Stress or Rest?

Stu Weber is a pastor and author. During the Vietnam War, he served as a Group Intelligence Operations Officer in the Special Forces (United States Army) in Vietnam and received three bronze stars. In his bestselling book, Tender Warrior, he shares this valuable truth about the necessity of Connection.

The war in Vietnam was building to its peak. One stop for young army officers was the U.S. Army Ranger School at Fort Benning, GA. The sergeant said many wouldn’t make the grade. It was just too tough. He was right. Of the 287 in the formation that day, only 110 finished the nine weeks. Some of those recruits say they can still hear that raspy voice cutting through the morning humidity like a serrated blade.

“We are here to save your lives,” he preached. “We’re going to see to it that you overcome all your natural fears, especially of heights and water. We’re going to show you just how much incredible stress the human mind and body can endure. And when we’re finished with you, you will be the U.S. Army’s best.”

Then, before he dismissed the formation, the hardened Ranger sergeant announced their first assignment. They readied themselves for something really tough: running 10 miles in full battle gear or rappelling down a sheer cliff. But the order came as a huge surprise. He told them to find a buddy. Some of those tough army recruits would have preferred the cliff.

“This is step one,” he growled. “You need to find yourself a Ranger buddy.

You will stick together.

You will never leave each other.

You will encourage each other.

And, if necessary, you will carry each other.”

This was the Army’s way of saying that difficult assignments require a friend. Together is better. Sometimes, we forget that simple truth. Jesus knew it. He sent His apostles out two by two. Because they could not do it alone. Paul knew it. He instructed the Christians to carry one another’s burdens. He knew that going through this battle alone was nearly impossible.

This Sunday we will consider the problem of Stress. Check out this dramatic statistic.

One survey found almost 75% feel they have “great stress” one day a week with 1 out of 3 indicating they feel this way more than twice a week. It has been estimated that 75-90% of all visits to primary care physicians are for stress-related problems.

Jesus gives us this amazing invitation, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Give Him your stress and let Him give you His peace and rest. What a trade!

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This Sunday, November 9, we will continue our series, “Tackling the Tough Stuff!”, with the essential topic of “When the Blessed are Stressed!” from Matthew 11:28-30. Don’t live in stress; live in peace and rest! Please invite someone to join you in the building or online for the Live broadcast on either Facebook (Honolulu AG) or our YouTube channel (Honolulu Assembly of God). We Livestream every Sunday to both locations and would love to have you join us!

For those who are interested in Water Baptism, mark the date November 16 on your calendar. After the worship service that day, we will head to the beach and celebrate those who are following Jesus in this important step of obedience. Would you like to be part of it?

Our 2025 Thanksgiving Celebration and Lunch will take place on Sunday, November 23. Turkeys are provided by the church, so bring your favorite side dishes (mashed potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole, salad, dessert, and more) to add to the table. Come with a heart filled with gratitude to the Lord; He deserves all thanks and praise!

Aloha ke Akua!