Joy Is A Choice | Cornerstone Church | Pastor TJ McConahay

The big idea

You drive out worry not by trying harder to relax, but by rejoicing in the Lord, praying relationally instead of transactionally with God, and concentrating your mind on what is true, noble, and praiseworthy.

The good news is that the Bible speaks directly to our worry and anxiety, and it gives a real path through it. Rejoice in the Lord, bring every anxious thing to God in relationship rather than transaction, and fix your mind on what is true and praiseworthy instead of your worst moments — and the peace that surpasses understanding will guard your heart.

Point 1 of 5

Pastor TJ works through Philippians 4:4, noting that 'rejoice' is a churchy word people never use outside of church, then distinguishes joy from happiness: happiness reacts to external circumstances, but joy is a discipline you choose into even when everything around you is wrong. He illustrates this with the story of Richard Winters, an older church member whose body was failing but who kept declaring 'the joy of the Lord is my strength' even in pain, and whose funeral became a celebration rather than a sorrow because everyone knew he was finally with Jesus.

Point 2 of 5

Moving into Philippians 4:6-7, Pastor TJ points out that God reveals Himself as a person in relationship (the Trinity) and wants communion, not a transaction list. He shares his own season in Bible college where knowing about God replaced knowing God, then tells the story of driving his 1998 Volkswagen Jetta into a whiteout snowstorm on I-5, where sheer panic drove him back into real, desperate prayer and he rediscovered relationship with God in the middle of the danger.

Point 3 of 5

From Philippians 4:8, Pastor TJ argues discipleship requires discipline — pointing your attention in the right direction. He brings in a counselor friend's observation that a 'rumination' shift in the counseling field has moved from dwelling only on trauma toward also building encouragement and praiseworthy focus, because people become the story they keep telling about themselves. He reminds the church that God calls us child rather than by our sin, so we must claim that identity instead of our worst moments.

Point 4 of 5

Pastor TJ tells the extended story of coaching his son's 14U rec-league baseball team, the Corn Dogs, around three simple concentrations — baseball is fun, know your one thing, be the best teammate — and how the team went 15-2 and won the Chandler City championship, even beating expensive club teams. He connects this to the church itself: like the Corn Dogs, we don't qualify by being elite, but by knowing we need a Savior and focusing on the right things anyway.

Point 5 of 5

Pastor TJ gives four concrete practices to do the next time worry rises: 15 minutes praying like God is in the room, 15 minutes reading His word, talking to someone who doesn't know Jesus about Jesus, and talking to someone who does know Jesus about Jesus. He promises that after that hour, anxiety may still be allowed, but it won't have the same grip, because you'll remember God is with you.

Take it into your week

Pastor TJ's charge is to spend one hour driving out worry with four moves: pray, read His word, talk to someone who doesn't know Jesus about Jesus, and talk to someone who does.