Guarding Your Life from Anxiety by Travis Moffitt

Phillipians 4:6 & 7

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, 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 Jesus."

In today's day and time it is easy to wake up anxious, go through the day anxious, and go to sleep anxious. Today the news states that some 3 million people in Haiti are need of relief after a devastating earthquake. Recently a would be airplane bomber failed to properly detonate his weapon of destruction. Unemployment in the United States as well as in many other countries is the highest its been in decades.

The circumstances around us continue to give us a single command: be anxious.

Be anxious about your life. Be anxious about your job. Be anxious about your future. Who knows what calamity may befall you so you might as well be anxious.

Websters Dictionary states that the word "anxious" comes from the Latin "anxius" which is akin to the Latin word "angere" which means "to strangle."

Anxiety in our lives has 1 purpose. To strangle us. To choke us so that we can not breathe. We can not speak. We can not move. When we are anxious about any area we become focused on that thing to exclusion of all else. It chokes us and strangles us pulling us from the rest of our lives.

God has a plan for anxiety. In Philippians we are given a clear path to guard our lives from the damage of anxiety.

First of all we are directed to pray. I've heard it said that "prayer changes things." How true this is, especially when I am the thing that is changed.

Secondly the Bible says to petition God. God our Father invites us to ask Him to meet our needs. In fact it shows our faith when we ask Him instead of attempting to meet our needs on our own.

Third, we are to take these steps with thanksgiving. We can gratefully approach God for all He has done and all that He is about to do for us.

Finally, present your needs to Him. All to often we are aware of our needs yet we hold them as a "silent prayer." God is available to us. We must then approach Him and voice our needs.

The amazing result of this path of peace is its destination. These steps come with a promise. Verse 7 assures us that the peace of God will guard us Even if this peace seems to make no sense in accordance with our circumstances. God promises us that His peace will guard our hearts and minds. He will keep us from being strangled by our anxiety.

So pray and petition God today. With thanksgiving present your needs to Him. He wants to guard you.

Texas continues as World’s Leader in Incarceration

The new World Prison Population List (pdf) is out from Kings College (London) and the United States once again tops the planet in the percentage of its citizenry incarcerated:

• The United States has the highest prison population rate in the world, 756 per 100,000 of the national population, followed by Russia (629), Rwanda (604), St Kitts & Nevis (588), Cuba (c.531), U.S. Virgin Is. (512), British Virgin Is. (488), Palau (478), Belarus (468), Belize (455), Bahamas (422), Georgia (415), American Samoa (410), Grenada (408) and Anguilla (401).
  
• Almost three fifths of countries (59%) have rates below 150 per 100,000.
  
• The world population in 2008 is estimated at 6,750 million (United Nations); set against a world prison population of 9.8 million this produces a world prison population rate of 145 per 100,000 (158 per 100,000 if set against a world prison population of 10.65 million).
  

Of course, even though Texas' incarceration rate has been recently declining, our rate still tops the US national rate by a wide margin, which makes Texas arguably the global incarceration leader. At last count, Texas prisons incarcerated more than 1,000 prisoners per every 100,000 residents. About one out of every 22 adult Texans is in prison, in jail, on probation or on parole compared to one out of 31 nationally.



Reprinted from GRITS for Breakfast

How to Overcome a Storm In Your Life by Ryan Slavens

When I think about our world right now and where we’ve been the last several months, there seems to be doubt, worry, anxiety, fear, anger, hurt and a whole lot more emotions hitting many people.  Each one of us deals with different emotions, thoughts and issues.  I do know this…how incredible and overwhelming it is when you have a relationship with Jesus and are able to look to Him as the answer to whatever you go through. 

In talking with many people one big thing that I keep hearing from people is worry & fear for situation(s) they may be facing.  I know it’s easier said than done what I’m about to write, but nonetheless, it is the Word of God which is truth…and when we hear truth we have to STAND on it in faith and expectation that John 8:31-32  31 Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings.…and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”  See the truth WILL set you free, IF you allow truth to work in your life and remain faithful to what the Word of God says.

A lot of times when we hit a rough patch (storm) in our life we spend SO much time worrying, stressing, praying for an “answer”…telling God I need an answer NOW, or I need help NOW!  We focus so much energy on the “answer” and I would like to offer this approach.  I am by no means saying to quit praying to God, we must do that, but I would like to adjust your thinking from merely seeking “answers” only.  You see in seeking GOD, answers come.  Do not merely seek answers, but turn your focus on seeking God and when you seek Him you’ll begin to watch those things you need answers to begin to be answered…It tells us this in Matthew 6:33  Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.  It’s a 3-step process Jesus taught us. 

STEP 1: Seek the Kingdom of God above all else
STEP 2: Live righteously (being in right-standing w/ God)
STEP 3: He will give you everything you need

Too many times we just want to skip to step 3 and get what we need, and God wants to do that for us, BUT what He is calling us to do is to seek Him 1st.  

That’s my introduction!  Sounds like a preacher huh…30-minute intro…HAHA! Now, on to what I was really trying to say.  When we face hard times (storms) in our life I encourage people to read the 1st chapter of James.  What a great book to read when you’re facing a hard time.  This is what James urges us to do during hard times and it is hard sometimes to grasp what he’s saying while you’re in your trial, but again, go back to John 8:31-32 and let the truth set you free.

James 1:2-4 - 2) Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3) because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance/endurance. 4) Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

It sounds ridiculous to face trials with pure joy, but if you’re going “through it” right now I encourage you…don’t you DARE give up! You endure; you persevere through this time because if you do, the end result will be a win in your situation!  Now, more than ever for you is to walk out the 3 steps of Matthew 6:33 written above.  Here is the INCREDIBLE promise to those who do not give up!

James 1:12 - Blessed are those who persevere under trial, because when they have stood the test, they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

Galatians 6:9 - Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
You see I classify sometimes trials and hard times as “storms” of life, and a comforting thought is storms do not last forever.  When a bad thunderstorm in the natural hits we all know it may be bad then, but eventually it will quit raining and the sun will come out!  God will never let go of you, He’s always there for you to turn to, the question then becomes knowing He won’t let go of you...Will you let go of Him?

Thank you for letting me share some thoughts that is on my mind.  I pray you have an incredible and blessed day!

Ryan Slavens



A word about Pastor Ryan Slavens and Antioch Church.

Ryan Slavens joined the Leadership Team of Antioch Church in Overland Park, KS in 2000, & is the Executive Pastor overseeing all church operations and the staff. His desire is to be all God has created him to be and simply do what He asks him to do. Ryan’s main purpose is to help the church staff operate at its maximum potential. His mission is to value, possess, and develop integrity in himself and others. He and his wife, Jennifer, have three kids.