I've Got Anger Issues | Joon Tavarez | Sermon Notes — Hello Pastor

Sermon Notes

I've Got Anger Issues

Radiant Church • Jun 14, 2026 • 32 min

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Take this message with you through a journey of Scripture, reflection, and prayer.

Summary

Anger is an extremely powerful emotion that, if left unchecked, can quickly cause devastating damage to our relationships, peace, and spiritual witness. Rather than suppressing anger or reacting impulsively in human frustration, God invites believers to surrender their emotions to the Holy Spirit. By taking time to slow down, talking to God in honest prayer before venting to others, and testing whether our anger is selfish or righteous, we can allow the Lord to guide our responses with Christlike wisdom and compassion.

Themes

Surrender to the Holy SpiritEmotional ControlPrayer and Honesty with GodRighteous vs. Selfish AngerBiblical Wisdom

Pastor's Points

1.

Take it slow

2.

Talk to God

3.

Test the anger

Key Points

1.
Take it slow: Wisdom slows down when anger moves fast, preventing impulsive reactions that create lasting regret.
2.
Talk to God: Pour out your heart and express your frustrations to the Lord in prayer before bringing your anger to other people.
3.
Test the anger: Examine whether your anger is selfish and prideful or righteous and grieved by what breaks God's heart.
4.
God's answer to handling powerful emotions is not self-reliance or suppression, but surrendering control to the Holy Spirit.
5.
Unchecked anger can take small offenses and make them destructive, damaging friendships, marriages, peace, and spiritual witness.
6.
Your greatest strength is not found in how fast you react to an offense, but in how surrendered you remain to God.
7.
Processing emotional pain with people through complaining or venting often fuels anger, whereas taking it to God changes your heart and perspective.

Sermon Moments

“A fire in a fireplace warms a home, but out of control, it burns the house down—anger is similarly a powerful force that causes destruction when left unchecked.”

“Abraham Lincoln wrote heated letters when angry, folded them up, and marked them 'never sent, never signed,' proving that the first thing we want to say is rarely the best thing to say.”

“Sometimes the holiest button on your phone is not send, but delete.”

“Your southern accent and fruit of the Spirit magically appear in the Chick-fil-A drive-thru line, proving we are often more capable of controlling our emotions than we realize.”

“If you don't talk to God about your anger, you'll eventually take it out on people.”

“Righteous anger says, 'This breaks God's heart; this hurts people,' and moves us toward active compassion, mercy, and Christlike love.”

This Week

Pause and take time to slow down before reacting when you feel anger rising in a difficult conversation or situation.

When tempted to send a heated text message, email, or social media post, save it as a draft or delete it instead of sending it immediately.

Bring your pain, offense, and anger directly to God in prayer before venting or complaining to other people.

Test your anger by asking yourself whether it stems from personal pride and selfish desire or from righteous concern for what breaks God's heart.

Channel righteous anger over sin, injustice, or suffering into compassionate action, mercy, and helpful solutions.

Surrender your emotions and desire for control to the Holy Spirit rather than relying on human suppression or impulsive outbursts.

If you feel resentment or frustration toward God over a past hardship, confess your feelings honestly to Him and ask Him to restore your peace and trust in His goodness.

Remember This

God's remedy for anger is surrender rather than suppression, calling believers to slow down, pray first, and test their anger so that their responses produce Christlike healing instead of harm.

A Challenge for You

Come to the Lord with your anger and surrender it to Him. If you have been angry at God over a past loss or hardship, repent before Him, acknowledge His love and good plan for your life, and allow Him to replace your frustration with His peace and joy.

These are personal sermon notes shared to help you remember the message — not a replacement for Scripture, your church, or your pastors.