Trent Stewart Leadership Podcast

We’ve been talking about anxiety and how it can be used for our good when we know how to respond to it. Today I want to finish this series by sharing three practical ways to redirect your anxiety to strengthen your faith and deepen your relationship with God.

In Philippians chapter 4, Paul teaches us three important ways to build faith and overcome your anxiety.

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:4-7)

1. Let Anxiety Be a Trigger for Prayer

• As soon as you start to worry - stop, take a deep breath, and tell it all to God.
• Admit that you don’t know what to do and that you need help.
• James 4:2 says, “You do not have, because you do not ask.”
• If we prayed as much as we worried, we’d have a lot less to worry about.
• Over 20 times in the New Testament, God tells us to ask. Nothing is out of His control. He’s the source of all our needs.
• Have you really been praying about the situation? Thinking about it is not the same as praying about it.
• How much would you have if you simply asked God?

2. Let Anxiety Be a Trigger for Thankfulness

• Tell Jesus what’s weighing you down, but also what you’re thankful for.
• Instead of thinking about worst case scenarios and the bad things that MIGHT happen, think about the great things that ARE happening.
• An important step of spiritual growth is to replace negative thoughts with thanksgiving.
• Make a list of all the things you’re thankful for.
• Stop allowing things that haven’t happened (and probably never will) to rule your thoughts and stress you out.

3. Let Anxiety Be a Trigger that Jesus is With You

• Jesus hasn’t left you. He’s nearby. He knows exactly what you’re going through and where your heart is.
• Are you still trying to do everything in your own power? Maybe God wants you to come to the end of your rope so that you realize you need Him.
• God will give you what you need for today. If He gave you everything all at once, how often would you go to Him in prayer?
• God wants you to depend on Him daily. That’s what it means to live by faith.

Final Thought: Let Anxiety Be a Trigger to Trust God. (1 Peter 5:6-11)

When the anxiety begins to hit, let that be a trigger to trust God. The problems and anxieties you’re facing today are actually going to make you a stronger person if you allow them to. You’ll have a deeper relationship with the Lord, more joy, and greater appreciation of life if you take your concerns to God and trust Him.

Resources: Visit trentstewart.org and sign up for the TSL 5 to start receiving free resources to equip you on your leadership journey. You’ll also get updates on new podcast episodes and immediate access to the show notes.

Connect with me on social media @trentonjstewart

We all deal with anxiety on some level, so we’ve got to learn how to deal with it. In Matthew chapter 6, Jesus actually tells us what the key to overcoming our anxiety is. In today’s episode, we’re going to talk about what it means to seek the Kingdom of God, why it’s the solution to anxiety, and some practical ways to do it.

Seek First the Kingdom of God:

• Read Matthew 6:25-33; 7:7-8
• When you worry, you are concentrating on things that are out of your control.
• Anxiety over material things is pointless because it won’t bring you any of the things you need.
• God knows what you need and will provide for your needs.
• You’re probably worrying about:
  • Things that will never actually happen.
  • Things that God is going to take care of anyway.
  • Things that aren’t important in the grand scheme of things.

Last episode I shared some examples of how we typically respond to anxiety such as blowing up, shutting down, and self-medicating.

Question: How does Jesus tell us to respond to anxiety?

Answer: Let your anxiety trigger you to seek God’s Kingdom.

Seek God’s Kingdom by Serving Others:

• The key to overcoming worry is to stop thinking about yourself and start thinking about others.
• Get out of your head and start using your hands.
• There are people who need your help. Serve God by serving them.

Seek God’s Kingdom by Getting Outside and Thinking:

• Get out in nature and look at how God is taking care of His creation.
• Go for a walk, look at the stars, get some Vitamin D.
• Be reminded of how big God is. He is meeting all the needs of the universe and sustaining the world.
• hen you think about how God works, you tend to trust in how God works.
• He’s providing for animals and nature, of course He’s going to provide for your needs too!

Seek God’s Kingdom in Small Groups:

• We are wired to be in relationships and need to develop them on a deeper level.
• Get into a small group, invite someone out to lunch or coffee.
• You need to open up to others about your worries and struggles.
• Get a different perspective from those around you.

Next Episode: We’ll conclude this series on overcoming anxiety.

Resources: Visit trentstewart.org to sign up for “The TSL Five,” my monthly newsletter full of free resources, and you’ll immediately receive the Life Assessment Tool. You’ll also get updates on new podcast episodes and show notes.

Connect with me on social media @trentonjstewart

With everything that’s going on in the world today it’s no wonder we’re anxious. We’re stressed about politics, the economy, health, education, our job, our marriage, our family. If you’re going to be a leader worth following, you have to learn how to deal with the stress and anxiety of life because the world is never going to be perfect. There will always be something to worry about. So, the question is, how should we deal with our anxiety?

Four Types of Anxiety

• Anxiety because of danger
• Clinical anxiety
• Anxiety because of sin
• Anxiety because you don’t trust God
• How to deal with anxiety will depend on which type you’re experiencing.
• Good news - No matter which type, it can get better!

Anxiety is our body’s natural response to stressful situations. Usually, we just want it to go away, but what if your anxiety is something that God wants to use for your good?

Step 1 - Identify Your Triggers

• Most anxiety flows from some kind of fear.
• Identifying the fear that triggers your anxiety is the first step.
• Ask yourself, “What am I afraid of?”
• Write it down in a journal so you can see it with your eyes.
• Ask yourself, “Can I limit my exposure to it?”

Step 2 – Identify Your Typical Response

• When worry and anxiety begin to fill your mind, how do you typically respond?
• Do you explode?
• Do you shut down?
• Do you fight?
• Do you self-medicate?
• Do you stay busy?
• Write it down in your journal.

Step 3 – Turn to Scripture

• Study it.
• Meditate on it.
• Apply it to your life.
• God is trying to communicate something to you through your anxiety.

Homework: Ask yourself these questions and write down your answers.

• What triggers my anxiety?
• What am I afraid of?”
• Can I limit my exposure to this fear or situation?

Next Episode: We’ll continue to talk about how to deal with anxiety, specifically how Jesus tells us to respond to it. Resources: Visit trentstewart.org to sign up for “The TSL Five,” my monthly newsletter full of free resources. You’ll also get updates on new podcast episodes and show notes. Connect with me on social media @trentonjstewart

Anger is a natural emotion that we all experience sometimes. It’s important that we learn how to deal with it appropriately otherwise it ends up hurting us and others. In this episode we’ll pick up where we left off and I’ll share some more practical steps we can take towards overcoming our anger.

Change Your Perspective on Anger

• Matthew 5:21-22
• It’s a big deal. Jesus compares anger to murder.
• It’s inevitable. We all experience it.
• How should we deal with it?

Slow Down Your Anger

• Proverbs 15:18
• Hit the delay button on your anger.
• Anger is like a switchblade.
• James 1:19-20
• You must learn to slow down your anger to be an effective leader

How? Spend time with God

• You will become more aware of your emotions.
• Talking to Jesus in prayer changes your heart.
• Don’t be legalistic about how much time.
• Out comes the fruits of the Spirit instead of anger.
• Consider fasting from the negative things that stress you out.

Seek to Resolve Your Anger Quickly

• Unresolved anger gets in the way of your relationship with God and may be the reason why you feel spiritually stuck today.
• Keep a short record of offenses.
• Seek reconciliation, ask for forgiveness, try to talk it out.

Learn From Your Mistakes

• Stop blaming others.
• No one makes you react the way you do.
• Acting on your anger is a choice.
• Matthew 5:9 says, “Blessed are the peacemakers.”
• Peacemakers take the first step towards reconciliation, but Peacekeepers avoid conflict.

Most of us can easily identify the things that make us angry, but have you ever stopped to think about why those things make you angry?

You’ll realize it’s probably one of two emotions

• Fear – of failure? Of rejection? Of losing control?
• Hurt – some type of wound that causes you to lash out.
• You might need to talk to someone to figure it out.

Resources

Visit my website to start receiving “The TSL Five,” my monthly newsletter full of free resources. You’ll also get updates on new podcast episodes and show notes.

Connect with me on social media @trentonjstewart

You may not consider yourself a leader, but as John Maxwell says, “Leadership is influence.” That means you become a leader when you decide to influence others. A big part of leading others is thinking about the future: what you want to accomplish and what you want to become. In today’s episode, we’ll continue to talk about our dreams and goals, and some of the situations we can expect to encounter as we work toward achieving our dreams.

In Genesis 37, God gives Joseph a dream but before that dream is realized, Joseph is tested. The trial Joseph faced was not something he expected but it was necessary in order to become the man God wanted him to be.

Your Dream Will Require an Unknown Test

• Going after your dream will require sacrifice that you weren’t expecting, a trial you didn’t see coming that will surprise you.
• You’ll be tempted to wish God had given you a different trial to face
• Stop wasting time and energy on wishing your trial was different and start believing that God will bring you through it.

Your Dream Will Require Time to Grow

• You don’t get to pick what your trial will be, it’s your mountain to climb
• Through the testing, God will build your character, if you let Him.
• No matter how painful the trail, God will use it to help you accomplish your dream.

Your dream wasn’t shattered, it was just tested. How you respond to the test is your choice. What you do with the adversity and heartache will make all the difference in the world.

1. Joseph didn't give up

• He continued to work faithfully
• He kept believing that God would fulfill his dream
• You can’t give up either! God is still working

2. “Recycle your pain”

• 2 Corinthians 1:3-5
• God allows you to experience suffering so you can learn how to comfort others.
• Jesus will walk with you through the trial.

Application

What’s your main goal – the one thing you want to accomplish in the next 6 months? This is your “lag goal.” Now identify three smaller goals that will move you toward your lag goal. These are your “lead goals.” Remember, unexpected trials are inevitable. How will you respond?

Resources:

Visit my website (trentstewart.org) to start receiving my monthly newsletter full of free resources, and immediately receive the Life Assessment Tool.

Next Episode: Forgiveness