North Point Community Church
16 Nov 2008 at 1:00am
Welcome to the weekly audio podcast for North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, GA where our mission is to lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. Our desire is that this podcast will encourage you in your relationship with God. ... It seems we all have a lot to worry about these days . . . perhaps more than ever. But then again, what has worry ever done for you? While much has been written about how to cope with worry and stress, some of the most practical insights are found in literature written 2,000 years ago by a couple of gentlemen who had a lot to worry about. Andy Stanley unpacks some of those insights in this 3-part series, Why Worry. ... Visit us at www.northpoint.org.

• Why Worry: Now and Then
  We rarely worry about the present. What we really worry about is what may or may not happen in the future. And we usually forget what has already happened in the past. We forget about how our worries didn't help alleviate our fears. In this session, we'll learn about a person who forgot about God's past faithfulness. His worries drove him to a place emotionally, spiritually, physically, and relationally he should never have gone. And in response, God asked him a very important question that continues to speak to us today.
  
• Why Worry: Switching Sides
  What are you worrying about these days? Most likely, your worry reflects your devotion. In other words, if you want to know what you are most devoted to, look at the things you worry about the most. Jesus understood the connection between our worries and our devotion. As a result, his approach to overcoming the paralyzing effects of worry starts with challenging not just how we handle our worries, but, more importantly, where we place our devotion.
  
• Why Worry: Devotion Emotion
  When life results in situations we have not intended, our natural tendency is to worry. Among other things, we worry about our finances, our relationships, and our health. Yet, does worrying add a single hour to our lives? In fact, the stress created by our anxiety may have actually taken a year or so off our life expectancies. There are numerous books written about worrying and stress-free living. Interestingly, many of the insights suggested by modern authors come directly from the pages of Scripture.
  

• The Best Question Ever, Part 3: Living on the Edge
  Every wrong decision you make morally is preceded by a series of small, unwise choices. Sexual sins have the greatest consequences because we harm not only ourselves, but also those around us.
  
• The Best Question Ever, Part 2: Musical Chairs
  Experience is the harshest of teachers. We have all made bad decisions in the past for one of three reasons: We were naïve (we lacked experience and judgment); we were fools (we knew what was right but chose to do wrong); or we were mockers (we made fun of people who did right).
  
• The Best Question Ever, Part 1: The Best Question Ever
  We never plan to mess up our lives, but, unfortunately, we never plan not to. When making decisions, we should always ask ourselves, "In light of my past experiences, my current circumstances, and my future hopes and dreams, what is the wise thing for me to do?"
  
• Taking Care of Business, Part 6: Leaving Early
  Each day we decide how to spend our time. But because there is rarely enough time to do everything that needs getting done, some things get cheated. We need to learn to trust God to fill in the gaps at work and begin to give our loyalty to those at home.
  
• Taking Care of Business, Part 5: Paying Your Dues
  God has established authority, and He works through it to direct and protect us. He often uses nonspiritual or unjust authority to accomplish His will. Our response to authority is our response to God.
  
• Taking Care of Business, Part 4: Going Public
  Christianity is not supposed to be personal and private; we are to be lights in the darkness. Our light shines best when our character is developed to reflect God. People will see that our faith is about a relationship, not a religion.
  
• Taking Care of Business, Part 3: The Corner Office
  Employees want a person worth following. And as bosses or supervisors, we are responsible for the people God has entrusted to us. By bringing our Christian values into the workplace, we can create great environments that could change our employees' lives.
  
• Taking Care of Business, Part 2: Current Economic Indicators
  How do we deal with unethical practices at work? Quests for security, recognition, and progress tempt us to operate under different ethical standards at work than in our personal lives. This segregated living causes the loss of three things over time: moral authority, self-respect, and the opportunity to experience what God wants to accomplish through us.
  
• Taking Care of Business, Part 1: Meet the Boss
  Man's first responsibility was work. It is a reflection of the nature and image of God. How we perform at work is as important as where we work. And when our hearts are in it, God can bless it!
  
• LO$T, Part 5: Rescued
  In this series, we learned that it's easy to get lost financially. And we learned that we cannot be fully devoted followers of Christ and remain lost. In this final message, we learn how to transition to a lifestyle that will take us where God wants us to be financially--steps that, when applied in our lives, will provide us with more financial margin, bring contentment, strengthen our relationships, and expand God's kingdom.
  
• LO$T, Part 4: Finding Shelter
  Discontentment is robbing our generation. Daily we are bombarded with messages that cause us to be dissatisfied with our current circumstances. We walk around with the gnawing sense that I need to upgrade everything, and the thing is that more money doesn't quench this hunger; it only causes it to grow. So what are we to do? Andy Stanley examines 1 Timothy 6 to uncover the answer to our predicament.
  
• LO$T, Part 3: Flashback
  Why has God given you so much? Why has God made you rich? If these questions elicit a laugh, don't move past them too fast. If you stop to think about it, most of us have way more than we need. By all accounts you have considerably more than most people in the world can lay claim to. So why you? Why do you have so much? Andy Stanley explores a parable of Jesus to see why God distributes wealth as He does and its implications for what God has given you.
  
• LO$T, Part 2: Moving to Higher Ground
  How does God view money? What does He want us to do with it? Too often people jump to the conclusion that God simply wants them to give it all away. However, when you examine the words of Jesus, you find that nothing could be farther from the truth. A fresh look at a curious parable on money might surprise you and it just might change your whole perspective on finances.
  
• LO$T, Part 1: A Sudden Realization
  Maybe it was bad directions, or perhaps a wrong turn, or possibly something that distracted you, but eventually you found yourself lost. You started out knowing where you were, but as you went further all of a sudden you came to the realization that you had lost your way. Today millions of people in America find themselves lost. They are lost financially. Could you be one of them? And how do you find your way once you realize where you are?