Bible, Faith, Distractions, Trust, Idols, Control

Staying in Control Making You Anxious?

Do you feel like everything depends on you? Whether it’s keeping your schedule in check, protecting your family, or planning every detail of the future, many of us live like peace only comes when we’re in control. But no matter how hard we try, life still slips through our fingers—leaving us anxious, overwhelmed, and spiritually drained. In this message, Pastor Sean Sears helps us confront the fear behind our need for control and invites us to trust the God who’s already holding it all together. If you’re tired of carrying the weight of everything, this message is for you.

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MESSAGE NOTES

IN CONTROL WE TRUST

April 6, 2025

“When our ability to control our environments becomes the thing we trust, it eventually becomes the thing that breaks us.”

“Our desire for control is unbelief in disguise.”

“Peace doesn’t come from holding everything together—it comes from surrendering to the One who already does.”

CONTROL IS AN ILLUSION

[James 4:14] “How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.”

  1. “We think we’re running the show, but we’re not even writing the script”
    • Abraham had waited decades for Isaac
    • “But what happens when the thing you waited on becomes the thing you cling to?”

[Proverbs 27:1] “Don’t brag about tomorrow, since you don’t know what the day will bring.”

  1. “The tighter our grip, the heavier the burden”
    • “We think we’re protecting what matters most, but the grip of control always tightens when we’re afraid to lose what we love”

[Matthew 6:34] “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”

  1. “We can’t carry what only God can hold”
    • “God never asked us to hold everything together”

[Psalm 55:22] “Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.”

CONTROL COMES FROM FEAR

[Isaiah 41:10] “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”

  1. “Behind our need to control is a fear we haven’t surrendered”
    • “Abraham had to wrestle with the unthinkable—was God really asking him to lay his son on the altar?”
    • “What if I lose him? What if I misunderstood God? What if obedience costs me everything I love?”

[John 14:1] “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.”

  1. “Fear takes the lead when faith falls behind”
    • “Control becomes our strategy for avoiding pain”
    • “You can’t follow God and cling to control at the same time”

[Genesis 16:2] “So Sarai said to Abram, ‘The Lord has prevented me from having children. Go and sleep with my servant…'”

  • “Abraham’s attempt to help God out by having a child through Hagar became a generational wound—because fear rushed ahead of faith”
  1. “The more we fear losing a thing, the more we worship the thing”
    • “Fearful obedience isn’t real surrender—it’s delayed trust”
    • “Faithful obedience is: I’ll do what you say because your outcome will be better than mine”
    • “God was calling Abraham not just to obey, but to let go of the outcome”

THE WAY OUT IS SURRENDER

[Matthew 16:24-25] “If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.”

  1. “Surrender isn’t giving up—it’s leaning in”
    • “Abraham built the altar. He tied up his son. He raised the knife. That’s not giving up—that’s radical obedience, driven by trust”

[Psalm 37:5] “Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you.”

  • “Abraham didn’t know how God would come through—but he believed He would. That’s surrender”

[Genesis 22:12-13] “Don’t lay a hand on the boy… Now I know that you truly fear God.”

  1. “You won’t find rest until you let go”
    • “The ram in the thicket was already waiting—but the provision didn’t come until surrender was complete”

[Psalm 46:10] “Be still, and know that I am God.”

  • “Sometimes the miracle is on the other side of stopping; trusting and letting God handle it”
  • “Abraham didn’t fall apart when he surrendered—he fell into God’s provision”
  1. “Jesus didn’t just preach surrender—He practiced it”

[John 6:38] “For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will.”

  • “Not my will, but Yours be done”
  • “What looked like loss became the place of ultimate victory”
  • “Abraham’s willingness to give up his son pointed to the God who actually would”

“You can’t trust God fully and control everything at the same time.”

APPLICATION

“The longer you try to hold everything together, the more you’ll feel like you’re falling apart.”

“You don’t need to be God—you just need to trust Him.”

“When you surrender control, you’re not giving up – you’re giving in, to the One who never fails.”

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Application Questions

  1. What stood out to you from this message and why?
  2. What is one thing God is telling you to START doing because of this message?
  3. What is one thing God is telling you to STOP doing because of this message?
  4. How will this message change how you act at home, at work, and in your relationships?

Do you feel like everything depends on you? Whether it’s keeping your schedule in check, protecting your family, or planning every detail of the future, many of us live like peace only comes when we’re in control. But no matter how hard we try, life still slips through our fingers—leaving us anxious, overwhelmed, and spiritually drained. In this message, Pastor Sean Sears helps us confront the fear behind our need for control and invites us to trust the God who’s already holding it all together. If you’re tired of carrying the weight of everything, this message is for you.

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