You Can Worry, or You Can Worship

CURRENT TEACHING SERIES The Keys to a Blessed Life

You Can Worry, or You Can Worship By Rick Warren — Nov 7, 2015 “If you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats. Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.” (1 Peter 3:14-15 NLT, second edition) Christianity is not for weaklings, wimps, or the faint of heart. It takes courageous men and women to follow Jesus. People all over the world are suffering like we will never suffer as Americans. But what is it costing you to follow Christ? It’s unlikely you’ll ever have to deal with violent oppression. But you deal with silent repression every single day as our culture becomes more and more secularized and anti-Christian. When you are faced with opposition because of your faith, it’s natural to feel afraid. So how do you get rid of the fear of opposition? How do you get rid of the fear of disapproval? How do you get rid of the fear of being rejected? You need to be filled with God’s love. The Bible says there’s no fear in love and perfect love casts out all fear. When you face opposition, you focus on God’s love for you. People who rest in the assurance of God’s love aren’t afraid of rejection. They aren’t afraid of disapproval. The Bible says in 1 Peter 3:14-15, “If you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats. Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it” (NLT, second edition). There are two alternatives when you feel pressured to be quiet about your faith in Christ: You can worry, or you can worship. That means you either panic or you pray. You either focus on the problem and the pressure and the persecution, or you can focus on God. You have to turn your attention away from the pressure you feel and turn it toward God. That’s what worship is — focusing on God. When you face opposition, worship instead of worry. PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >> Talk It Over Where do you need to look for assurance of God’s love? How do you think God rewards you for suffering for doing what is right? What kind of opposition have you faced because of your faith? Our Gift: The Keys to a Blessed Life Complete Audio Series Would you like to know the secret to living the abundant life God promises? Then you’ll want to have your very own copy of Pastor Rick’s complete audio series called, The Keys To A Blessed Life. In this series, Rick shows you how to exchange the so called “Good life” … for the “better life” through deepening your relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. LEARN MORE Complete Audio Series (Purchase) Includes all complete sermons from the Rick Warren The Keys to a Blessed Life teaching series. LEARN MORE Series Summary Message 1: It Depends Who You Depend On Message 2: ​​​​How God Blesses Broken Hearts Message 3: ​​​​The Strength of Gentleness Message 4: ​​​You​r Ministry of Mercy Message 5: ​How To Reconcile a Relationship Message 6: ​Handling Opposition To Your Faith PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST

Pastor Rick Warren

Enjoy today's Devotional? Listen instantly to the full radio message at Daily Hope Radio. Did someone forward this devotional to you? Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional. This devotional is based on the current Daily Hope radio series at rickwarren.org. Rick Warren has helped people live with hope and on purpose for more than 40 years. He’s the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Southern California and author of several books, including "The Purpose Driven Church" and "The Purpose Driven Life," read by more than 100 million people in 137 languages. He created the PEACE Plan (plant churches of reconciliation, equip servant leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, educate the next generation), which is used by churches in 196 countries. His radio teaching and daily devotional, Daily Hope, is offered across America. This devotional © 2015 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe at any time by changing your e-mail preferences. Update your preferences  |  Unsubscribe