UPCOMING DATES
18 September – Young Families Big Birthday Bash
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14 October - GNI
23 to 25 January 2017 - INY Summer Camp
2016 – CG Notes #21
Abundant Peace
Title:
Thieving Thoughts, Part 2
Anxiety over tomorrow’s problems
KEY VERSE:
John 14:27 (NLT)
“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world
cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.
Peace of mind and heart is a gift that belongs to every believer. Not being troubled within and
not being full of fear is our inheritance in Christ. Circumstances may be tough. We can’t escape life.
We live in the world. We don’t, however have to cave in and lose our peace.
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Wind and waves and the will of God
Matthew 8:23 27 (NLT)
23 Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples. 24 Suddenly, a fierce
storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples
went and woke him up, shouting, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”
26 Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then he got up and rebuked
the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm.
27 The disciples were amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked. “Even the winds and waves obey him!”
Countless messages have been preached on this passage of Scripture, most encouraging us to keep
trusting Jesus no matter the circumstances and not give into fear. It highlights the fact that we are all,
at some time pushed to the limit by our circumstances. For the disciples tossed about by the wind and
the waves, they were in imminent danger. The danger was real. They were not over reacting and they
were reacting as mere men would be expected to do. They did not, however, consider the Son of God
Who was with them the whole time and had a mission for them to accomplish.
Key thoughts:

The disciples were heading in the right direction. Jesus had set the direction and it was the right
one in spite of circumstances and in spite of their doubts. (“We are going to drown!”) They did
not “miss God” in this.
Read the on-going verses to discover who was on the other side of the lake – two desperate men in
need of Christ’s delivering power. If anything, their “right direction” was being opposed by the
enemy who would seek for them to give into fear.

Storms, wind and waves do not invalidate the will of God. It was always Jesus’ intention to sail
across the lake and He was not in anyway disturbed or intimidated by the storm. It was
“a fierce storm”, the sea was agitated and the waves did actually break into the boat. These
things did happen but they did not cancel out the will of God.

“… Suddenly there was a great calm.” The peace of God returned to the lake and returned to
their hearts. We need to go to Jesus with our fears and ask Him to help us to have faith while we
experience the storms of life, then the peace of God can return to our hearts.
Thieving Thought #2: Anxiety over tomorrow’s problems
The disciples, in the above example were greatly occupied with the problems of today, yet they were
also prone to worry about their tomorrows.
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Anxiety, stress, fear, doubt – these things do not empty tomorrow of its troubles BUT they certainly
do empty today of its strength, peace and joy. These things are thoughts that may or may not
become a reality.
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

Worry is a thought.
Doubt is a thought.
Fear is a thought.
Jesus taught that there are some thoughts we simply cannot afford to take on board.
Matthew 6:31 (NLT)
31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink?
What will we wear?’
The older, KJV translates this first phrase as “Therefore take no thought …”
Of course we have obligations and the affairs of life that we need to look after. What Jesus taught,
however,, is that we should not take up anxious, worried, fear-filled thoughts. We are to do our best
but always and at all times, trust in God.
Anxiety about the future can have a debilitating effect ranging from indecisiveness to something like
a paralysis of fear and anything in-between. Faith always moves us forward. Fear keeps us
frozen in place.
Discuss:

How does anxiety and worry about the future, get us off track and prevent us from fulfilling the
will of God?

What things could anxiety or worry keep you from doing?
Read and compare:
Philippians 4: 6-9
2 Corinthians 10:5
We are to address the problem of anxious thoughts on two fronts: thoughts we pull down and
thoughts we purposefully think on.

How have you been able to practice one or both of these types of thinking?

What has been the result?
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There are some thoughts that I must take captive or they will take me captive!
Read: Matthew 6:25-34
Jesus teaches us 5 things about worry in this passage of Scripture
1. Worry is often unreasonable.
“Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?”
Message Bible:
“There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer
appearance than the clothes you hand on your body.”
2. Worry is unnatural.
It’s unnatural to those who know God as their loving Heavenly Father Who has promised to
always care for them.
Hebrews 13:5 (NLT)
Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said,
“I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”
Matthew 6:26 (NLT)
Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly
Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?
Matthew 6:28-30(NLT)
28 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow.
They don’t work or make their clothing, 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as
beautifully as they are. 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today
and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?
Just as other elements of creation (birds, flowers) don’t worry, Jesus teaches us to do the same.
Borrowing worry from the future is thinking about tomorrow as if there is no loving Heavenly
Father Who is all powerful and caring.
3. Worry is unhelpful
Matthew 6:27(NIV)
Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
Someone has said: “Worry is like a rocking chair – it gives you something to do but it
doesn’t get you anywhere.”
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4. Worry is unnecessary
Matthew 6:30(NLT)
30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into
the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?
If God cares for and provides for birds and flowers … how much more does He care for us,
His children?
Romans 8:32 (NLT)
32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us
everything else?
5. Worry is UNBELIEF
Matthew 6:32 (NLT)
These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows
all your needs.
This is a rather startling statement when you take time to think about it! Worry about the things
of life is an identifying characteristic of an unbeliever. Jesus said “these things dominate”
their thoughts.
Worry is the activity of unbelief.
Our lives are hid in Christ (Col 3:3) and we have been given the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16)
so it is opposing and outside of our new nature (2 Cor. 5:17) that we have been given when
we are born again.
Oswald Chambers:
“Worrying always results in sin. We tend to think that a little anxiety and worry are simply and
indication of how wise we really are. Worry rises from our determination to have our own way.
Our Lord Jesus never worried and was never anxious, because His purpose was never to
accomplish His own plans but to fulfil God’s plans. “
Regret over our past and worry over our future steals our joy and peace that are God’s gift to
us right now.
“Worry is the dark room in which negatives are developed.”
Worry is a thought that we must bring into captivity. We must listen to the wisdom found in
2 Cor. 10. If we give free reign to worry and unbelief, these thoughts can become strongholds
in our lives. None of us can afford to have our thoughts dominated in this way.
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In conclusion:
Philippians 4:6 (NLT)
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and
thank Him for all He has done.
Follow the advice of Philippians 4:6. Take a moment to consider the things you are worrying
about or tempted to worry about. Bring these matters to the Lord in prayer – be specific. The
Scripture says “tell God what you need” and then be sure to follow through with the rest
“…and thank Him for all He has done.”
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