Mosaic Wadsworth with Pastor Adam Barton

This sermon by Pastor Chris focuses on a letter written to the church of Ephesus in the book of Revelation. Chris shares his testimony, detailing his struggles with mental health and relationship challenges. He uses his story to illustrate the dangers of "blind spots" in our self-awareness and the importance of accountability and repentance. The message concludes by encouraging us to self-examine, repent, and receive the transformative power of Jesus Christ so that we can overcome personal failings and look more like Jesus.

In the sermon titled "Sound Mind," the Adam explores the concept of mental toughness through the lens of personal narratives and their profound impact on our mental health. There is power in the stories we tell ourselves about our past, present, and future and these narratives shape our identity and resilience more than our circumstances. The sermon is filled with truths that encourage us to adopt God's perspective of ourselves, viewing themselves as chosen, loved, and designed by God with a purposeful destiny. By aligning our internal stories with God's truth, we can foster mental toughness and live out our divine purpose.

In week 4 of our Sound Mind series, we dive into depression. Adam using the biblical story of Elijah discussing his experience of profound despair despite his faith and accomplishments, highlighting that one can be a faithful servant and still struggle with mental health issues. We are encouraged to engage with God's presence, pursue our God-given purpose, and connect with others as essential strategies for overcoming depressive episodes.

Let's talk about the hot topic of ANXIETY. Make sure you listen to this sermon this week. "What if we stopped thinking of peace as the absence of anxiety. Stopped thinking of peace as only occupying the parts of your life where there isn't anxiety producing things. Stopped thinking of peace as something that flees before your anxiety....The peace that JESUS offers is active & explosive. It is not just anxiety's equal opposite. In this story, the calm, the peace is actually more powerful than the anxiety...It actually dissipates the anxiety." - Pastor Adam

Week 2 of Sound Mind discusses the importance of rest in maintaining mental health, drawing parallels between physical and mental exhaustion. True rest, as opposed to mere escape, is crucial for mental healthiness. Adam uses the Sabbath and personal stories to illustrate the difference between restorative rest and escape activities that do not contribute to genuine rest. The challenge in this message is that when incorporating God & genuine rest into one's life aligns with the bible, it will lead us to improved mental health.