Good Morning!

Opening Song:

Great Things

Worship Together:

The Father's House

Good Grace

Graves Into Gardens

Closing Song:

Turn It Over

Been There: Break the Anger Cycle

Speaker: Trace Howard

1. Concept of Anger

“A strong emotion of displeasure aroused by an objective that is frustrated, a wrong committed, or a perceived injustice.”

Anger itself is NOT sin

God gets angry at unrighteousness

“God is a just judge; he is angry throughout the day (against wrongdoing and injustice)” Psalm 7:11 NET

Jesus got angry

“And after looking around at them with anger, grieved at the hardness of heart, he said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored” Mark 3:5 NASB

Uncontrolled anger IS sin

“What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight” James 4:1-2 NIV

2. Cost of Anger

Leads to ungodly behavior

“But let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God” James 1:19-20 NASB

“He who is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who is quick-tempered exalts folly” Proverbs 14:29 NASB

“A quick-tempered man acts foolishly” Proverbs 14:17 NASB

Leads to emotional damage

“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” Proverbs 15:1 NASB

“And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell” James 3:6 NASB

PRINCIPLE: The more we talk, the more we sin, especially if the speech is combined with out-of-control anger.

3. Control of Anger

(1) Program your mind to think biblically

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” Romans 12:2 NASB

(2) Put off anger by the power of the Holy Spirit

“But now put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth” Colossians 3:8 NASB

“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he or she is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come” 2 Corinthians 5:17 NASB

(3) Practice the Pause

“Hot tempers cause arguments but patience brings peace” Proverbs 15:18 GNT

“He who restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool-spirit is a man of understanding” Proverbs 17:27 NASB

“A fool always loses his temper, but a wise man holds it back” Proverbs 29:11 NASB

(4) Pray and ask for wisdom in the moment

“But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him” James 1:5 NASB

(5) Pursue reconciliation and restoration

“Be angry and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger” Ephesians 4:26 NASB