“3 Ways To Find Our Peace In God!”

 

“3 Ways To Find Our Peace In God!

Pastor Jim Lowe III

Sunday Morning,  9:30am Stream

04/24/22 (4th Sunday Message)

 

 

{All scriptures are NIV84 unless stated}

 

Review:

 

Peace (Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary)

From the Hebrew: “Shalom

Means to “be whole, complete.”

 

Having peace means having “wholeness” or “being complete.”

 

But each of us may have a different definition of what “peace” looks like.

 

We are trying to regroup from covid, and there are MANY articles referencing what it’s done.

 

Many articles are referencing a mental health crisis we may be part of now.

 

Over The Last 2 Years, There’s Been An Increase In Depression, Anxiety, Stress, Addictions And More

 

John 14:27

27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

 

Jesus is speaking.

 

He does not give to us as the world gives.

 

Interesting way to say that.

 

Christ leaves peace.

 

He leaves HIS peace.

 

He doesn’t give as the world gives.

 

If We Have The Right Relationship With Christ, We Have Access To His Peace!

 

This is all because we have the right relationship with God.

 

Romans 5:1

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

 

This isn’t just a “potential” type of peace.

 

This isn’t just a “maybe” type of peace.

 

This isn’t something that MAY work for you…

 

This is something that WILL work for you!

 

 

How Do We Find Peace?

 

Philippians 4:6-7

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, 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. 

 

Do not be anxious.

 

Ways To Find Peace In God:

1. Pray

 

{but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God…}

 

Sometimes it can be a quick prayer.

 

Peter Called Out To God, And God Responded Immediately!

 

Matthew 14:31 {Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.}

 

Sometimes it can be as simple as just calling on the name of the Lord…

 

…taking a breath…

 

and we now have control.

 

Sometimes it doesn’t happen as fast.

 

{Does this sound like any of us?}

 

Psalm 6:6-9

6 I am worn out from groaning; all night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. 7 My eyes grow weak with sorrow; they fail because of all my foes. 8 Away from me, all you who do evil, for the Lord has heard my weeping. 9 The Lord has heard my cry for mercy; the Lord accepts my prayer.

 

This mentions how heavy it can be.

 

How many of you know:

 

Life Is NOT Easy!

 

Sometimes things come out of nowhere.

 

Sometimes we go through things that seem unbearable.

 

Some times we have problems that are HEAVY…

 

Has anyone been like this?

 

Psalm 6:6-9 (MSG)

6–7  Im tired of all this—so tired. My bed has been floating forty days and nights

On the flood of my tears. My mattress is soaked, soggy with tears. The sockets of my eyes are black holes; nearly blind, I squint and grope. 8–9 Get out of here, you Devils crew: at last God has heard my sobs. My requests have all been granted, my prayers are answered.

 

All these things get amplified when you talk to the wrong people.

 

You can have people who don’t care…

 

Give you wrong advice…

 

Have You Ever Had People Try To Minimize Your Pain?

 

It’s good to have outlets for your pain…

 

But never forget what you have in God!

 

Psalm 6:9 (NIV)

9 The Lord has heard my cry for mercy; the Lord accepts my prayer.

 

 (MSG) 9 My requests have all been granted, my prayers are answered.

 

Sometimes we tend to forget that God hears us when we pray!

 

God Accepts And Answers Our Prayers!

 

Psalm 34:4

 I asked the Lord for help, and he answered me.

He saved me from all that I feared.

 

God Will Trade Your Sorrows For Peace!

 

So what does prayer do…

 

Using prayer…we can REQUEST God to offer his peace.

 

Philippians 4:6-7

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, 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.

 

The peace of God…which transcends all understanding.

 

The peace we get that just doesn’t make any sense.

 

The peace we get we can’t explain.

 

It is the response to the problems we can’t understand.

 

God Offers A Peace We Can’t Understand To Handle All Problems We Can’t Understand!

 

If your problem is that big…

 

So is your God.

 

He offers comfort to the level any pain can reach.

 

Ways To Find Peace In God:

2.  Keep Our Mind And Thoughts In Check

 

Do you know that if you can focus your thoughts you can find peace?

 

Isaiah 26:3 (AMP)

3 You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You.

 

Our minds get us in trouble so many different times.

 

While circumstances can create stress and anxiety…our minds are what amplify it.

 

For instance…most of us have people who hate on us constantly.

 

It’s not always what they say…it’s how we interpret it.

 

The Worst Thing You Can Do Is Start Believing The Negative Things People Say About You

 

We have to keep our mind and thoughts in check.

 

Numbers 13:33 tells the story of Israel when God sent them to look at the Promised Land.

 

God Said: Send Spies To See The “Land.”

 

They were to go and see what God had for them.

 

Moses Sent Spies To See “Everything.”

 

Moses tells the men to go look at “everything.”

 

(v.18) look at the land, the people, the towns, are they strong?…the soil, trees…bring 

 

back fruit.

 

The Spies Saw Giants And Came Back Terrified.

 

What they saw influenced their thoughts…and their thoughts created anxiety for them.

 

They Told Everyone They Were Insignificant Compared To The People Already There.

 

Numbers 13:33

“…We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”

 

They SEEMED like grasshoppers.

 

In THEIR thoughts they were already defeated.

 

Even on the internet…a way to decrease anxiety is to focus on your thoughts.

 

Because our thoughts can control our bodies.

 

Have you ever:

 

Had a dream about falling?

 

Had a dream about something bad happening?

 

Don’t you wake up tense?  Cold sweat?  Heart racing?

 

But you’ve been asleep.  You haven’t been anywhere!!

 

Your THOUGHTS can influence your health…your mood…your blood pressure and even your pulse.

 

This is why we have to control our thoughts.

 

Philippians 4:8-9

8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

 

FOCUS your thoughts.

 

Stop Letting Your OWN Thoughts Steal Your Peace!

 

Ways To Find Peace In God:

3. Keep Your Trust In God!

 

Trust means to rely.

 

Trust means to place confidence in.

 

Confident hope.

 

Another word for faith.

 

Proverbs 3:5

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

 

TRUST in the Lord with everything.

 

Don’t lean to your own understanding.

 

With Every Trial In Life, We Have To Ask Ourselves, Will We Trust God Or Not?

 

With everything we go through in life…do we have faith or not?

 

Peter trusted Jesus enough to go out on the water.

 

He ALSO had enough trust that Jesus could save him when he sank.

 

The Centurion had enough faith/trust that Jesus could speak the word and his servant would be healed.

 

If we TRUST God with everything…He can give us peace.

 

Romans 15:13

13 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.

 

{Recap:}

Ways To Find Peace In God:

1. Pray

2. Keep Our Thoughts And Mind In Check

3. Keep Your Trust In God!

Bonus: Spend Time In Worship

 

Do you have a playlist of praise and worship songs?

 

Spending time in worship can work wonders on our lives.

 

Everyone Should Find A Song That Ministers To Them And Keep It Close For Emergencies!

 

Our peace is important.

 

It will be tested…but we HAVE to work to protect it.

 

We have 3 ways today.

 

 

 

  Page 7 of 7

Book your tickets