to that and what I encourage you to listen to he spent a lot of time talking through prayer. But he said something extremely important. He says prayer is to experience God. It's not a transaction, but relational. And I want us to understand that so many times, the reason we worry is because we're not being relational with God, there needs to be times in our life that we just need to start praying. Hey, you're dealing with something instead of trying to handle it yourself. Just pray. Get on your knees before the Lord and be relational, not transactional. Not like, hey, take this away, not transactional in that sense, but because you're spending time with the Lord, you understand that what He tells us in Philippians 4:6-7, it says, "Do not be anxious about anything. But in every situation by prayer and petition with thanksgiving present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ."  He says, hey, do not be anxious. He says when you're worrying, just give it to the Lord.  When you're worrying, just start praying and spend some time with me, be relational with me and realize, I got this, just look up.  I got this. Craig Groeschel says, "If it is on your mind, it is on God's heart." If it's on your mind, if you're already worried about it, guess what God's already got it on His heart, He's already dealing with it. He also goes on to say that some battles that you and I are battling with, they're one in prayer. The things that we're battling through and our worries, the things that we're dealing with, and our worries, many of those battles are going to be won by spending time relationally with the Lord in prayer. Psalm 34:17 says, "The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them."  Now, let's just sit there for a second.  It says the righteous cry out and the Lord hears them. Now I get it. A lot of times, we think when we pray, it just kind of lands somewhere in here. And sometimes maybe we're at our house, and we're sitting in it and just kind of hits the roof, and we don't really think it gets all the way up there because we're not really sure if he hears us. But the Scripture tells us as a promise, it says, when the righteous cry out, it says the Lord hears them. There's power in prayer guys.  It says, The Lord hears them, He delivers them from all their trouble. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit, the righteous person may have had many troubles, but the Lord delivers them from all and everything from all.  And both those verses, it says in everything, every situation, your situation is different than my situation. But in every situation, the Lord delivers them from all the promise that God gives us is that when we go to Him in prayer, the Lord delivers us from them all. So, we need to pray more.  Spend some more time on our face before the Lord.  Spend some more time battling these things through prayer, then allowing the worry and the circumstances to control our life. The second thing is this; make God bigger in your life than your worries. You know, I think a lot of us over time have forgotten how big God is.  John MacArthur says, "Worry is the sin of distrusting the promises and power of God."  We sing a song, Way maker, we get all into that. But if we really listened to what it's saying that God is powerful, the same God that you and I serve today is the same God that said in the beginning He created. 

But a lot of times, our worries get so much bigger than our God, and therefore our worries, and our life is more focused on our worries, then they are on our worship. Because our worries are bigger than our God. Our worries are controlling our worship. They're controlling things, but our God is big. He is the Creator of the universe when He speaks, light it comes into existence. When He speaks, He creates the same God that created is the same God that brought victory over sin and over death. You and I can't do that. But He can. He's a big God. He's not a little g god, He's a big G god, He's a big God that is very powerful. And so therefore, we need to understand how big God is. And we need to make Him bigger than our worries and our circumstances. Whatever you worry about the most many times shows what you value the most. But let us value God over our worries.  Let us value more of Him. Let us cast our anxieties. 1 Peter 5:7 says, "Cast all your anxiety on him because He cares for you."  God is already working it out guys. We're worrying over something that God has already got control of, that God's already got His hand on. And many times, we're worrying and allowing that to drive our life and direct us in ways that we shouldn't be going.  When instead, we just need to go God I'm going to cast this anxiety on You, because You care. The other thing is this; Trust God with what I can't do.  John 16:33 says, I have told you these things, so that in me You may have peace. In this world you have trouble. But take heart!  I have overcome the world." See, I need you to understand we don't have to worry, about what will happen, when we know who is in control of me? It's that principle.  Who's in control, who's in charge? We don't have to worry about what happens when we know who's in control. Because worry, we know leads to anxiety, anxiety leads to stress and stress leads, unhealth and depression and things of that nature that are constantly pulling us away from where we need to be.  But instead, we need to give it to God. It doesn't mean we don't do anything, though. A lot of times, when we start thinking about this, and you've heard this message, you're like, oh, just don't worry. We go back to that Jamaican theme of "Don't worry, be happy," right?  It's going to be stuck in your head the rest of the day, you're going to go out to the restaurants, and you're going to be singing that. You know what I mean? Don't worry, be happy. That's not what I'm saying. What I'm not saying is like, oh, I don't have to worry about my job anymore. It's just going to work its way out. I don't have to worry about these things anymore. I don't have to even deal with these things anymore. I'm just going to give them to God, it's going to be gone.  No, no, what I'm saying is this. If you can do something about it, then do it. Do what you can and trust God, with what you can't.  If you can't do it, then give it to Lord. I learned this about six years ago, when my mom passed away.  I worried a lot about her health. My mom had a disease that took her and just deteriorated her over a matter of about four or five years. I watched her go from a healthy lady to a lady who could not talk feed or hold herself up. And I sat in that moment and worried a lot. And I would sit in that moment, and I would worry about her health and about her life and about her getting better. And then I realized that I was worrying about the wrong thing. That I can't control her life, but God can.  I can't control healing her. But God can heal her. And He did. He healed her. 

But it wasn't until I realized that there were some things in my life that I can't control. I cannot, I could not heal her. But God could. And He did. But what I can control, is I can control how I live my life. I can't control how people at work if they accept Jesus or not. But what I can do, is I can tell them about Jesus. I can live Jesus in front of them.  I can love them, like Jesus loves me.  I can invite them to church with me, I can make sure that I show them everything about Jesus that He's done for me, and I can live out in front of them. I can't make them accept Christ, I can't make that spouse, I can't make that person, I can't make that employee, I can't make those people on whatever spot of area in my life I'm in, I can't make them except Christ. But I can sure live it in front of them.  That I can control. And so, I'm going to constantly focus on the things that I can control and I'm going to trust God with the things I can't control. I can't protect my kids from everything.  Parents, I get it, we want to protect our kids from everything. But I can't.  What I can do is I can raise them up in a house where they know what's right and what's wrong, I can tell them about Jesus, I can lead them to where they need to be, I can have them in church, I can send them on missions, I can make sure they have every opportunity to experience Jesus and to know what's right and wrong. And I can protect them from things that I have control of. But eventually, I cannot protect them from everything.  And so, I've got to trust God, with that.  There's one thing in my life that I want you to understand.  As a pastor, I've always wanted my kids to have their own faith. For you, maybe you were brought up in the church. And you know, and a lot of time I deal with people that say, I've just always been in the church, I've always had a faith.  And I'm like, no you didn't.  A lot of times, kids have their parents’ faith. And I never wanted that for my kids. I never wanted my kids to have my faith and every one of my kids to just know Jesus because they go to church. I wanted them to understand who Jesus was. And so, I've never pressed my kids to give their life to Jesus. I've just loved Jesus in front of them. I've tried to tell them about it, I've brought them to church, and I have a choice in that. Just so you know, they're coming to church. I can control that. They're going to be here. And so, I do those things. Two weeks ago, my nine-year-old, he gave his life to Jesus.  

It was a VBX, hey, I raised him. I did everything I can control, but I trust him to the Lord. And what's funny about that is during that time of gospel presentation, Pastor Aaron was giving the gospel and my nine-year-old got up and he walked over. And we had had conversations and we had prayed with him a couple of times and talked with him a couple of times, making sure he understood who Jesus was, but he just wasn't ready. He'd tell us.  He's afraid of things he didn't know if he was doing the right thing. And he's young, I get it. But he went over to Pastor Aaron afterwards and Pastor Aaron being the phenomenal person he is, he goes, hey, do you want your dad to come in here and kind of help walk through this? He said, nope. This is a man and God thing.  And I was like, you know what, that's exactly what I want. I want my kids to have an understanding that it's between them, and God.  It's their faith. I can't control that. But what I can control is the environment that they can be brought up in and they're going to hear about Jesus. At the same time, I have a senior that's going off to college.  I can't control what he's going to see at college, what he's going to experience, we've got a ton of seniors sitting on our front, you can't control what they're going to see in the next little while, all you can do is control where you've placed them and where you spend time with them and showed them Jesus.  And so, what I understand is that what I can only do from here is to go, God, I need you now to control this situation. I need you to help direct and make sure he knows what's right. Because I've raised him that way, and I know that, but now I trust you with it.  See you and I we worry about things that we can't control. And instead, we need to trust God with the things I can't control.   Philippians 4:11-13 says this.  "I'm not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content, whatever the circumstances.  I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.   I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all things through Him who gives me strength." He says I've learned to be content.  Contentment is not natural guys; contentment comes from God. Why? Because I've experienced Jesus, I've learned not to worry, because I've experienced his promises.  I've been in His presence.  I've seen His goodness, He has not left me or forsaken me. And I know this, in my toughest circumstances, He has been there for me. So, I don't have to worry about that anymore. I don't have to worry, because I've given it to the Lord, it is in Him now. It is not in me; my life is in the Lord. And I rejoice in the Lord, because of what He has done for me, He will meet my needs.  And when we get there, is when we truly step into an understanding that we are living a life worthy of the Lord. And we don't have to live in the worry of the world. Instead, we live in the worship of the Lord. Then the fourth thing is this; you have to take control of your thoughts. I said it earlier. Satan likes to get into certain areas of our life and thoughts are one of those that he really loves to just go after. He likes to put lies. But I want to encourage you to take the lies of Satan and replace them with the promises of God. Romans chapter 12 verse 2 says, "Do not conform any longer to the patterns of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Says then you'll be able to test and approve what God's will is.  His good, pleasing and perfect well. He says renew your mind. Spin that in Christ. Understand you are not a hostage to your unhealthy thoughts. But you are creative. You're not a slave to worry, God's peace rest in you and He guards your heart in Christ Jesus.  You're an overcomer, you've been rescued from sin, you are valuable. And Christ in me makes me the hope of glory. And I'm driven by faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit of God lives in me, God loves me.

I am loved.  I'm beautiful, and wonderfully made and Christ died for me. God is the provider. God empowers me. And He has set me free by His truth. Those are the promises of God that I need to place in my life. I need to take control of these lies that Satan keeps putting in me that make me want to worry and I need to replace them with the promises of God and knowing that God has got this.  That He is in control and allow him to live as my Savior. 

But then the last thing is this; live faithfully and seeking. See the remedy of worry is faith and seeking. That's the remedy. The last part of this passage of Matthew chapter 6:33-34 it says this, "But seek first His kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore, do not worry."  There it is again. "Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own."  He says, therefore, because we are seeking, we do not worry. Because we are living faithfully, we do not worry, and set our life reflects the gospel, and not the worries of this world.  Instead, my life understands the beauty of the gospel. And I'm living that gospel out.  That gospel truth that Jesus died for my sins, and that he rose and brought victory over death and over sin.  I'm living that out in front of people, we need to be more known for who we are for, than what we're against.  A lot of us are really good at telling people what we're against, but we're not really good at telling people who we're for. And for us, we need to start living faithfully, we need to start seeking Christ with all that we've got, so that people will see who we live for.

Because my worry, it attaches me to the things of this earth, and not the longing of the things of God. So, let us seek Him.  Because we are seeking, because we know who is in control.  Therefore, because we are the salt and the light of the world, therefore, because of what Jesus did for us, therefore, do not worry. Do not worry. So, my question to you today is this. What are you worried about? What's keeping you up at night that you need to give to the Lord? What is it that’s holding you back as a follower of Christ from living faithfully as a righteous one? What is that circumstance that you need to let go? Because you know, you can't control, and you need to give it a God.  What is that situation that's controlling your thoughts and your actions that you need to give to the Lord?  Maybe today, you need to do that.  Maybe today, you need to just have a between me and God kind of moment. You need to go Lord; I've been really laboring and spinning over these things. And I know I need to give it to you and hand it over to you.  Maybe you're here today, and you've never surrendered your life to Christ. You've never given your life fully to Him and maybe today you need to do that. You've been worrying about things of the world, when God says, I got that. Let me handle that for you just surrender your life to me.

Maybe today, you need to surrender your life to Jesus for the first time. And allow Him to take the worries, allow Him to come into your life. And truly just transform you. So, you may know how good and pleasing and perfect Hs will is.

If that's you today, in these next few minutes, I just want to ask you to spend some time with the Lord.  Hey, we have a thing here called next steps.  It's an amazing thing that we adopted during this time to where you have an opportunity where you can text in and just go, hey, you know, I need to pray with somebody. I need to talk with somebody, I'm struggling. Maybe I need to get rid of some worries, I just need someone to pray with me. I want to encourage you just today just to text next to the number that you see on the screen. And somebody is going to reach out to you.  A pastor is going to reach out to you. You're going to hear from somebody.  They're going to have a chance to pray with you, to talk with you, to spend some time with you. Maybe you're in the room though, and you're like, hey, I really would like to talk to somebody in person. Hey, I'll be right up front. We're going to have some deacons up front that would love to talk with you as well to pray with you. Have a conversation with you. I'd love to give you that opportunity as well. In this room to go, hey, you know what, can you pray with me? Maybe I need to turn my life and I need someone to help me walk me through this. I just need someone pray with me. We'll be up here. Just don't leave this place today, still worrying, the same way you came in.  Instead, let's leave this place today, surrendering and seeking and living faithfully. Let's pray. 

Father, God, we thank you. We thank You for Your Word, Your truth.  God, from when you spoke this message into existence, what it meant to the people of that time. But then at the same time how it applies to our lives today. Thank you for that. But God at the same time, let us today just really apply what your Word says. And that's not to worry because we have a relationship with You. We know you’re in control. We know you got this, so God, I just pray that right now in this place, if someone's hearing they need to surrender that they would surrender. And that God we live a life worthy of this gospel. God bless this time, I pray.  May you move, may you work, may you be glorified. In Your name we pray.  Amen.