Mark Batterson

In psychology, mental health has a scale from FLOURISHING to DEPRESSION. FLOURISHING is evidenced by things like optimism and empathy and authenticity. DEPRESSION is evidenced by things like hopelessness and helplessness. In between FLOURISHING and DEPRESSION, there is what Adam Grant calls “the neglected middle child of mental health,” and it may be the “the dominant emotion of 2021.” Languishing is basically BLAH. It's a feeling of apathy. It lacks focus, motivation, and vision. There are no easy answers or quick fixes, but there is a way out.

We live at the intersection of two theologies, two realities. The faithfulness of God is pursuing from the past—SO FAR SO GOD. And the sovereignty of God is setting us up for the future. We live forwards, but God is working backward. God is ordering our footsteps. God is preparing good works. We live in a fallen world, a broken world, but heaven is invading earth right here, right now. We don’t believe in happily ever after. We believe in something so much bigger and better and longer—happily FOREVER after. THE BEST IS YET TO COME.

When did we start believing that God wants to send us to SAFE PLACES to do EASY THINGS at CONVENIENT TIMES with NICE PEOPLE? Newsflash. Jesus didn’t die to KEEP US SAFE. Jesus died to MAKE US DANGEROUS. The will of God isn’t an INSURANCE PLAN. It’s a DARING PLAN. And the complete surrender of our lives to the Lordship of Jesus Christ is not radical. It’s normal. The problem? Our normal is so subnormal that normal seems abnormal. Jesus made no bones about it: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”

We don’t see the world as it is. We see the world as we are. Your FOCUS determines your REALITY. If you want to change your life, start by changing your story. How? You have to audit your thoughts, fix your focus, and flip the script.

Playing it safe seems safe, but the greatest risk is taking no risks at all. At some point, you have to risk rejection, risk failure, risk your reputation. Simply put, faith is spelled RISK. What risk do you need to take? What are you waiting for? Risk or regret? The choice is yours!

Are you living outside in? Or are you living inside out? In a culture that is divided by racial tension and political polarization, we stand in the gap as peace makers, grace givers, truth tellers, tone setters, and joy bringers. We love those who hate us, pray for those who persecute us, and bless those curse us. And when we do, it provokes questions for which the gospel is the answer. We don’t take our cues from trending hashtags. We live according to our biblical convictions. We don’t reflect the attitudes and opinions of those around us. We shift the atmosphere with faith, hope, and love.

Joy. It’s not getting what you want. It’s appreciating what you have. Joy isn’t always the easiest choice or the obvious choice, but joy is a choice. The Apostle Paul said, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again, rejoice!” And his life is louder than his words. Paul writes his letter to the Philippians from a prison cell. You can choose joy anywhere, anytime, anyway!

We find ourselves in a Hebrews 12:27 moment—everything that can be shaken will be shaken. God is shaking false securities and false identities, false assumptions, and false narratives, false idols, and false ideologies. But we are STIRRED, not shaken. Why? We are grounded in God’s word, standing on God’s promises, and filled with God’s spirit. We don’t take our cues from cultural talking points. We don’t put our trust in horses and chariots. STIRRED is rising above the rhetoric and living according to your convictions. STIRRED is giving the Holy Spirit veto power. STIRRED is operating in the power of the Holy spirit while obeying the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

Life is infinitely uncertain and God is infinitely complex. The net result? Doubt. We think of doubt in negative terms, but it’s a key catalyst when it comes to faith. Doubt breaks down our false narratives, false assumptions, and false beliefs. It forces us to deconstruct and reconstruct our faith by digging a little deeper. How do you deal with doubt? 1. Seek Wise Counsel 2. Keep Asking Questions 3. Create a Deuteronomy 29:29 File 4. Take a Field Trip 5. When all else fails, Eat A Watermelon. Yes, eat a watermelon. (Trust me, it’ll make sense when you listen to the message!)

Dr. Mark Batterson kicks off our Doubters club series this Easter weekend! In the first century, death by crucifixion was not uncommon. Lots of people died on Roman crosses, but only one person predicted their own resurrection and then pulled it off. His name is Jesus! The foundation of our faith is an empty tomb. That is where heaven invades earth, eternity invades time, and life defeats death. Faith is not the absence of doubt any more than courage is the absence of fear. But that is when and where and why we RUN TO THE TOMB. If the tomb is empty, all bets are off and all things are possible!