MASTERING

YOUR
EMOTIONS
Mastering Your Emotions (Bible Study)

Published by Love Worth Finding Ministries, Inc.

PO Box 38300
Memphis TN 38183-0300

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Scripture taken from the New King James Version.® Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by
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 CONTENTS

INTRODUC TION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

WEEK 1

Do You Have Doubts?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

WEEK 2

Are You Battling Depression? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

WEEK 3

Do You Feel Lonely? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

WEEK 4

Are You Stressed Out? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

WEEK 5

Do You Feel Inferior?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

WEEK 6

Do You Deal With Bitterness?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

WEEK 7

How Do You Deal With Anger?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

WEEK 8

Are You Focused on Fear?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

 INTRODUCTION

MASTERING YOUR EMOTIONS

E motions can be tricky. One wise counselor said, “Feelings are neither
right nor wrong. They just are.” It’s how we handle our feelings that
will determine whether they lead to freedom in Christ or enslavement to
sin. How often does an uncontrolled outburst of emotion lead to brokenness
in our relationships with each other and with God?
A Bible teacher was leading a discipleship class and referenced the
following verse:

...casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts

itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into
captivity to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).

The teacher said, “Unsettling thoughts will enter your mind—whether

from your own imagination or from the enemy. When they do, you have
about five seconds to take that thought captive, or that thought will take
you captive.” So often, the battle for our hearts is fought in our minds.
As you go through this study, remember that the emotions are neither
good nor bad. God gave us emotion for a reason. It’s what we do with the
emotion that can either lead to a closer relationship with Christ or continued
brokenness in our lives. Remember that only Jesus mastered His emotions
perfectly, and this isn’t something we can do. But because of Jesus, when
we sin, we can repent and ask God to forgive us. He is faithful to forgive us
every time, and He has given us the Holy Spirit to help us in each moment.
We trust that God will use this study to help you master your emotions.
If you enjoy it, please consider inviting others to go through it as well and
share the message with someone else who needs it.

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 To know Him is to
love Him. To love Him
is to trust Him. To trust
Him is to obey Him. And
to obey Him is to be
blessed by Him.
ADRIAN ROGERS
 WEEK 1

DO YOU HAVE DOUBTS?

INTRODUCTION

Doubt is to your spirit what pain is to your body. If you’re feeling pain, does
that mean you’re dead? No, it means you’re alive. Pain signals something’s
wrong with your body. Doubt signals something’s wrong in your spirit.
Neither pain nor doubt is good, but both are good warning signals.
You may believe that you are a Christian because you prayed a prayer or
were baptized as a child. You may assume you are going to Heaven because
you’ve been a good person, or because you were raised in a Christian home.
You might claim that you have faith in Christ, but when you are honest with
yourself, you realize that it’s a mask you wear. You might even know the
date and the place that you were saved, but you still doubt your salvation.
You might have been taught that people cannot know they are saved until
after they die and face judgment. Many people struggle with doubt and
question whether they can know for certain that they are saved.
This study is for those who are saved, but have strong, serious doubts,
and those who think they’re saved but never have been. You need to know.

PRAY OVER IT

Dear God, I confess that I have doubts and things that make me
question whether I am saved. These doubts keep me from fully living
the life You have for me. I want to know You more and the power of
Your salvation. Show me the truth about my eternal destiny. I know
that if I seek You, I will find You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

One of Satan’s favorite tricks is to get

your name on a church roll without
your ever having been born again.
ADRIAN ROGERS

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 D AY 1

THAT YOU MAY KNOW

PONDER IT

Do you know for sure that you’re saved? A million years from now, what
we’re studying here will still be important. Your eternal life is at stake. You
need to know for certain where you will spend eternity.
When you complete this study in John’s first letter to the churches, you
should be able to say, “I know.” John, one of Jesus’ disciples, wrote the Gospel
of John to evangelize the lost—to tell the world about Jesus. But he wrote
this epistle to encourage the saved. It’s his personal letter to the churches.

These things I have written to you who believe in the name of

the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life
and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of
God (1 John 5:13).

John wants you to have an assurance about your salvation, and he wrote
this so that you might know for sure that you are saved.
John is also acknowledging that it is possible to be saved and have
doubts. Doubts are a fact of life. They happen. John wanted to clear those
doubts up so you can face them and say, “I know my sins are forgiven,
Christ is in my heart, and Heaven is my home.”
When you struggle with doubt, you’re in good company. John’s need
to write this letter tells us two things: 1) you can be saved and doubt it,
and 2) you can be saved and know it. If you couldn’t doubt it, why would
John write “that we might know it?” John wants us to be saved and know it.

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PUT IT IN WRITING
■ If John felt the need to write this book to his audience of new
believers, what does that tell you?
■ Does John believe it’s possible for you to know whether you are
saved? Do you believe it’s possible for you to know?
■ Often doubts about your salvation arise after an unsettling event.
When do you doubt your salvation the most? What happens to
trigger those feelings? How do you handle those feelings?

Never doubt in the dark what God

has shown you in the light.
ADRIAN ROGERS

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 D AY 2

THE PROBLEM WITH DOUBT

PONDER IT

Almost all of us, at one time, have had a doubt about salvation. A woman
told the great evangelist Dwight L. Moody, “I’ve been saved 25 years and
never had a single doubt.” He said, “Madam, I doubt you’ve been saved.”
That’s like someone saying they’ve been married 50 years and never had
an argument. You might doubt that they’ve been married.
Some people say, “You shouldn’t give people the assurance of their
salvation. They’ll become careless, neglectful.” But this approach comes
from a place of fear about what will happen. God wants us to know so that
we can operate in faith in serving Him and in telling others about Jesus.
The assurance of your salvation is the base you work from, the
foundation you witness from, and the place from which you live out your
salvation. When you know your future is secure, you can focus on the
present. If you don’t know for sure that you are saved, how can you tell
others authentically about the Gospel? The assurance of your salvation
allows you to help fulfill the Great Commission.
We want to follow people who can say they know they believe. The
Apostle Paul was not ashamed of what he knew and this knowledge helped
him to endure suffering and to carry out his mission.

For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not

ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded
that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that
Day (2 Timothy 1:12).

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PUT IT IN WRITING
■ What are the doubts you have related to your salvation?
■ How have doubts limited your ability to do what God is calling you
to do?

Pray and doubt; you’ll do without.

Pray and believe; you will receive.
ADRIAN ROGERS

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 D AY 3

THE COMMANDMENT TEST

PONDER IT

John wants you not to hope, think, wish, or surmise, but to know you have
eternal life. John provides three tests so we can know.
The first is the Commandment Test. If you say you know Him but don’t
keep His commandments, John says you’re lying—plain and simple.

Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His

commandments. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep
His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But
whoever keeps His Word, truly the love of God is perfected in
him. By this we know that we are in Him (1 John 2:3-5).

John’s logic is impeccable. If I am in Christ and Christ is in me, I’m going

to walk as Jesus walks—Jesus keeps God’s commands.
On the other hand, how many Christians have kept every command of
God? The answer is: none of us. No one is perfect. Does that mean none
of us is saved? After all, John did say that if we know Him, we’re going to
keep His commandments. So what does John mean?
Keep is a mariner’s term that describes the sailor who sets his course
by focusing on the stars. This doesn’t mean he is never blown off course
or distracted. But the sailor’s goal, the controlling factor in his life, is to
navigate by the stars. John borrows the same word to explain that God’s
commandments are the standards by which believers order their lives.
We get a clearer understanding of the passage from an Amplified Version:

No one who abides in Him [who remains united in fellowship

with Him—deliberately, knowingly, and habitually] practices sin.
No one who habitually sins has seen Him or known Him. Little
children [believers, dear ones], do not let anyone lead you astray.
The one who practices righteousness [the one who strives to live
a consistently honorable life—in private as well as in public—and
to conform to God’s precepts] is righteous, just as He is righteous.

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 The one who practices sin [separating himself from God, and
offending Him by acts of disobedience, indifference, or rebellion]
is of the devil [and takes his inner character and moral values
from him, not God]; for the devil has sinned and violated God’s law
from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose,
to destroy the works of the devil. No one who is born of God
[deliberately, knowingly, and habitually] practices sin, because
God’s seed [His principle of life, the essence of His righteous
character] remains [permanently] in him [who is born again—who
is reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, and
set apart for His purpose]; and he [who is born again] cannot
habitually [live a life characterized by] sin, because he is born of
God and longs to please Him. By this the children of God and the
children of the devil are clearly identified: anyone who does not
practice righteousness [who does not seek God’s will in thought,
action, and purpose] is not of God, nor is the one who does not
[unselfishly] love his [believing] brother (1 John 3:6-10).

The person born of God does not habitually practice sin because he is
a partaker of the divine nature, which is holiness. We’re not saved because
we keep His commandments. We keep His commandments because we
are saved.

PUT IT IN WRITING
■ Is this passage suggesting that only people who have kept every
command of God can be saved?
■ What role do God’s commandments play in the life of a believer?

BONUS

If you think John is calling believers to sinless perfection,

listen to Pastor Rogers’ message Dealing with Doubt for a
deeper explanation.

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 D AY 4

THE COMPANION TEST

PONDER IT

The next benchmark for the child of God is our love for brothers and sisters
in the faith. People who are truly saved love their brothers and sisters in
Christ.

We know that we have passed from death to life because we love

the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death.
Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no
murderer has eternal life abiding in him (1 John 3:14-15).

If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar;

for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can
he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we
have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also
(1 John 4:20-21).

If you are saved, you love others, and you want to be right with your
fellow believers. You want to be with them and spend time with them. You
might say that you can worship God just as well without physically going
to church, but that is not true. Watching on television, listening by radio,
or following a service online are no substitute for being with the saints.
Going to church and being in fellowship with other believers is part
of your identity in Christ.
You go to church because of who you are as a Christian. The nature
of God is the nature of the Christian. God is love, so you must have love for
other people. If you love Jesus, you love the Church because God is love.

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone
who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love
does not know God, for God is love (1 John 4:7-8).

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 You go to church because of who your fellow believers are as the
body of Christ and the bride of Christ.

■ The Church is the body of Christ—Jesus is the head of the Church,

and believers are members of the body. The Church and Jesus are
not identical, but they are inseparable. You cannot say, “I love Jesus
Christ, but I don’t love His body, the Church.” If you love Christ,
you’re going to love what Christ loves, and Christ loves His Church,
His body.
■ The Church is the bride of Christ—What man doesn’t love his
bride? The Church is the bride of Christ. When you love and honor
the Church, you love and honor Jesus. When you neglect the
Church, you neglect Jesus.

Sometimes being a part of a church is difficult. Just like we get upset

and disagree with people in our families, we also disagree with people
at church. But even if we get upset, we still love each other because the
nature of God is in us and His nature is love. That’s one of the benchmarks
of being a true believer.

PUT IT IN WRITING
■ If you say that you love God, what else is also true about your life?
■ What does it look like to love your brother or sister? How do we
show our love for other believers?
■ What are the obstacles that have kept you from going to church?
What is God asking you to do regarding going to church?

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 D AY 5

THE COMMITMENT TEST

PONDER IT

Are you believing in Jesus Christ right now? The Bible word “believe” here
means commitment. But it’s more than acknowledging Jesus’ diety. It’s
trusting Him—committing to Him—for your salvation. The key is, are you
right now (present tense) believing in Jesus Christ for your salvation?

He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he

who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not
believed the testimony that God has given of His Son. And this
is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life
is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have
the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written
to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may
know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to
believe in the name of the Son of God (1 John 5:10-13).

John says this in the present tense: “These things have I written to you
who believe,” not “believed,” past tense. Nowhere does the Bible tell us to
look back on some experience for our assurance. The Bible doesn’t deal
with what happened to you in the past for your assurance.
Are you right now believing in Jesus Christ? Or are you trusting
something that happened in the past? If you did believe, you will still be
believing. If you are believing, you did believe. The proof is in the present
tense and what you believe today.
The same is true about commandment-keeping. He didn’t say “kept”
but “keeps” God’s commandments. Not “loved” but “loves” the brethren.
The proof is right now. Do you have faith, trust, and commitment to Jesus
Christ today?
Have you heard people say: if you can’t name the day, place, and hour
you were saved, you’re not saved? You’ve never read that in the Bible. If you
have a day, place, and hour, that’s wonderful. But the evidence it happened

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is still within you. John says, “He who now believes in the Son of God.” If
you believe today, you have the right to say you have eternal life.

PUT IT IN WRITING
■ According to this passage, what is true about the person who
believes in the Son of God? What is true about the person who
does not believe in the Son of God?
■ Are you looking to the past to find evidence of your salvation or
are you choosing to trust Him in the present? What does the Bible
say is important, your past belief or your present belief?
■ What is the difference between believing and trusting? Are you
believing in Jesus Christ for your salvation right now? If not, what
is keeping you from believing?

BONUS

Listen to Pastor Rogers’ message Dealing with Doubt for an

example of the difference between believing and trusting.

We’re not going to Heaven by the

“rocket of reason” or the “ladder of logic,”
but by the “railroad of redemption”—the
two rails of the old T & O—trust and obey.
ADRIAN ROGERS

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 D AY 6

YOU CAN KNOW TODAY

PRACTICE IT

Keeping God’s commandments and loving the brethren are not things you
do in order to be saved. They’re things you do because you are saved. If
you have strong reason to doubt your salvation, you can settle it today. If
you don’t have a strong reason to know you’re saved, you can know that
you are saved today by declaring Jesus as the Lord of your life.
Today is the day of salvation. You can pray this prayer:

Lord Jesus, I believe You are the Son of God. I commit my life to
You by faith and trust You once and for all, now and forever, as my
Lord and Savior. I invite You into my heart and into my life. Amen.

If you want to know you are saved, consider your answers to these
three questions today.

■ Are you committed to obeying the commandments of Jesus Christ?

■ Does your heart overflow with love for other people, including
those in the Church?
■ Do you have confidence, faith, and commitment to Jesus Christ as
the Lord of your life?

If the answer is yes, then you can know that you are saved. Stop
doubting and believe!

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 PROCL AIM IT

If you accepted God’s gift of salvation for the first time, please share your
decision with another Christian you know or with your pastor. We would
also like to hear about it, so that we can provide you with free resources
to help you grow in your new faith. Please let us know by going to lwf.org/
discover-jesus, scrolling down the page and clicking on I Believe.
Who is one person who needs to know what you have learned and
studied here? Maybe you need to tell someone close to you who has been
praying for you about your decision to believe. Maybe you need to tell
someone who is doubting his or her salvation what you have heard today.
Maybe you need to share this good news with someone who does not
believe. Whatever action the Holy Spirit is prompting you to take, walk in
obedience and do not delay.

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