Hi ,

Warm greetings.

Hope you are going OK and enjoying some of the welcome sunshine.

Can I encourage you, that if you are finding the going hard and need any assistance or prayer, please do contact me at holts@bigpond.com or 0419 248 724.

This week's inclusions for your encouragement follow on from last Sunday morning's Message on Psalm 42 : ' Desperate for God...responding to Discouragement! '

In particular, the Articles ( Help for Anxiety & Depression (2)...used with permission from Vision Christian Media : Word for Today) and the longer very helpful article attached for you to download ('6 Ways to Stop Thinking Fearful Thoughts' used with permission from christianleader.com) focus on the important matter of learning to challenge our thoughts/thinking. Lastly, a uplifting devotion from Max Lucado ('God's Resume' used with permission from Max Lucado).

Many blessings

Ken

God’s Resume

After a few moments of flailing in the water, Peter turned back to Jesus Christ and cried, “‘Lord, save me!’ And immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. ‘You of little faith,’ he said, ‘why did you doubt?’ And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down” (Matthew 14:30-32 NIV).

Now Jesus could have stilled this storm hours earlier, but he did not. He wanted to teach the followers a lesson: storms are not an option, but fear is.

God has hung his diplomas in the universe. Rainbows, sunsets, horizons. His résumé includes Red Sea openings. Lions’ mouths closings. Goliath topplings. Lazarus raisings. And his lesson is clear: he is the commander of every storm. Are you scared in yours? Then stare at him.

Help for Anxiety and Depression

My anxious thoughts multiply within me…’ Psalm 94:19 NAS

Your thought-life can be the incubator for anxiety and depression, so understand this:

(1) Your thoughts are yours! ‘My anxious thoughts multiply within me.’ You conceive, interpret, assign meaning to, accept or reject them. So be decisive about which thoughts are, or aren’t, helpful.

(2) You become what your thought-life makes you (Proverbs 23:7). It’s not your circumstances, it’s your thoughts about your circumstances that produce your emotions. Your thoughts trigger biochemistry that determines your feelings, their duration and their intensity. When you begin to think differently you’ll feel differently.

(3) Your thoughts are prolific. The Psalmist said they ‘multiply’ within you. Random thoughts may be temporarily upsetting, but they don’t produce lasting anxiety or depression. That is the work of persistent thought patterns – negative thoughts that multiply, repeating themselves within you. You must ‘take them captive’ and ‘bring [them] into obedience’ to Christ-like thinking in order to control your feelings (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).

(4) You must ‘Let the Spirit renew your (individual) thoughts and attitudes (habitual mind-set).’ (Ephesians 4:23 NLT) Submit your thoughts to God’s Spirit, allowing Him to approve or renew (replace) them with His thoughts. Anxiety and depression cannot continue to control you when you give God control of your mind. (5) People can contribute to your anxiety and depression. They can make you want to live – or die! (Proverbs 18:21) They can reduce or increase your anxiety and depression. Avoid those who speak discouraging words, and spend time with those who speak ‘…a good word [that] makes [your heart] glad.’ (Proverbs 12:25 NAS)

SoulFood: 1 Kings 6-7, Matt 15:29-39, Ps 36, Pro 5:21-23

God’s Resume

Help for Anxiety and Depression

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