Crossing family. Are you good man?
I hope so. I am so excited to be with you
guys this weekend. We have an incredible thing
playing for you. I told you at the very beginning
of this sermon series that at the, towards the end of it, we
are going to bring in one of our dear friends, to talk to you
guys for two weeks and whether you're joining here at 48th
Street, one of our different locations or online.
I am so excited to have to have dr.
Wes Beavis with us this weekend, fun fact through our partnership
with the Salomon Foundation during the pandemic, we had a
met with pastors all across the country every single Tuesday.
And the first thing that the salmon Foundation did, is they
put dr. Wes on retainer to help pastors
and navigate the stresses of leading through a challenging
season and he meets with pastors all across the country and helps
them try. To navigate the weeds in the
garden. In fact, here at the Crossing
we've spent, we've sent between 10 and 15% of our own staff to
go and get some help. Because even when your super
spiritual, you could still have some weeds in your garden.
And so Crossing family, I cannot wait for you to be blessed this
weekend and next weekend. So, would you please give a warm
Crossing Welcome to our friend, dr.
Wes Beavis. Thank you so much. it is so good
to be at the Crossing, Well, not only am IA doctor of Clinical
Psychology but I have been for decades a pasta and I love to
stand at the Nexus of faith and Science and especially now
because we live in a culture which says that if you're a
Christian, you are anti science and particularly for the young
people in the house, I want you to know that is an absolute lie.
Christians make great scientists and tonight I want to bring a
message to you. That is going to incorporate
some scientific research but it's also going to go to reveal
just how wonderful God has made you and you are going to be
encouraged and you're going to be encouraged to pull even
closer to Jesus knowing just how good he has made you by
scripture reading. Tonight comes from Psalm 139.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Let me stop right there, fearfully.
You know, sometimes we get the impression.
Just reading that word at face value that, that God is in
heaven going. Oh, my goodness.
I hope this works out. I'm kind of scared of this one.
Clayton Hensel. You know, I disappoint like you
to a little bit risky, this one. No, that's not what the Bible is
talking about. Fearfully the way the Bible
defines it is made with reverence and or now being an
Australian we say or just like that.
So on the count of three, I want you to say or in Australian, all
right? So God has made us with
reverence and one, two, three are you are awesome yourself.
Your works, are wonderful. I know that full well I want to
tell you a story of something that happened to a friend of my
wife Ellie and myself, her name is an yella and Anne and her
friend Debbie Nichols on this one day in Southern California.
Whiting Ranch, they're Avid mountain bikers, they decided to
go for a mountain bike ride and as an was relaying her
experience to me. She said I was ahead, Of Debbie,
by some distance. And as I came down this hill, I
startled. Something and I noticed
something reddish brownish in my peripheral vision, and I thought
I had startled a deer. But she said, moments later, I
realized this was no dear. It was a mountain lion and It
pounced on Me, Knocking me so hard off my bike.
It grabbed me by the left side of my face and started dragging
me down into a Ravine. And in that moment, I was in the
fight for my life. Debi Nicholls came just Nano
seconds. After she saw what?
It was happening and she went down into the Ravine and grabbed
ands ankle. And started pulling her up the
Ravine. Now these girls were you know
very fit girls like girls you know, I would say around 115
pounds and this mountain lion was weigh in excess of that.
So here's Debi Nicholls pulling and up yelling at the top of her
lungs and I am not going to let you die.
I'm not gonna let you die. And she's pulling and up by her
ankle pulling both and and the mountain lion.
My question is how How does a 115-pound woman able to do that?
Well, I'll tell you why. Because in that moment, God
released something that he has designed within us called a
hormone called adrenaline. And what adrenaline done is is
is shocks our, our muscles into action and Then followed by
adrenaline is a hormone called cortisol that is known as the
stress hormone and that is released by our adrenal glands
into our System to help to help us harness, our energy and stay
focused very much on the task at hand and so it can give us what
seems Supernatural strength. But it happens that way because
that's the way God has designed us because we are fearfully and
Wonderfully made and so something happened in that
moment as Debbie's trying to drag this this mountain lion and
her friend and up the ribbing. And it was a hopelessly lopsided
battle. But the mountain lion was
winning. But then the mountain lion
backed itself into a tree at the very same time that some other
mountain bikers came along. So what is happening and started
picking up rocks, and throwing and screaming to startle the
mountain lion. It released its grip.
In the only reason, That Anne was not instantly killed was
when she fell off that bike, her helmet skewed off her head.
Protecting her neck. And so the mountain lion was
trying to to get a purchase on her neck to snap her neck, but
the helmet was stopping it from doing so and eventually the
mountain lion released its grip. Somebody called 911.
There was a emergency helicopter that came in a medical flight
and then there was Medics and paramedics and and fireman and
an said I noticed one thing before I black down I looked at
the paramedics hand trying to put an intravenous needle in my
arm and his hand was shaking so much because the mountain lion
was About 15 feet away waiting for another opportunity.
And then she blacked out, they were able to survive that
because God put within them, something that God has put
within us some hormones, some brain chemicals that help us to
perform under strenuous circumstances.
I always have to put this slide in here because I forget to give
the back of the story and survived.
That's my wife, Ellie to the right of an she went on to
recover. She had countless surgeries, and
she's an amazing. Believer in Jesus and she has
gone on to tell her story a myriad of times.
And so just want to let you know and is alive and well and she
lived to tell, praise God. Okay, so let me tell you, let me
take some, take you on a little bit of scientific Journey.
I'm not gonna drag you into the weeds, then there are our
adrenal glands its place on top of our kidneys which is right in
the middle of our back and our adrenal glands went under when
When we are under stress, our adrenal glands, release
chemicals that fuel certain functions, and that is to help
us focus. And so what it does is it turns
sugar and fat into energy, it also improves the ability of
your body and brain to use that energy.
And all this happens in nanoseconds, why?
Because we are fearfully and Wonderfully made, what cortisol
also does, is it suppresses some biological functions that are
less important during stress? Some of those biological
functions are digestion. Now you know if guys if we're
out there being chased by a bear we're not thinking well I'm kind
of hungry right now. You should have eaten that
sandwich, all all the energy is taken from our digestive system
at and redeployed where it's needed the most.
Another section about lives. Our anatomy that shuts down in
that moment is our reproductive system.
And so it's probably one of the only times in the life of a In
Godly married, man. That when not, and even some
adolescent boys that we're not thinking about sex. but, Sex is
okay that's the way God wired us and particularly men.
There's a few wives in the house are going honey.
Maybe we need to get a pet bear. But there's, there's another,
there's another chemical that our adrenal glands secrete
called dehydroepiandrosterone. Let's everybody see that in the
count of three, one, two, three, see Hydro EPI and roster own,
and that's why they call it DHEA for short.
And dehydroepiandrosterone is a neuro neuro, steroid hormone
that helps your brain to grow. And it helps us to grow in
response to stressful situations.
So we're talking about mental health and so depression,
anxiety, and a myriad of other psychological.
Dilemmas that we met challenges that we might face.
Could be all under the umbrella of stress.
And so dehydroepiandrosterone has been put in Us by God to
perform a certain function to help our brains to grow.
Now I'm going to ask Cory Cory. Come on up here because I want
to get your help here. Cory.
I I have I've noticed your physique, these guns.
Were you born with these? Come on, man.
I'm they were just there just formed David Von telling you.
I'm a bitch. This is what you've got going on
there. How do you get those?
Lots of hard work in the gym. Lots of hard work.
Lots. So let me tell me get this
straight. I mean, is it fun being in the
gym kind of working your muscles like that?
I mean, depends on the day. All right, depends on the work
out alright but mostly no. That's right because it actually
feels much better the sitting on the couch eating some Doritos
followed by some Ben and Jerry's ice cream, right?
Right cereal. But yes, yes, yes, cereal would
be better. But yes.
Yeah, there we go. So so you're in the gym and
you're working your muscles. You're working these guns and
you know, like those guns just kind of naturally form because
you go into the gym or you know, is it something that you subject
your muscles to that? Make them like that?
Yes. So there is a lot a lot of hard
work that goes in the gym. All right.
And I there's a lot of Stories on there but Overexerted myself
because of particular workout because I wanted to this
physique, doesn't just happen by accident and we can film and
it's just study can hear it. That's a testimony.
Ladies and gentlemen it just said you think that's my wife.
So so I've heard That the day after really strenuous workout,
when you've just been pumping a lot of iron that the next day.
Your muscles are hurting. Yep.
Why is that? Well, I can tell you what, it
feels like it feels like there's just some muscles just ripping
apart, that's what I feel like right now, I work it out a
couple days ago. Two days later is always the
worst day right now. It feels like my muscles are
currently ripping, right? And that's because they, when
you're in the gym, you actually did.
Your muscles to the point where you call his little rips, little
micro tears and your muscle. Yeah, yeah.
I would assume you're the doctor, you tell me about tell
you, that's, that's what happens.
You put your muscles under stress, it creates little micro
tears, and then then afterwards, your there's a hormone in your
body called testosterone which helps rebuild your muscles and
you end up with guns like that until you never thought that
Jesus would be able to use. Use those in to demonstrate and
a spiritual issue but you could tell it was hard finding a guy
to do this. That they brought a guy like me
to stay true that diesel. You are you are a red brick.
I think it's time for you to go Thank Corey.
You're a good sport. So just as testosterone helps
your muscles to repair, after you've put the muscles under
stress, dehydroepiandrosterone causes your brain to repair, and
not only that causes neurogenesis, that means the
formation of new brain cells. So stress, In response in
response to stress dehydroepiandrosterone can be
released into your system and it can cause new brain cells to
grow sea for a long time. There was this belief that the
amount of brain cells that you're born with, that's all you
got and you spent your life time basically burning those brain
cells out. But what we've discovered
because we are fearfully and wonderfully me.
God is releasing this dehydroepiandrosterone in
response to the way we respond to stress all the time.
So in the week, leading up, to the time that Jesus calls us
home, we can be experiencing new Brain cells being generated in
our bodies. It's quite exciting.
I tell you I so which is better. So we've got two chemicals here.
Both release excreted from the adrenal glands, cortisol and
DHEA. Well you know, we're probably
thinking, well, you know, dehydroepiandrosterone, I want
more bread. Neither a better.
They are purpose-driven chemicals.
They are specific for whatever you're facing.
So if you're being chased by a licensed by it bear or or being
attacked by a Life Lion, then cortisol is what you want in
your system. What scientific research has
discovered is. It's the ratio that's important.
Higher ratio of cortisol is associated.
So if you're, if you've got a lot of cortisol running through
your system, and not much dehydroepiandrosterone that is
associated with harm to your immune function, and it's also
been associated with depression. Now, this is the interesting
thing. We've just been through a global
Panic pandemic, and I know that there's a section of society
that, you know, is is vested and keeping that going and what was
happening during that. I'm we were fearful and there
was a lot of there was a lot of media activity pumping us with
with fearful data and this is where, you know, they were just
following the science folks, they're not following the
science. If they were following the
complete science, they would realize.
The more they are pumping Society with fear the more that
the immune system is being suppressed.
The more that we become The more that pathogens out there, can
invade our bodies and make us sick.
My son is a medical doctor, and he said dead.
These are called opportunistic. Pathogens.
That's what when our immune system because we've got
pathogens all around us all the time.
And our immune system generally, when it's high, it fights them
off all the time, but when our immune system is depressed, then
we become more susceptible. Able to catch whatever is going
around. So if you're high in cortisol
and low in dehydroepiandrosterone, then
your immune function is somewhat compromised, and you're also can
be predisposed to depression. Now, if you flip that, and you
have high dehydroepiandrosterone and low cortisol, that has been
associated with reduced anxiety, reduce depression, reduced heart
disease, and reduced brain cell deterioration, Duration.
So what we want, most of the time is to have our system set
up where we are high in dehydroepiandrosterone and low
in cortisol. Now, there are specific times
where that needs to be flipped when we when our lives are under
threat in very, very unusual circumstances.
But for the majority of time, this is where God wants us to be
high and dehydroepiandrosterone low in cortisol and they That
the growth index and who do I mean by they call that this
research comes out of Stanford University led by dr.
Kelly McGonigal PhD who has a great research team and they
have termed. When you've got high
dehydroepiandrosterone in your system and low cortisol, they
call that the growth index. Why?
Because when you're in that configuration, you've got
greater persistence, you've got greater resilience you, you're
able to perform at higher levels.
You've got greater Focus Superior problem solving skills.
It's like that's the configuration we want to be most
of the time because we are going to be less susceptible to mental
health struggles when we're in that configuration.
So the question is and let's all ask this question together,
shall we? How do you activate the growth
index? And this is how change your
view. About stressful events.
Change your view about stressful events.
Let me let me give you an example of that.
There is a fear and worry view of the stressful event.
And it can be vocalized in ways such as this.
I can't handle this. This will do me in, I'm done.
Another one is 0, this will be the death of me.
And so when you speak those words over your life, what
you're doing is you're flipping from being high
dehydroepiandrosterone to high cortisol, you're reinforcing the
object of your fear. Now, a growth oriented view of
stressful events. Could be this.
This looks like a setback. But God's going to use it to
increase my resilience and I can guarantee you whatever stress
you're facing. If you decide, you're going to
view the stress that way. This looks like a setback and I
wish this didn't happen. This is tough.
But God's going to use it to increase my resilience, God's
going to use it to help me become a better leader.
God's going to use it to make me stronger.
God's going to use this stressful situation in To cause
dehydroepiandrosterone to flood through my system, which will
stimulate the formation of new brain cells and then God's going
to deploy those brain cells for his purpose.
And that's sound good. Here's here's another way of a
growth-oriented view of stressful events.
I believe regardless of what I faced God is with me and he will
bring good out of it. I believe regardless of what I
faced God is with me and he will bring good out of it.
Come on Church stand with me I Believe come on let's Stand
Together. And that's a great practice run.
Now, what kind of dig deep and we got to give it all the guests
to. So on the count of three line by
like, just speak it out, like you believe it.
All right, one, two, three, I believe.
Regardless of what I faced God is with me and he will bring
good out of it again. I believe regardless of what I
faced God is with me and he will bring good.
Out of it, come on I believe regardless of what I faced God
is with me and he will bring good out of it one more time I
believe. Regardless of what I faced God
is with me and he will bring good out of it.
Did you hear? Did you feel anything?
Did you feel anything in your body when you're speaking that
out? You got goosebumps, that's your
body chemistry changing, that's dehydroepiandrosterone being
released into your system. That is called having a growth
oriented view of stressful events as a result of speaking
that out when we're facing stress, when we're experiencing
depression and anxiety and whatever has got us in the
wrapped around the axle in that moment when you speak these
words out I believe regardless of what I faced God is with me.
And he will bring good out of it and that's going to release
chemicals in your body to be able to create new brain cells
that God can deploy for his kingdom purposes.
Just, doesn't that sound great? Awesome.
Yeah. Go ahead, relax.
You've been fantastic. So the great thing is the Bible
is full of promises of God. Be strong and courageous, do not
be afraid or terrified because of them for the Lord, your God
goes with you. He will never leave you nor
forsake you when you speak that over your life, whatever stress
whatever depression. Whatever anxiety you may be
experiencing, you are releasing the right chemicals.
The way that God intended, the right ratio, lots of
dehydroepiandrosterone and you're keeping it the cortisol
at Bay, another passage do not Fear for I am with you do not be
dismayed for I am. Your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
I will uphold you with my righteous hand and we speak that
over our lives. It helps us to keep the ratio
right of that neuro steroid that God puts within us.
And in that ratio, you will have greater capacity for persistence
in your ministry. Leadership, regardless of what
your face, knowing that God's going to bring good out of it.
You'll be more resilient. And I, you know, I've got to say
I think Christians can be the most resilient people on the
planet because of of the the fact that we've got so many
promises of God that helps us keep the ratio, right?
And we can turn off the news because we can You know that is
just going to suppress my immune system that is just going to
throw wood on the fire of my worry.
I'm just going to speak the promises of God of my life.
You have greatest Focus Superior problem solving skills.
It's much better to be in this orientation now.
Does it mean the the other orientation with cortisol is
high and dehydroepiandrosterone Angelo is the wrong?
No. It's just wrong to be there all
the time and we live in a culture that wants us to be
there all the time. You know, the me Tia, I don't
believe the media is necessary nefarious.
I think they just business people, they just have picked up
on the psychological psychological orientation of
humans that we are attracted to to fearful events, unusual
events novel events. So they're pumping out stuff all
the time to keep us and and and here's the key, whenever you
read a headline, you know, some dramatic headline if it's got
the words may or could in it, that's Signal because this this
met this depression could be the worst thing that we've ever
gotten. This whatever could be.
Maybe that's that's a site. Just turn it.
Turn it. Turn the volume down.
Turn the news off. You're not buying into that.
And this is where I love the the intersection of God's word and
scientific discovery. And before before I share this
point, I'm just going to hydrate for a moment.
Right. Do not be anxious about anything
but in everything by prayer and petition with Thanksgiving,
present your requests to God and the peace of God, which
transcends all understanding will guard your hearts.
And your minds in Christ, Jesus. now, for many, many years
decades of my life, I looked at this and I interpreted through a
metaphorical lens, it's like and the peace of God, which
transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your
minds, you know, your hearts, the core of your soul, your
spirit, you know, the core of who you are, your hearts and
your minds, your thinking process, he will guard your
hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. and then I read the
research that says when you have high dehydroepiandrosterone,
When you get the ratio in the way that God intended, the ratio
to be, most of the time, it is linked to reduced heart disease.
And reduced brain cell deterioration.
In fact, when you get this rate show the way God intended it to
be, most of the time you stimulate the formation, the
birth the beginning of new brain cells.
And so I read that scripture differently.
And I encourage you to read it differently to because it says
in the peace of God, which transcends all understanding
will literally God, your heart. People who have the ratio and
the right way most of the time it's been linked to less heart
disease reduced heart disease. And when you let the peace of
God, which transcends all understanding, it will guard
your minds. It will literally guard your
brain, your cognitive processes. When you get the ratio around
the right way, the got that God intended, most of the time.
Then that will God. Your brain.
And I'm telling you as we discover more about Alzheimer's
and Dementia and Parkinson's, I don't know about you but I want
my cognitive capacity to be guarded and God saying, you've
got a part to play in all of this.
Just make sure you keep the ratio.
The way I intended most of the time and use my scripture, use
my words to help you stay there. Be people of, I believe.
Regardless of what I faced God is with me.
And he will bring good out of it.
I praise you. because I am fearfully and your works, are
wonderful, and I know that full well We're moving in to a time
of decision. You know, I did this on Thursday
night, I want to do with you guys this morning.
If you could just reach under your chairs, grab a piece of
paper and the pin that's located there.
There's a quit. I'm just kidding.
There's not a quiz. You guys were reaching down your
like I felt like when I was listening to the sermon There's
some words thrown out there. There is some science thrown out
there and it took me back to high school science class and I
was like, is there a Scantron afterwards Maybe I'll do that
for a second service and put a real quiz there, but listen.
Each and every single one of you it if you don't catch anything,
I hope you catch this that you are fearfully and wonderfully
made that. You would also take the truth
that you are God's Masterpiece. You are his workmanship created
in Christ. Jesus to do good works which
shows me and tells me that you were created on purpose As an
individual, and for a purpose, all of you in here.
And it talks about, we're going to be dealing with stressful
events. Those things are going to
happen. Some of you are in the thick of
it right. Now you came in to church, And
you have a life event happen or or something was thrown at you,
or you're in a conflict right now.
You're in a stressful event and one of the things, dr.
West said, is, when you gotta change your perspective, you
gotta change your way of thinking a little bit.
Well, I would like you to consider this in this time of
decision. Change your point of view.
In order to do that, we need to go back to the beginning for
some of us. So real quick, what I want to do
in this moment is I want to talk to those of you who have started
an intimate personal relationship with Jesus, you
have declared that he is Lord and savior of your life, you've
stepped over the line, you got in that water and you were
washed your sins away and you're walking in a new life in Christ
right now. Just just you real quick.
I need you to go back to the beginning.
Change your perspective, I want you to go back to that moment
where it happens for some of you who is it was last week you made
that decision for Jesus for the first time for for some of you
it was a couple weeks ago or a couple months ago or last year
or man it was right in the beginning of the pandemic.
Maybe it's 20 years ago, I don't know what it was for you, but go
back to that moment. Remember that moment?
Remember when your heart was just so broken and you realize
that you couldn't do it by yourself and that you needed a
God, who can save you, who could rescue you, who could take your
place, who took your place on the cross, maybe for you, you
got on your knees and you pray to prayer.
You ask God to take over your life, go back to the moment.
You got in that water, whether it was here, maybe it was for
me. It was down in our gymnasium.
The it was up top through a window.
We had our baptistry up there. I can go back to that moment.
I can go back to walking out after youth group night at 17
years old, declaring Jesus, Lord, and Savior, my life and
going out in the parking lot. And just seeing all the stars in
the sky was a last one to leave the parking lot and I've never
felt closer to the Lord then that night on February 17 2006.
It changed me because it went from a moment of trying to do
life By myself to understanding that, I have a God who created
me to be fearfully and I'm wonderfully made to know that I
was his Masterpiece that he called me.
His son. Are you there?
Can you go back to your moment? In this time, wouldn't it when
the music starts maybe for you, your response is just to come
forward to get on your knees and just reflect and give God thinks
that he's brought that perspective back to you that.
Yes, life events are happening. Conflicts are happening, stress
is happening. But go back to the beginning and
say thank you, Jesus for rescuing me.
Thank you for saving me and just worship him.
For some of you can be on your knees, for some of you, it's
going to be at your chairs and you Your hands and worship and
you just declare thanks to God for the rest of you in this
room, maybe you haven't. Had that moment yet.
You can't go back to that moment because you've never stepped,
over the line. You to be honest, you're still
trying to do it on your own. And you're tough, you may be
strong. You made me not be as fit as me,
but you're strong. I'm telling you, you can't do it
on your own. It's impossible.
I'll just need to give you the end of the story.
You can't do it on your own. You can't do it on your own
strength. And so in this moment, maybe
today this Sunday in September is the day that you come back to
later in your life or your perspective changed where you
realize that you're not alone that you are fearfully and
wonderfully, made that you are his Masterpiece.
Listen, created in Christ, Jesus.
Today's the day you step over the line today's the day you get
in that water and you say it's not me.
I Lay My Life down and I come out of that grave.
Just like Christ did because he rescued me on the cross, he paid
the penalty of my sin and I can live in Freedom.
I would ask that you would consider that in just a little
bit when the music starts and you've never made that decision.
But today you want to do that. Brett scharnhorst is going to be
right there next to the baptistry today and he would
love to talk talk with you. I'm going to be right up there
next to him, because I think he's getting ready for a couple
baptisms this morning. So if you're like, hey, I don't
want to be alone. Listen, you won't be alone
because there's baptisms happening this service.
Where someone saying, today's my day, I go back to Church.
I pray that we're always a group of people that come in here and
we learn, we take new things in, but then we put it into action,
we walk out in faith, we walk out, knowing that we are not
alone. That Christ Jesus is with us.
He's got plans for our life. Those considered as you stand
your feet. Let's pray together.
Heavenly Father God, I give you. Thanks and praise for the son of
suffering. I give you.
Thanks and praise and The name of Jesus Christ that because of
him man are our weaknesses can be picked up, we can lean on
Jesus, we can lean on him in these situations that were going
through. Whether we just came out of a
stressful event whether we're in one or whether ones coming, we
know it's coming but God I pray that we can man just change our
mind, change our perspective let us go back to that moment where
you rescued us and you saved us. Maybe encourage us through that.
Lord, I pray for those who are walking in their own strength.
I pray got today that you would just impressing their hearts
that you have fearfully and wonderfully, made them, you've
created them and you and I pray Jesus, they have an experience
where they just say enough's enough, not doing this on my own
anymore, God that they would respond during this time in
Jesus name, I pray, amen.