Higher Aim with Dr. Curt Dodd

From the moment you give your life to Christ, I wish that everything would come up roses, and everything would be better. Many people say that everything will be great as soon as you accept Christ. That is not what the New Testament teaches. Instead, it teaches a sobering concept of how to live this life regardless of what happens to you, even if it is suffering. As we wrap up this series, we’re going to use this message to talk about the different realities surrounding suffering in the life of the believer so that we can know how to honor God when we face seasons of suffering.

Last week, we talked about the importance of dwelling with a spiritual mindset. Specifically, we began to break down what it looks practically to have a spiritual mindset according to 1 Peter 5. We’re going to continue that discussion today and talk about three more steps you can take to be prepared to stand against the devil and stay strong in your faith.

Last week, we talked about the importance of dwelling with a spiritual mindset. Specifically, we began to break down what it looks practically to have a spiritual mindset according to 1 Peter 5. We’re going to continue that discussion today and talk about three more steps you can take to be prepared to stand against the devil and stay strong in your faith.

Today’s key passage teaches us a critical attitude that we need to embrace. We must dwell with a spiritual mindset as we develop a teachable spirit and destroy the curse of anxiety. To put it plainly, a spiritual mindset is essential for maturing believers. As followers of Jesus, we are in a spiritual war. There is another realm outside what you can see and experience. This dimension of reality is more real than the physical reality that many people experience. Therefore, if we’re going to make a difference in this world, we must have a spiritual mindset. In other words, we need to think like God thinks and see what God sees. In today’s message, we’re going to talk about exactly what it looks like to think and see the way God does.

Today’s key passage teaches us a critical attitude that we need to embrace. We must dwell with a spiritual mindset as we develop a teachable spirit and destroy the curse of anxiety. To put it plainly, a spiritual mindset is essential for maturing believers. As followers of Jesus, we are in a spiritual war. There is another realm outside what you can see and experience. This dimension of reality is more real than the physical reality that many people experience. Therefore, if we’re going to make a difference in this world, we must have a spiritual mindset. In other words, we need to think like God thinks and see what God sees. In today’s message, we’re going to talk about exactly what it looks like to think and see the way God does.

God wants us to learn how to cast our anxiety on Him. We are a very anxious people. Some 46 million American adults deal with anxiety. Do you know that between the ages of 18 and 25, about 50 % deal with anxiety? For adults older than 25, roughly 32-38 % deal with anxiety. So, sadly this is a very common issue across humanity. It is not only true for our culture now, but it applies to every culture. That is why the words of Jesus in Matthew, as well as Simon Peter's admonition in today’s key passage, are so important. If we are going to answer the call to the right attitudes, as we are discussing in this mini-series, we need to pay close attention to what Jesus says about handling our anxiety.

God wants us to learn how to cast our anxiety on Him. We are a very anxious people. Some 46 million American adults deal with anxiety. Do you know that between the ages of 18 and 25, about 50 % deal with anxiety? For adults older than 25, roughly 32-38 % deal with anxiety. So, sadly this is a very common issue across humanity. It is not only true for our culture now, but it applies to every culture. That is why the words of Jesus in Matthew, as well as Simon Peter's admonition in today’s key passage, are so important. If we are going to answer the call to the right attitudes, as we are discussing in this mini-series, we need to pay close attention to what Jesus says about handling our anxiety.

In the last couple of verses of 1 Peter chapter 5, Simon Peter gives the people some guidance on how to develop proper attitudes. We need to have the right attitude in order to live the Christian life like God wants us to live it. Unless we get our attitudes right, it will be difficult to hit the ball down the middle of the fairway when it comes to our faith.

In the last couple of verses of 1 Peter chapter 5, Simon Peter gives the people some guidance on how to develop proper attitudes. We need to have the right attitude in order to live the Christian life like God wants us to live it. Unless we get our attitudes right, it will be difficult to hit the ball down the middle of the fairway when it comes to our faith.

The last half of 1 Peter chapter 5 is great place to focus as we take this last lap in the book of 1 Peter. I have thoroughly enjoyed going through the verses in this book, pulling out the nuggets of wisdom for my life and yours. In these last several verses, we find several attitudes that are very important for us to have. Regardless of where we are in life and what we have experienced, we desperately need these right attitudes to be ours.