Changing Your Life by Understanding Your Emotions
You don’t have to feel ashamed of your emotion because it’s how God created you.
Genesis 1:27 (NIV) So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
Isaiah 53:3 (NIV) He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
John 11:35 – Tears at death
Ephesians 4:30 (NIV) And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
Romans 8:38-39 (NIV) For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Bring your emotion to God.
John 17 / Mark 14:32-42 – Gut-wrenching Gethsemane
Ephesians 4:26-27 (NIV) “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.
Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV) Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, 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.
Your emotions help you connect with God and others.
John 4:7 – Weariness at the well
John 11:35 – Tears at death
John 19:26 / Matthew 14:14 – Compassion for his mother
Your emotions are necessary in your walk with God.
1 Peter 5:6-7 (NIV) Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
START TODAY!
Use this space to bring your emotion to God.
Growing Deeper Together (Group Discussion Questions)
Use these points throughout the week as part of your quiet time, in your small group, or over coffee with a friend to help you apply what you learned in today’s message.
List the various emotions God expresses in scripture to the best of your memory. How does it make YOU feel, to think about how HE feels?
What is Paul’s solution to stress in Philippians 4:6-7? How does that compare to modern psychology and New Age religions?
What emotions are you trying to manage in your life that you should turn over to God?
How do you think sharing your emotions with God could help you?
Reread 1 Peter 5:6-7. How do these verses tell us that Christians are to deal with stress, hassles, and tensions?
Helping your children learn to manage their feelings is a vital aspect of their emotional health and future development. Talk with them about the truths from this message at their age-appropriate level, especially regarding the things God brings to your mind about their unique “bent” and habits. Help them understand that we must monitor what we tell ourselves about things that happen every day by using examples from your own experience. Help them know that God welcomes them to pour out their hearts to him.
Transformed messages & group materials have been adapted from 50 Days of Transformation by Saddleback Church 2014