Welcome to PowerPoint with Jack Graham. Yes, God turns our stress to strength when we get our nose in the book and stay there. When we memorize and meditate upon the scriptures, because meditation is better than medication. We're giving you peace in your soul. On today's PowerPoint, Dr.
Graham brings a message on how you can combat stress and breathe easier.
Now, here's Dr. Graham with his message: help! I'm Stressed Out, Part 2.
So many people today are living with chronic stress. Pressure. In fact, So much that we're breaking down, we're burning out. And yes, Christians have stress. Two.
The purpose of this message is to help you understand how to turn that stress that we all feel. into strength. The pressure. that we have in life. can actually Be powered up.
to your advantage.
Now some people they sort of live on stress and like it I mean, because stress can be exhilarating. Stress can be exciting. But it can also be A monster. that can take us down. and even take us out.
And we often find ourselves overwhelmed. We often find ourselves overloaded in life. We're just carrying too much weight emotionally, spiritually, and even physically. There are Five, what I want to call five C's of stress that impact our lives, the causes, if you will, of stress in our lives. They are change.
It could be change in location, a change in a relationship. then there's conflict. And then criticism. and then concerns of various kinds. And then crisis.
It could be something catastrophic. The primary reasons for pressure, tension, adversity, stress in our lives. Or in probably this order work. Family. Finances.
Health. Your pace of life. We're running at breakneck speed.
So here's how stress works. There's some Danger or demand. And when that happens, Your mind And your body Gears up for action. This is okay, and you're now ready for fight or flight. It's okay if you.
If you are facing some danger that is present. But if it becomes chronic, this whole thing Of always being in the fight or flight mode. That's chronic stress, and it's related to anxiety, it's related to worry, of course. It's related to post-trauma stress syndrome, panic attacks. insomnia All these things.
If we're constantly under This stress.
So what do we do? Isaiah 30 verse 15. Is a prescription. It's a go-to verse for me, especially when I find myself stressed. For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel.
in returning and rest. You will be saved. He's calling his people to come. home to rest. And he said, in quietness and confidence or trust is your strength.
He went on to say, but you were unwilling.
So the choice is yours. You have a choice to make. Will you find your rest in returning to the Lord and in quietness and confidence turn your stress into strength? Here's the prescription. Quietness plus confidence equals strength.
Quietness plus trust. Equals strength.
Now the meaning of quantum Quietness here is not just being quiet. Or silent, but rather it speaks of the cessation of activity. In quietness. God wants his people To stop constantly running from Him, running around from Him, and to take time to rest the soul.
Now, I have two parts to this message today. One is the physical side of turning your stress to strength. And the second part is the spiritual side of turning your stress to strength.
So, number one, the physical side. There are some things you can do physically to help you turn your stress to strength. One is I'm simply going to call rest, R-E-S-T, rest. Don't Discount. The power of sleep.
to replenish and restore Your life. In fact, the psalmist talked about it in Psalm 127 in verse 2. He said It is vain that you should rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil. For he gives to his beloved Sleep.
Sometimes The most spiritual thing you can do. is take a nap. And to rest. And if you will. Make sure that you're getting enough rest.
then you'll find your stress Relieved.
So rest. Could say a lot about that, but the second thing is here we go. Regular exercise. And not just the exercise of your body, which is so important. But the exercise of your brain.
Did you know? That when you exercise, when you are moving. Physically moving. It is not only strengthening your body, but it is. It is strengthening your brain.
It is helping your brain.
Now what happens to the body physically When we move it, improves everything. It's a proven fact. It improves work. Sleep. Attitude and energy.
It's almost counterintuitive that if we exercise, you can certainly exercise too much. But It seems counterintuitive that if we exercise, we're doing all this exercise, we're wearing ourselves out more. No. exercise properly done. can strengthen the body as well as the mind.
On the contrary. contrast to that When we are immobile or are laying around and not moving around. We just slowly die. We deteriorate more rapidly. It's just a gradual decline down, down, down.
I can tell you this. That when I get regular exercise and rest, as noted earlier. It reduces the stress in my life. Greatly.
So what you need to do is find something That you enjoy exercise. That you enjoy. I can't think of one thing, an exercise that I would enjoy.
Well, you do need prayer, and that's coming up later. But you could find something. And, guys, that doesn't mean just riding around in the golf cart. That's an activity, that's not exercise. It's a little bit of exercise.
But whether it's walking or whether it's running or cycling. Or swimming, or weightlifting is conditioning, getting your heart rate up at the right speed, and so on. Racquet sports of various kinds, which I enjoy. Whatever it is, find something you enjoy. and do it consistently.
And the fact is, you can turn your life around even in your latter years.
Some of you have. Haven't exercised maybe your entire life all that much, but did you know you can improve as you age in life? You can prove the strength of your life as well as the length of your life. God's in control of the length of our lives, but the fact is, I exercise to. assist in the quality of life.
And I believe it truly does. But then the third thing is relaxation. It's important to take breaks. Because the constant pushing requires that we take time out to replenish. This can be many breaks.
during the day, what I call little blessing breaks. Just to take time out.
Sometimes, again, a little short nap early in the afternoon, if you can do it, helps. But find activities, hobbies. that you enjoy. Goth or hunting. Honey is a hobby, it's not exercise all that much.
You guys love to hunt and gals. or wholesome entertainment, or fun things that you do, we call them pastimes. And you say, well, I don't have... Time The past time. I don't have time.
For pastimes.
Well, Hear this. Hear this. You're never wasting time when you stop to sharpen the axe. Waiting time, resting time is not wasted time. And here it is.
A change of pace or a change of place equals a change of perspective. You know, God, for example, gives us one day a week that's called a day of rest. It's the Lord's Day. We worship on Sunday, the Lord's Day. And we can't Short circuit that command: God knows how we are made, and we're not made to work every day or push every day.
There's something about getting in a place with God's people that will change our perspective in life. That's one of the reasons I hope you come to worship God on the Lord's Day because the pressures of life, the demands of life, require. That we take time out to rest and to relax, and you can do that. in the presence of the Lord. I tell you, I never feel guilty.
when I rest in order to be stronger to do what God has called me to do. And you shouldn't either.
Now the key is balance. Body, soul. and spirit. And Paul said in 1 Timothy chapter 4 that bodily exercise profits a little bit, but godliness profits a great deal. Godliness is a value in every So that brings me to my second point.
the second part of this message, which is the spiritual side of turning stress to strength. Number one, here's how you do it. This is an exercise. Focus on the Lord. Eyes On The Lord.
Someone said, if you look without, you'll be distressed. You look within, you'll be depressed. You look above, and you will be at rest. You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message, Help. I'm Stressed Out, Part 2.
Transform your spiritual life through the power of daily prayer. This September, Jack Graham invites you to deepen your relationship with God through a month-long prayer journey that will strengthen your faith and draw you closer to your Creator. To get started, take a look at Text challenge to 59-789 and deepen your connection with God as Dr. Graham leads you through this transformative 30-day prayer journey. Your spiritual breakthrough could be just one text away.
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Now let's get back to today's message. Help! I'm Stressed Out, Part Two. We cannot control our circumstances, but we can control. How we react to those circumstances.
And if you want to live a controlled, calm, and collected life at ease and relaxed in everything, then put everything in your life in God's hands. That's what it means to look to the Lord. Often we look to others for help, or look to ourselves for help, or we look online for help. We're running around trying to fix things. But God says, take your eyes off your problems.
Get them on me. Eyes on the Lord. Eyes on him. Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in his wonderful face and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of God.
of his glory. and grace. We're told in the scriptures. That when we put our eyes on the Lord, who is the author and finisher of our faith. He will keep in perfect peace whose mind.
is stayed on him. For his soul trusts in him. Spending time alone with God is essential. if you want to turn your stress to strength. People try all kinds of methods and medications.
Drugs, alcohol. Gambling, anything else that they think may help relieve or numb their situation, none of that stuff works. Apart from the power of Jesus Christ in your life.
So eyes on the Lord. Secondly, knees on the floor. Knees on the floor. The way up. Is down, down on your knees.
Prayer is essential therapy for dealing with stress in your life. I'm reminded of the story of David. When David and his mighty men returned from battle, they discovered. That their village was burned to the ground by enemies, and along with that, not only were their houses burned down. But their wives and their children were taken by these brutal enemies into captivity.
And as a result, David was distressed, of course. He was devastated, and so were all these men. And it tells us in 1 Samuel chapter 30 and verse 4 what happened next. David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept. until they had no more strength to weep.
You ever been there? Just cried your eyes out. You had no more tears. Left. You wept until you couldn't weep anymore.
That's catastrophic stress.
So what did David do? Verse 6. And David was greatly distressed. For the people spoke of stoning him. Oh, that's great.
Now they're thinking about blaming David for the loss. of the community Because all the people were bitter in soul. We're going to bring a message on bitterness later. But watch what David did. But David strengthened himself.
In the Lord His God. What does that mean? David strengthened himself in the Lord his God. That means he got alone with God and he got on his, probably his face, and he cried out to God in his distress. And he prayed.
And he trusted In God, and as a result, he encouraged himself in the Lord. And there's that word courage in encouragement, there's strength. It's a very strong word.
So he strengthened himself. In the Lord. And you can do that as well. Because the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is alive in you. Christ is alive in you, and this power, the power of the resurrection.
Works. to strengthen us. When we get on our knees and when we pray. When we're carrying incredible stress. Day after day, the old song says, take your burden to the Lord and leave it.
There. David prayed, he cried, and God helped him. when David took his burden and rolled it onto the Lord. The scripture says, cast your cares upon him because he cares for you. He knows that your burden is too great for you to bear alone.
He trusted the Lord with all of his heart. And he reflected on this experience later on. In uh Some Chapter 18 and Verse 6, Psalm 18 and verse 6. In my distress, I called upon the Lord to my God. I cried for help.
And from his temple he heard my voice, and God will hear you. And my cry to him reached his ears.
So cry out to God. Get your eyes on the Lord. Get your knees on the floor. Have you heard of the serenity prayer? Serenity prayer, I first heard it as a young man.
In fact, Deb's dad. Who I didn't know very long. He went on to heaven as a young man. But he taught me the serenity prayer when I was just a young Christian. And now I know that it's often used in in help groups like Alcoholics Anonymous, for example.
This is a prayer that is said in the sessions.
So here's how we pray. God, grant me to ex Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. The courage to change the things I can. and the wisdom to know the difference.
So when we pray under pressure. We turn our strengths. Our stress to strength. Pray every day. I mean I have a little acrostic that I've taught you in the past, P-A-C-E.
You've got to set the pace for your day because many of us, our schedules are out of control.
So you've set your pace, P-A-C-E, every day. You praise the Lord. You accept from Him, A, His blessings, you receive from Him all that He desires to give, the filling of His Spirit. You commit your life, your schedule, your day to the Lord, and then you embrace the day. and expect God to do good things in your life.
That sets the pace for every day. P-A-C-E. Praise. Acceptance. Commitment.
and expectation.
So, get your eyes on the Lord, get your knees on the floor, and get your nose in the book. The word confidence there, trust. Flows out of a trust in God. God's word. Feeds and fortifies our faith and strengthens our soul.
It will put steel in your soul. When Isaiah 30 verse 15 speaks of quietness and confidence. The confidence comes in our confidence in God's Word. God speaks to us and strengthens us through the principles and the precepts and the promises of His Word. And I can't tell you how many times I have turned Turn to the scripture to find a promise from God that strengthens me under great stress.
So you know your Bible and you read your Bible and Psychology can help, therapy can help, medicines can help at times properly given and diagnosed. Science can assist us, but only God can make and keep promises that are never broken.
So you can trust him. Promises like they that hope in the Lord, wait in the Lord, shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles. They will run and not be weary. They will walk and not fear.
Faint. Yes, God turns our stress to strength when we get our nose in the book and stay there. and we memorize and meditate upon the scriptures. Because meditation is better than medication. for giving you peace.
in your soul. And then lastly, lift your hands high. Eyes on the Lord. Knees on the floor. Knows in the book.
and hands in the air. This is an exercise of worship and surrender of your life. to the Lord. Stress comes when we Resist. The will of God for our lives.
Stress comes when we're out of bounds of the will of God for our lives, sometimes when we're in it. their stress.
So what is the response? Not worry, but worship. As we offer our lives, our hearts, our hands to Him. The scripture says men ought always to pray. Lifting up holy hands.
Just read the Psalms. The Psalms are often filled with Petitions, cries. Heartache, heartbreak. The psalmist is so honest and transparent. And yet out of the flow of his worship, He turns his stress to strength.
He says in Psalm 92, verses 1 and 2, that morning and evening, He just praises God for his steadfast love. Let this be the pattern of praise in your life because praising God morning, noon, and night will crush. the stress That attacks you every single day. And you will live. A happy life.
and a holy life. And God willing a healthy life. But it begins when you say, Lord, I can't do this on my own. I can't handle the pressure. any longer.
I can't keep fighting in my own strength. But Lord, I come to you. Lord, I need your help. Lord, I need you. And what do we do?
We get our eyes on him. and these on the floor. May we pray. The pressure turns to peace. You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message, help!
I'm Stressed Out, Part 2.
We're excited to announce that we've been offered a $200,000 matching grant that will double your gift today to help proclaim the life-giving hope of Jesus to people all across the globe. Because your gift is so important, we want to send you a thank you for your generosity by sending you two copies of Dr. Graham's book. triumph. To encourage your faith and equip you to share the hope of Jesus with someone who needs it.
Please give generously knowing that your gift will be doubled and make sure to request your copies when you give. Text the word overcome to 59789. Again, the word is overcome. Yeah, I think it's a good idea. Transform your spiritual life through the power of daily prayer.
This September, Jack Graham invites you to deepen your relationship with God through a month-long prayer journey that will strengthen your faith and draw you closer to your Creator. To get started, text Challenge to 59-789 and deepen your connection with God as Dr. Graham leads you through this transformative 30-day prayer journey. Your spiritual breakthrough could be just one text away. Again, that's challenge to 59789.
Pastor, what is your PowerPoint for today?
So many of us are like that fellow I heard about. He was driving a huge truck, one of these big delivery trucks. And at every stoplight, he would get out, take a baseball bat, and bang on the side of his truck. Then he'd get back in the truck, drive to the next light, get out, take the bat out, and bang on the side of the truck again. Finally someone caught up with him and said, What on earth are you doing?
Every block or so you get out, beat on the side of your truck with a baseball bat, and then move on.
Well, the driver responded, I've got a one ton truck, and I've got one and a half tons of birds in the back.
so I've got to keep a half a ton of those birds in the air at all times.
Well, maybe that's how you feel today. You're maxed out. You've got so many birds and schedules and stuff in your life that you have to keep going and keep up in the air, and you feel like you're not banging a baseball bat, but banging your head against the wall.
Well What you need to do right now is to stop and remember a very important verse of Scripture. Matthew six thirty three, which is found in the Sermon on the Mount, says this Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. And all of these things will be added unto you. When you keep first things first in your life by allowing Jesus to take his rightful place of lordship and rulership in your life, then you will discover a balanced way, a blessed way of living, that will give you strength for every day. You will have enough focus for every hour, so that your life is not frantic and fanetic, but that your life is full of faith and devotion to Christ.
This is really the only way to live as a Christian. You don't have to go find a monastery to find peace in your life. You don't have to go sit in church to find peace. But rather, in your day-to-day living, you can know and experience the peace of Jesus Christ when you truly allow Him to be first in your heart. First in your priorities, first in your pocketbook.
First in your principles of life every single day.
So as you follow the Good Shepherd. As you trust in Christ and you face those stress tests, you can pass with flying colors when Jesus Christ is Lord. And that is today's PowerPoint. Remember, when you give a gift of $10 or more to PowerPoint, we'll send you two copies of Dr. Graham's book, Triumph, as our thanks.
Text the word overcome to 59-789. And join us again next time as Dr. Graham brings a message about how you're not alone. Even when you feel your lowest. That's next time on PowerPoint with Jack Graham.
PowerPoint with Jack Graham is sponsored by PowerPoint Ministries.
