Hope for Anxiety - May 11, 2025

·54 min·5 clips

Why did Justin Emanuel lie on his office floor crying, asking God why he hated his birthday?

Justin Emanuel, production director and preacher at REZ CHURCH, opens by recounting a pivotal moment on March 21, 2017, in New York, where anxiety left him lying on his office floor, hating his birthday and considering suicide. He describes how anxiety led to distorted thoughts, including believing he was a failure and that suicide might not work because the building wasn't tall enough. Justin critiques common church teachings that label anxiety as a sin or lack of faith, pointing to Jesus' anxiety in Gethsemane as a counterexample. He introduces the central metaphor: God doesn't always move the mountain of anxiety but pulls you up it, using it for transformation. Justin explains his journey to counseling, where he was diagnosed with ADHD, OCD, a mood disorder, and past emotional trauma, which helped him understand his brain dysfunction. He discusses practical tools from the Bible, such as casting anxieties on God (1 Peter 5:7) and taking thoughts captive (2 Corinthians 10:5), including using Philippians 4:8 as an 'ant eater' for negative thoughts. Justin emphasizes that while tools like counseling and medication are vital, true transformation comes from connecting to God's power, especially in weakness, as shown in 2 Corinthians 12. He shares a recent relapse where he stopped climbing the mountain, leading to an intervention by his mentorship group, which prompted him to return to counseling. The episode concludes with a call to action: have conversations about anxiety, seek professional help, and make decisions to persevere, with an altar call for those wanting to accept Jesus. Throughout, Justin blends personal narrative, biblical teaching, and mental health insights to offer hope for anxiety sufferers.

As heard by us

A clear sermon on anxiety that ties prayer, counsel, and professional help into one grounded message.

Justin Emanuel presents sound mind as the meeting point of faith and mental well-being, and he gives that idea real weight through a personal story from New York on March 21, 2017.

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Why you'd press play

When your mind keeps tripping the alarm, this message starts there.

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