Key Takeaways

If we don’t master what we feel, what we feel will master us.

No matter what triggers us, unaddressed anger leaves the door open for bitterness and sin to take hold of our hearts and our actions. When we turn to God and open ourselves up to healing in community, he will help us to close the door on the anger that controls us.

• Genesis 4:1-11 – In response to his anger over God’s rejection of his gift, Cain lashes out and kills his brother.
• Anger– We all get angry, but sometimes it can feel like it comes from nowhere. However, anger is a secondary emotion, usually stemming from something below the surface.

• Sin is crouching at the door – Anger is like an open door that makes us vulnerable to something big and dangerous – sin. When we don’t understand or address what is happening inside of us, it will control us.
• Unmanaged anger changes us – We may not ever murder someone out of anger, like Cain, but our unmanaged anger still harms us and others. Anger starts as an emotion, in our hearts, but as we give it more control in our lives it will begin to shape us and our actions.
• The Five Whys – When you are dealing with anger ask yourself “why” five times to help you uncover where it is really coming from. When you get to the real answer, invite God into that place in your life and ask him to heal it.
• Community – We all need brothers and sisters around us to talk through what is going on inside of us that needs God’s healing. He heals us through other people.

Want a printable version of this Message Guide? Download it through the link below!

Pray

Ask God to reveal what may be underneath your anger and where you need his healing today.

God, you are patient, loving, and full of grace. You know what is happening in my heart, even when I don’t fully understand it myself. You don’t turn away from the broken places in me, instead you invite me to bring them to you.

Forgive me for the times I’ve allowed anger to sit unresolved in my heart. Forgive me when I replay what hurt me, hold onto bitterness, or allow my anger to shape the way I see and treat others. Thank you for never leaving me alone in what I’m carrying. Thank you for the people you’ve placed around me who can help me process what is happening beneath the surface.

God, help me recognize what is really behind my anger. Give me the courage to keep asking “why” and the humility to invite you into what I find. Heal the hurt, fear, or insecurity inside me. Help me close the door before anger controls my heart or my actions.

In Jesus’ name, amen.

Worship

Bring the worship set into your slot and spot this week and praise God for his healing power over the root of our anger.

The Joy – The Belonging Co.

I Know a Name – Elevation Worship

Inhabit – Lakewood Music

Learn

This week, read through the scripture shared in the message and dive deeper into God’s word.

Anyone who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don’t have eternal life within them. – 1 John 3:15

• Scripture – Genesis 4:1-11
• Scripture – 1 John 3:15
• Read – Why Are You So Mad – A 5 day devotional
• Watch – Murder, Adultery, and Divorce from Bible Project
• Listen –Genesis 4 from Through the Word

Reflect

Reflect on these questions during your slot and spot/discussions with others.

What kind of things tend to trigger your anger? Why do you think you feel that way?

• What is your typical response to anger?
• Have you ever reacted in anger in a way you now regret?

Our anger often comes from something much deeper than the triggering event. That is what God wants to heal in our lives.

• Think about the last time you were angry. Use the 5 Whys to help you uncover what is at the root of your anger.
  • What did you learn about the nature of your anger?
  • What step can you take today to submit that area of your life to God’s healing?

Read Genesis 4:1-11. God warned Cain that if he left the door of anger open, sin would control him.

• What temptation, negative thought pattern, or habit tends to crouch at your door, waiting for an opportunity?
• Compare the story of Cain’s anger to 1 John 3:15. What does that tell you about the impact of harboring anger in our hearts?

Cain could have benefitted from having someone in his life to listen to his anger and point him back to God.

• Who do you turn to when you are struggling with difficult emotions?

Next Steps

• Grow closer to God every day this week, with a slot and spot – a time on your calendar, and a place you go alone to read the Bible and pray.

• Create space for community to grow this fall by leading a J-Group. You can even use this message guide to help your group dive deeper into the message each week.

What’s one thing you learned from this message that you want to apply to your life this week? Share it in the comment section below.