PEACE OF MIND
SERMON NOTES
BATTLING DEPRESSION
WEEK 3: PLAYBOOK
When we feel overwhelmed, it can be easy to isolate ourselves. But church is a place we can go when we don’t have it all together. This week, we’re learning how to fight depression from a spiritual perspective. It’s a hope-filled message you won’t want to
miss! See you at church.
Do you feel like your unique mental health has isolated you from others? You’re not
alone, and you don’t have to navigate your mental health on your own.
Two Truths to Remember When You’re Battling Depression
Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word
makes it glad. Proverbs 12:25 NKJV
Four Root Causes of Depression
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Biological
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Relational
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Circumstantial
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Spiritual
I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of the LORD’s
wrath. 2 He has driven me away and made me walk in darkness
rather than light … 5 He has besieged me and surrounded me with
bitterness and hardship. 6 He has made me dwell in darkness like
those long dead. 7 He has walled me in so I cannot escape; he has
weighed me down with chains. 8 Even when I call out or cry for
help, he shuts out my prayer. … 17 I have been deprived of peace; I
have forgotten what prosperity is. 18 So I say, “My splendor is gone
and all that I had hoped from the LORD.” 19 I remember my
affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. 20 I well
remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Lamentations
3:1-2, 5-8, 17-20 NIV
Two Truths to Remember When You’re Battling Depression
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Your emotions are valid. But they’re not permanent.
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Your situation feels hopeless. But with God, there’s always
hope.
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Naming your emotions opens the door to changing your emotions.
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We’re not going to make permanent decisions based on temporary emotions.
Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: 22 Because of the
LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never
fail. 23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:21-23 NIV
“The Lord’s great love”: hesed
Unbreakable devotion to God’s promises.
Covenantal commitment to God’s character.
“His compassions”: rahamaw
I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for
him.” 25 The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; 26 it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. Lamentations 3:24-26 NIV
TALK IT OVER
Read Lamentations 3:21-23. What are some things that help you
remember God’s love and goodness in the midst of difficult
seasons?
How do you typically handle negative or depressing thoughts and
feelings? What would it look like to validate your emotions and
label your feelings while also remembering they aren’t permanent?
Talk about a time when God brought you hope and help in a
difficult moment. What did you learn about Him through that
experience?
Find more mental health
Start the Wisdom for Mental Health Bible Plan using Plans With
Friends: https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/32528-wisdom-for-
mental-health