Welcome back! I hope you’ve had the opportunity to get caught up if you needed to. I’ll be honest … I needed a few weeks to let all of this settle in. I also needed some more “grace, grace, grace.” It’s a good thing that’s what we studied in Week 3. Hopefully, I’m back on track. I’ll go ahead and tell you, though, that I’m posting Week 4 now, but it will be two weeks until I post Week 5. I’m going on vacation next week so I’ll be completely unplugged from all technology.

Let’s get busy and see what Philippians 4:8 has for us this week.

I want to take a moment and recap what we’ve studied so far. We’ve learned that we need to be mindful of the things we “think on.” We need to think on things that are …

true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise …

• We’ve learned that we need to “four-eight” some things about ourselves and be secure in who we are in Christ.
• We’ve learned that we need to “four-eight” some things about other people, not judge others, and extend much grace.

How are you doing with those things? Have you noticed your thought patterns changing at all? Comment below and let us know!

Our topic for Week 4 is …

“Thoughts of Worry.”

Worry … now that’s something we all know how to do, isn’t it? We worry about all sorts of things from finances to friends, to food … We can worry with the best of ’em! Listen to what the Bible says about worry just before our Philippians 4:8 verse.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:6-7

What does this verse say not to do?

It tells us not to be anxious.

What does it say to do instead?

Pray and ask, give thanks, and let your requests be known to God.

What is the result?

The peace of God will guard your heart and mind.

Pretty simple formula isn’t it? I want us to use this formula over the next two weeks to meditate on some verses and learn how to “not worry!” Instead, we’ll learn to “four-eight” our worries and “think on” these verses. Now, did I scare you with that word “meditate?” I hope not! It’s easy – I promise. We’ve already established that we all know how to worry, right? Meditating is like worrying. Stay with me a moment and you’ll see what I mean.

When you worry what do you do?

You …

• Think about something over and over again.
• Turn it over in your mind and look at it from every angle.
• Can’t sleep. It keeps you up at night.
• Focus on it all the time.
• Can’t get it out of your mind – it drives you crazy!
• Try to think of every possible solution to whatever your issue is.

Now let’s apply that to meditating on Scripture. I want you to take a verse each day and …

• Think about the verse over and over again.
• Turn the verse over in your mind and look at it from every angle.
• Allow it to keep you up at night – not really. I just want you to think about it as you go to sleep.
• Focus on it all the time – write it, recite it, and remember it!
• Think about it until it drives you crazy.
• Try to think of every possible solution the verse brings to that which you could be worrying about.

That’s meditating on Scripture and that’s what your homework is over the next few weeks. You’re going to “think on” some wonderful verses that will help you stop the worrying and start resting in who God is and what He says!

To access your homework, click on the “Homework” tab below.

Have a wonderful week in the Word and remember to “think on these things!”