Living Well in a Society of Anxiety

Living Well in a Society of Anxiety

Pastor Matt Gould | 05.24.2026

 

Psalm 94:19 (NKJV)

19 In the multitude of my anxieties within me, your comforts delight my soul.

 

1.   We were never built to carry .

 

 

1 Kings 19:1–3

1 Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword.

2 Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”

3 Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 

 

 

Move 1:  

 

Philippians 4:6-7

6 ‘Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, 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. 

2.  Our bodies were designed to be .

 

1 Kings 19:5–8

5 Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 

6 He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.

7 The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” 

8 So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 

 

Genesis 2:7

7 Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being

 

Move 2:

 

1 Peter 5:7

7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

 

 

3.  We are to take our thoughts .

 

 

2 Corinthians 10:5

5  We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

 

 

“Beware of no man more than of yourself; we carry our worst enemies within us”. – Charles Sprugeon

 

 

Proverbs 29:25

25 Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.

 

 

Move 3:   

 

 

Philippians 4:8

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, 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.

 

 

4.  We were never meant to fight anxiety .  

 

1 Kings 19:4

4 while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” 

 

 

Matthew 11:28–30

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

 

Move 4:

 

 

Proverbs 3:5-6

5 ‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; ‘

6 ‘in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. ‘

Matthew 6:34

34 ‘Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.‘

 

 

5.  Hope is what we were made to run .  

 

 

“After elimination of hopelessness, the rats do not die” – Dr. Curt Richter, John Hopkins, 1957

 

1 Kings 19:9–13

9 There he went into a cave and spent the night. And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

10 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.

11 ”The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by ”Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.

12  After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.

13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

 

 

Move 5:   

 

Psalm 46:10

10 ‘He says, “Be still, and know that I am God…”

Mark 6:31

31 …he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” ‘

NOTES

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