When Your Mind Is Out of Control

The Habit of Slowing

Scripture References

Primary text

• Mark 1
• Luke 4
• Psalm 46

Other references

• Ecclesiastes 2
• Luke 3:22
• Matthew 6:6

Overview

Our lives move so fast that many of us can’t quiet our minds, yet Jesus repeatedly withdrew from noise and crowds to be alone with His Father. The message presses one conviction:

“There is no such thing as intimacy without intentionality.”
Because you cannot busy your way to God, you must deliberately create space—solitude and silence—to be still, hear His voice, and refill what constant giving has emptied.

Main Points

Anxious striving empties the soul

• Solomon called the nonstop mental churn “anxious striving” (Ecclesiastes 2).
• We live with racing thoughts day and night; cups and schedules are full, but spirits are drained.

• Illustration: Cup of water on stage symbolized schedules splash-full yet spiritually empty.

Jesus intentionally withdrew

• With the greatest assignment ever, Jesus still left crowds and urgent needs to pray (Mark 1).
• Before any public ministry He spent 40 days in the wilderness (Luke 4).
• His pattern: withdraw before big decisions, after long days, after loss, and whenever He needed to refill.
• Reason: you cannot keep pouring out if you don’t first fill up.

Your value is not your productivity

• Speaker’s 2018–19 burnout: “The way I was doing the work of God was destroying the work of God in me.”
• Many fear slowing because worth feels tied to output, but at Jesus’ baptism (Luke 3:22) the Father affirmed Him before He achieved anything.
• God loves you for who you are, not what you produce.

Be still—practicing the habit of solitude

• Psalm 46: “Be still and know that I am God.” To be still literally means “cease striving.”
• Matthew 6:6: find a quiet, secluded place; be there simply and honestly; the focus shifts from you to God.
• Solitude ≠ isolation. Isolation hides and self-medicates; solitude seeks the Father for renewal.
• Practical steps:
  • Choose a consistent time and place (bedside, porch, kitchen table, lunch break).
  • Put away the phone—“no texts, no social media.”
  • Begin with 5–10 minutes; let silence grow.
  • Allow your soul to speak: fear, hurt, anger, confession, need. God can handle it all.

Forming a lifelong habit

• Without planning, the world will squeeze solitude out.
• “You always have time for what you choose to have time for.”
• Suggested tool: 7-day Bible plan “How to Slow Down and Simplify Your Life.”
• Start now; intentional pauses will deepen intimacy and empower continued service.

Key Truths

• A racing mind and a full schedule do not equal a full spirit.
• Jesus modeled withdrawing so He could minister from overflow, not depletion.
• God’s affirmation precedes our accomplishments; identity is received, not earned.
• Stillness is the gateway to knowing God; busyness is a barrier.
• Solitude must be scheduled, protected, and practiced; it will never happen by accident.

Response

• Schedule a daily 5–10-minute quiet block this week and guard it fiercely.
• Select a specific place where you will meet with God alone.
• Silence your devices; resist every digital interruption during that time.
• Let your soul speak honestly—fear, sorrow, anger, confession, gratitude.
• Gradually lengthen the pause as hunger for God grows.
• When your cup feels empty, withdraw before pouring out again.

Closing

The sermon ended with a call to action: slow down, be still, and let God refill what life has drained. Those willing to commit lifted hands, and many surrendered to Christ for the first time.

“You cannot continue to pour out unless, in the presence of God, you fill up.”
Intimacy with God begins the moment we intentionally pause to be with Him.

Prayer

The congregation prayed aloud, confessing trust in Jesus for forgiveness and asking the Holy Spirit to fill them, empower lifelong obedience, and help establish daily time alone with the Father.