The Attainable Solution for Anxiety: God’s Joy and Good Friends

Series: The Smartphone Problem

Sermon Title: The Attainable Solution for Anxiety: God’s Joy and Good Friends

Speaker: Sam Rainer

Date: January 19,, 2025

 

 

Reflect

  1. How do smartphones sometimes promise connection but lead to loneliness instead?
  2. Imagine you’re hosting a party with no phones allowed. What activities could you include to ensure people connect and have fun?

Encounter

  1. In Philippians 4:8, Paul instructs believers to think about things that are true, noble, and praiseworthy. How might this focus shift your perspective on modern anxieties?
  2. Proverbs 27:6 says, “Wounds from a friend can be trusted.” Why do you think honest and trustworthy friendships are essential for overcoming anxiety?
  3. Paul encouraged the Philippian church to “settle disagreements” (Philippians 4:2). How does resolving conflict build the kind of social capital needed for a strong, joyful community?

Transform

  1. What habits can you cultivate to move from “defend mode” to “discover mode” in your own life and relationships?
  2. How can our church better foster a sense of community and joy for individuals struggling with isolation or anxiety?

Additional Discussion Questions

  1. In what ways have you seen friendships or community help someone overcome anxiety or fear?
  2. Think about a favorite memory with a close friend. How did that relationship shape your trust in others?
  3. What can our group do to model the kind of relational trust Paul describes in Philippians 4?

Interesting Facts and Tidbits

  • Playground Spinners vs. Phones: Play-based activities encourage risk management, cooperation, and fun, helping children build emotional resilience. Phones, in contrast, encourage isolation and “defend mode.”
  • The Role of Mediators in Conflict: Paul’s use of a mediator to help Euodia and Syntyche (Philippians 4:3) shows the importance of external support in resolving disagreements.
  • Social Capital and Trust: Robert Putnam’s research in Bowling Alone revealed that community organizations, which once bolstered trust and connection, have significantly declined since the 1990s.

Related Passages

  • Hebrews 10:24-25 – Calls believers to encourage one another and not give up meeting together, emphasizing the importance of community.
  • Proverbs 13:20 – “Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble.”
  • 1 Thessalonians 5:11 – Encourages believers to build each other up and live in peace, echoing themes of relational support and joy.
  • Galatians 6:2 – “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
  • John 13:34-35 – Jesus commands us to love one another as He loved us, identifying love as a mark of discipleship.