Grace Fellowship Church Pastor/Teacher Jim Rickard Sunday, April 3,

John 16:5, “But now I (Jesus) am going to Him (God the Father) who sent Me, and yet not one of you (the disciples) asks Me, ‘Where are you going?’”

John 16:6, “But because I have said (taught) to you all these things, sorrow (inward stress) has completely filled your heart (right lobe of the soul).”

Doctrine of Stress

F. L. O. T. (Forward Line of Troops) 11 Problem Solving Devices

F. L. O. T. (Forward Line of Troops) 11 Problem Solving Devices

F. L. O. T. (Forward Line of Troops) 11 Problem Solving Devices

25. To deal with stress objectively, you understand that much of stress in life is the result of your own failure in some form.

This failure has components which are the soul’s reaction to failure. There are five stages of the soul’s reaction to failure.

a. Shock or disbelief. The mature person absorbs the shock and does not break.

b. Fear and worry. These are horrible neutralizers which depersonalize the individual (i.e., takes away their character, integrity, and norms and standards).

Fear has no ability to think or apply Bible doctrine to any situation. It has no common sense and no Divine viewpoint. It is irrational.

Fear is the believer’s failure to apply Bible doctrine to the adversities and prosperities of life. The more things you surrender to fear, the more things you fear.

The extent to which you surrender to fear, you increase the power of fear in your life and you become vulnerable to adversity becoming stress in your soul. Rom 13:3; 1 Peter 3:14

1 Peter 3:14, “But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled.”

c. Anger reaction to failure. Anger is used as an alarm system; if used toward others, it is sinful; if used toward self, it is motivation for making a change. Gal 5:19-21; Eph 4:26-27, 31; 6:4; Col 3:8; James 1:19-20

d. Shame. This is a product of what we think others think of us. Phil 1:20; 2 Tim 1:8-16; 2:15; Heb 12:2

e. Blame. This is loss of self- esteem and does not solve the problem. Cf. Job 1:22; 1 Thes 3:13; 5:23

26. Virtue-Love Solves Stress.

a. One of the most important things in dealing with stress is memory; remembering how much God loves you, John 3:16.

You remember God’s Love by remembering His doctrines, principles, and promises when under adversity.

It begins by remembering the rebound technique which has to be overpowering within your soul.

We have to remember the righteousness, justice, and love of God, which functioned to provide solutions to all of the problems we face in this life, 1 John 4:17-21.

1) The secret to almost everything that is blessing in life, happiness, worthwhile, honorable, and related to integrity is true love.

2) It is the integrity of God that turns around our spiritual life. It is not sentimental stupidity that turns our spiritual life around.

3) You are completed as you advance to PLEROMA (fullness) status in the spiritual life. Eph 3:19; 4:13

Eph 3:19, “And to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.”

Eph 4:13, “Until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.”

27. Rest is one of God’s Remedies for Stress Relief. Gen 2:2-3

In 1 Kings 19:3-8, Elijah was so stressed out that he prayed to God that he might die. He was tired of dealing with the stress in his life.

God’s advice to relieve stress: a. Call out to Him (pray). b. Give it to Him (surrender, and then don’t take it back). c. Trust in Him (have faith). d. Follow His example (rest).

Communion

Grace Offering

Grace Fellowship Church Sunday, April 3, 2011 Tape # Doctrine of Stress on Your Soul God’s Love to Overcome Stress Upper Room Discourse, Part 491 John 16:6; Gen 2:2-3; 1 Kings 19:3-8; 1 Tim 3:14; 1 John 4:17-21 James H. Rickard Bible Ministries 2011