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Worrying is Work!
Did you know that the word worry in Greek and Hebrew means heavy labor,
toil, anguish, misery, distress and weariness? Do those words describe
you? If so, listen to Jesus’ encouraging invitation in Matthew 11:28-29
where he says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened,
and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for
I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
Jesus invites us to be yoked to
Him.
You will miss out on His beautiful
word picture unless you understand what kind of yoke Jesus is talking
about. A yoke is like a wooden collar that an animal wears when plowing
the fields. It looks like an upside down “u.” Since long before
Jesus’ time, people have been training young oxen by yoking one
of them together with an older, more experienced ox. That double yoke
looks like a lopsided “m,” with one side larger than the other.
It joins the two oxen together. The young one walks alongside the older
one, while the older ox carries most of the load.
Jesus tells you if you’re weary
and burdened, to come to Him and He will give you rest. If you take up
His yoke and walk alongside Him, He will carry most of the load. As you
read, From Worry to Worship, you will learn practical ways to yoke yourself
to Jesus so you can find rest for your soul.
Spend 15 minutes a day going from
worry to worship.
I have designed this book so that
you can make exciting progress on your journey from worry to worship in
one month by spending just 15 minutes a day. Each daily lesson will lead
you through a Bible study and brief assignment that will help you to apply
the Word to your specific worries.
I will never tell you what you should
be able to do through Christ, or shame you because you tend to worry.
Instead, I will give you practical tips that will help you to turn your
worries to worship.
Start a Worry to Worship group.
At the end of the book I have included
a brief Leader’s Guide so that you may use From Worry to Worship
in a small group setting--in Bible studies, support groups or Sunday school
classes. You can also start a Worry to Worship group in your neighborhood
or with another friend or two. The Leader’s Guide offers questions
that focus on one chapter a week, for a total of six weeks. (If you prefer
a 12-week Bible study you can spend two weeks on one chapter.) The questions
I ask will encourage you to grow spiritually, share honestly and find
support and encouragement from other Christians.
Have a Worry to Worship seminar or retreat
at your church.
I love going around the country helping people
to quit worrying. Click here if you’re interested in talking to
me about coming to your church.
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