From this morning's school assembly (I'll adapt it for tomorrow's open air preach)
* Imagine your "friend" locks you in their basement. For a "laugh". To begin with, how do you feel?
* BRISTLING (hold up hair brush). Annoyed! You feel agitated. This is the first stage of anger. We usually won't admit that we're angry at this point. We say "I'm not angry, I'm just... " how do you finish that sentence? Frustrated. Annoyed. Ticked off.
* Well imagine you're locked in for a couple of hours. And The Only Way is Essex is starting in 5 minutes. How do you feel?
* HOT WITH ANGER (hold up hot water bottle). Molten lava runs through your veins. You have so much anger it gives you energy. You could run a marathon on this anger. It courses through you. But imagine you stay locked in the basement for days and then weeks. What happens then?
* FROZEN ANGER (hold up freezer pack). You still want to get out, you're still angry, but it's frozen. You don't think you'll ever get out, so you give up. You slump down in depression. You know some psychologists call some kinds of depression "frozen rage." Is that you? Or do you bristle, or do you go hot? What should we do?
* James 4:1 - What causes quarrels out there? Battles in here. The problem is my desires. Our desires are at war.
* (Remote control) do you ever spend hours in front of the TV surfing channels? Why? Because nothing satisfies. Not because the problem is with TV, the problem is with us. There is nothing on earth that can satisfy our demanding, dark, deceitful hearts. Why?
* Jeremiah 2:13 - We have forsaken the LORD the Fountain of Living Waters and instead dig broken wells that can't hold water. When my well starts to dry up I BRISTLE. When you block me from my well I am HOT WITH ANGER. When the water is all gone and I'm left with a mouthful of mud I have FROZEN ANGER. What's the answer?
* Let your anger diagnose your desires. Then look it in the eye and realize what a pathetic broken well it is. Return to the LORD who is a Fountain of Living Waters.
* John 7:38f - Jesus has a satisfation that won't run out. Every other desire gets blocked by death. Jesus gets through death and offers life without a "Use By" date. Go to Him and tell Him you're sorry for digging useless wells. And ask Him for His Holy Spirit.
* We all get angry, but let your anger be like the thermostat. When the temperature rises (or falls into frozen rage) let it show you where you are digging broken wells, and turn again to Jesus:
“If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” 39 By this he meant the Spirit. (John 7:37-39)