Video Transition: Welcome to Church – What has the church done for others and community?
Welcome: Today is National Back to Church Sunday – Sadly, some churches cannot meet today due to Governors rules about Covid for example in California the church cannot meet inside, but we are thankful that we can meet inside today. In light of this are you grateful you can come to church today and seek to connect with the Lord? The church is essential in the life of any nation or person – just read church history – it was essential for the founders of this country and looked at as crucial in playing a key role in the birth and the life of this country – So in spite of what the Supreme Court says today and some Governors say or have said. In God ‘s eyes and in the eyes of the Bible church plays a crucial and vital role in the life of people and communities. We saw this truth revealed in our video today.
So welcome back to church!
As we prayed and talked about our topic for today as a staff, we decided that we needed to look at the importance of our faith which enables us to overcome our fears. Even though church is open for many people there are still a lot of people fearful in going to church because of Covid. It’s not an understatement to say this– We live in a pandemic of fear which is crippling a lot of people’s lives, impacting jobs, businesses, many families lives, education, mental health and spiritual development. So, we have decided to talk about how our faith can enable us to overcome our fears – the Bible says our faith can empower us to overcome our fears – the fear of Covid, the fear of riots and looting, the fear of racism, the fear of police brutality and the fear of political dissension.
So, let’s look into the subject of faith over fear!
Series: Breakthrough with faith over fear
Scripture Text:
Psalm 34 – Written by David addressing the subject of fear (Background on David).
1I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.
2My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
3Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together.
4I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.
5Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.
6This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles.
7The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.
8Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
T.S. - David exhorts us and reminds us that our faith in the Lord – which is centered in on our relationship with Jesus will deliver us from all of our fears! Have you discovered this in your life? Would you like to discover this in your own life?
Sermon: Faith over Fear for the breakthrough!
Thesis: Faith is the key component that helps us overcome our fears – if we have no faith then fear seems to rule in our faithless lives – but strong faith helps us to have no fear! A strong faith (or a relationship with Jesus ) will empower us to overcome our fears!
Introduction:
Opening thought: Has anyone here today ever been scared or filled with fear? Has anyone ever been literally - paralyzed by fear - unable to take another step or move because of fear? No seriously – does something or a point in time come to mind when I ask those questions about fear?
When Kathy and I first started dating we soon discovered that we each had a few phobias or fears.
• The Ferris wheel incident with Kathy and I and Bobby Joe and Josephine.
o Kathy and I were out on a date – actually - one of our first dates and we double dated with friends of mine and we went to a fair – we were walking around the fair enjoying the games and stuff and we came upon the Ferris wheel – so I suggested we go up on it - Kathy seemed hesitant at first but I encouraged her it would be fun – so on we went the four of us and just a few times around the wheel we ended up getting stuck at the top of the wheel – this sent fear into Kathy and – up to this point I felt I was dating a very funny laid back cute looking girl – with no cares in the world – but in that moment on the top of the Ferris wheel she screamed down to the controller – Heh - you get me down now! He looked up in fear and gripped that controller and he brought her down immediately – that’s when I learned my new hot laid back – funny girlfriend was afraid of heights.
• The cave incident with Kathy and I and the crying little boy.
o Now to be fair it was not long after this event that we got married and we went out to New Hampshire for a vacation/honeymoon and to meet a lot of her relatives. So one day she really wanted to go explore some caves and I must admit I was not excited. Because as a 12 year old boy in Boy scouts we had spent a day in cave which had a cave in, we got lost a few times and I then became fearful of tight places from the day. Yes, in my mind I had become fearful of closed in places - So, I was not very excited to go cave exploring – but I was the muscular seemingly fearless - macho husband and I told myself I could do this – so for an hour we toured the caves and I was winning the battle of claustrophobia. She had no clue to my fear. We came to a point in the cave that required you to crawl through a hole about 3 feet by 3 feet and it went around a corner so you could not see the light at the end of it – I tried several times I could not do it – fear gripped me – paralyzed me – Kathy zipped right through but Mike could not do it even after several attempts – I finally said I am doing it and then a young family came behind me – so I let them go ahead with their little boy – he screamed bloody murder all the way through the tunnel to the point I said, “There is no way I am doing this!” And I crawled out of cave and went around this point in the cave tour – it bothered me all day – she said it’s no big deal but it was a big deal to me – my fear won! I hated that I had let my fear win and Kathy now knew I had a chink in my armor! He was afraid of tight places!
? The truth is I have been afraid of tight places since my boyhood experience. I had prayed to God to help deliver me from my fear of tight places many times so he literally gave me a job working at Urban Coalition which was a Government weatherization program and guess what we had to do? Yes, we had to crawl in tight quarters to insulate attics and crawl spaces under houses and many of us on the team had this struggle with very tight places and claustrophobia . We all took turns doing the dreaded tasks. I prayed many times for God to give me the strength to overcome my fear and in every experience I completed the job, I learned my faith was helping me overcome my fear – but it was always a battle and is still a battle.
? So I have had to battle this real fear and or perceived fear from time to time especially when I have had to have MRI’s - I had to go through them for different issues but in each case I prayed and asked the Lord for help and courage to over come my fear – The 1st MRI was the worst it’s was the old kind of MRI which was like being in a coffin! But the Lord helped me do it! Just recently about a year ago I had one done on both of my shoulders which was a real fear challenge – because your face is right in the machine it was driving me crazy and I finally asked to come out – The MRI operator let me out – I was mad at myself again and she heard me say, “Lord help me do this!” – and luckily - I had a MRI operator who was a Christian and she said are you a Christian? I said yes! Then she said are you a pastor? – I said yes! – She then said, “The Lord can help you do this pastor!” – so I prayed she put on Christian music and a hour and a half later I had finished the extensive MRI on my shoulders. Once again victory over fear!
• It felt good to defeat the fear with my faith!
• You can come to your own conclusions on my experiences of overcoming my fears with faith but I know God helped me overcome my fear with my faith.
• I can say it’s not just relevant in phobias but it works in life too – like giving up a good job to go back to Bible school – Like taking a church and new job that I knew would not pay my bills and trusting the Lord to pay my bills. Yes, the list could go on and on.
• The point is faith does help you overcome your fears if you allow it to do so.
Point to highlight: The Truth is - Fear – it’s real – it’s in and out there – would you agree with me? Question can you relate to my fear filled stories? How many here today want to overcome fear in their life? Can you shout with me ”Fear no more!”
Well, we’re all in blessed position today because we are talking about Faith over Fear and fear is something the Bible has an awful lot to say about. In fact, the command, “fear not” appears in one form or another 365 times from Genesis to Revelation. That’s one statement on fear every day of the year by the way. It is specifically given to dozens of different individuals, to communities, and to believers in a variety of circumstances. It’s abundantly clear that God doesn’t want His people to live in fear. To put it another way, we’ve been given a different, fear not, exhortation or insight for every single day of the year. With such a clear daily prescription from the Creator of the Universe, why do we so often respond to circumstances in life with fear?
What can we do about this and is there a better way to face our fears? How can we fear not in a society filled with fear filled pandemics?
When chaos breaks out all around us its essential that Christians maintain an inner peace and an equilibrium. In times like we face today of worldwide pandemics, social upheaval, and political dissension we need our faith to rise above our fears and assist others in doing the same.
I want to make it clear that the challenges and trials we are facing today are not new to the Church and to the Body of Christ all you need to do is read the books of Acts. Our spiritual ancestors in the faith faced similar threats to ours, with illness, political dissension, and social upheaval. Outwardly persecuted, the truth is many were externally persecuted by governing authorities and by antagonistic pagan cultures yet overcame their fears with faith. Internally, their unity was threatened by racial animosity and social-class distinctions within the church but faith enabled them to overcome their fears. Our current challenges of Covid, social dissension and political division are new to us but not new to Christianity and the Church.
Max Lucado has a great quote from his book Fearless about the pandemic of fear crippling our nation:
Anxiety and fear are cousins but not twins. Fear sees a threat. Anxiety imagines one. Fear screams, Get out! Anxiety ponders, What if? Fear results in fight or flight. Anxiety creates doom and gloom. Fear is the pulse that pounds when you see a coiled rattlesnake in your front yard. Anxiety is the voice that tells you, Never, ever, for the rest of your life, walk barefooted through the grass. There might be a snake . . . somewhere. (Lucado, Max. Less Fret, More Faith (pp. vii-viii). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.)
Anxiety takes our breath, for sure. If only that were all it took. It also takes our sleep. Our energy. Our well-being. “Do not fret,” wrote the psalmist, “it only causes harm” (Ps. 37:8). Harm to our necks, jaws, backs, and bowels. Anxiety can twist us into emotional pretzels. It can make our eyes twitch, blood pressure rise, heads ache, and armpits sweat. To see the consequences of anxiety, just read about half the ailments in a medical textbook. Anxiety isn’t fun…
…According to the National Institute of Mental Health, anxiety disorders are reaching epidemic proportions. In a given year nearly fifty million Americans will feel the effects of a panic attack, phobias, or other anxiety disorders. Our chests will tighten. We’ll feel dizzy and light-headed. We’ll fear crowds and avoid people. Anxiety disorders in the United States are the “number one mental health problem among . . . women and are second only to alcohol and drug abuse among men.” “The United States is now the most anxious nation in the world.” (Congratulations to us!) Lucado, Max. Less Fret, More Faith (pp. viii-x). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.
Max also notes this thought, But “Jesus’ most common command emerges from the ‘fear not’ genre, The Gospels list some 125 Christ-issued imperatives. Of these, 21 urge us to ‘not be afraid’ or ‘not fear’ or ‘have courage’ or ‘take heart’ or ‘be of good cheer.’” The second most common command, to love God and neighbor, appears on only eight occasions. If quantity is any indicator, Jesus takes our fears seriously. The one statement he made more than any other was this: Don’t be afraid.”
So why are so many of us afraid? Living in fear? Paralyzed by fear? Allowing fear to rule our days?
I. The problem I see comes from us allowing fear to overcome our faith – The Bible does support this premise of mine over and over in many stories and teachings: Fear will do the following in our lives if left unchecked by faith!
a. The truth is fear releases the tyrant from within if faith is not there to stop it!
i. Illustration: Story from Martin Niemoller – He was German pastor who took a heroic stand against Adolf Hitler: He said when he first met Hitler in 1933 he stood back in the room and listened to the dictator. Later that day he told his wife what he had learned about Hitler – he said, “I discovered that Herr Hitler is a terribly frightened man.” “Fear rules his life and outlook on life!”
I. The truth is fear releases the tyrant from within as we have looked at the life of Hitler! Did you know that? Do you believe that?
b. Fear will erode our faith in God and our faith in others!
i. Fear never trusts anyone or anything! It cannot it is designed not to trust!
c. Fear is always unwilling to share space with happiness – peace – and one or the other will control your heart and mind.
i. One article said, “The pandemic of fear has caused ordinary children today to be more fearful than psychiatric patients in the 1950’s.”
I. Do you see the impact of fear on our nation today – especially in our kids?
d. I read this years ago cannot remember were, but the thought was this, “Fear never wrote a symphony or poem, negotiated a peace treaty or cured a disease. Yet faith has done this numerous times!”
i. I think this quote shows the power of faith over fear!
e. The problem with most fears is that they are not from God!
i. Yes, there is healthy fears – the fear of God is good for you – the fear of gravity keeps you from jumping off buildings!
ii. Sermoncentral.com notes in their series “Fear Not” the following:
I. But unhealthy fear can paralyze and stagnate you, and this is not God’s heart for you. As Paul explains in 2 Timothy 1:7, “...God did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” God wants you to grow in relationship with Him, with your local church, in your relationships with other believers, and ultimately in faith. This journey is often called the process of sanctification and is described frequently throughout the New Testament. In his first letter to the church at Thessalonica Paul says, “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified…” (1 Thessalonians 4:3) And in his letter to the church in Jerusalem, James says:
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4)
a. God wants us to persevere, to finish the race so that we will be mature and complete, not lacking anything. This process can be a costly one, and there are many potential problems and obstacles that could incite a fear filled life.
f. We have an example of Jesus in Matthew 8:26 talking about faith and fear – He explains why many of us fall into fear – Jesus said, “Why are you fearful. O you of little faith?” to his disciples in the bost filled with fear!
i. What a good question from Jesus to the terrified disciples in the boat: The context of our story is found in Matthew 8:23-27: Let’s review it!
I. Jesus Calms the Storm: 23 And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. 24And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. 25And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” 26And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. 27And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”
a. Max Lucado notes this about our biblical story: Now here is a scene for a movie – The disciples scream; Jesus dreams. Thunder roars; Jesus snores. He doesn’t doze, catnap, or rest. He slumbers. Could you sleep at a time like this? Could you snooze during a roller coaster loop-the-loop? In a wind tunnel? At a kettledrum concert? Jesus sleeps through all three at once! (Lucado Fearless, Page 8)
b. Wow – Jesus was a great sleeper – he could sleep in a storm while water is spilling all over him! Now that is living and sleeping without any fear! Would you agree?
i. But the point of this bible passage to me reveals once again the importance of having faith over fear!
1. Jesus had faith over fear and he spent many years teaching his disciples to also have faith over fear.
T.S. – Let’s look at another scenario from the Bible showing the importance of faith over fear.
II. The blessings that come from allowing faith to overcome our fear:
a. Daniel 3 - Video Illustration from Daniel
i. Daniel 3: Nebuchadnezzar’s Golden Image and fiery furnace
I. 1King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its breadth six cubits. He set it up on the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. 2Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent to gather the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 3Then the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. And they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 4And the herald proclaimed aloud, “You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, 5that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6And whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace.” 7Therefore, as soon as all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, all the peoples, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
The Fiery Furnace:
8Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and maliciously accused the Jews. 9They declared to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever! 10You, O king, have made a decree, that every man who hears the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image. 11And whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into a burning fiery furnace. 12There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, pay no attention to you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” 13Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought. So, they brought these men before the king. 14Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them, “Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up? 15Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?” 16Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” 19Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury, and the expression of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was usually heated. 20And he ordered some of the mighty men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. 21Then these men were bound in their cloaks, their tunics, their hats, and their other garments, and they were thrown into the burning fiery furnace. 22Because the king’s order was urgent and the furnace overheated, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 23And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell bound into the burning fiery furnace. 24Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” 25He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.” 26Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. 27And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them. 28Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God. 29Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way.” 30Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.
ii. We learn from these three Hebrew men of faith the blessings that flow from allowing faith to overcome fear:
I. God shows up in our life situation or circumstance.
II. We experience a miracle moment with the Lord.
III. We grow deeper in our relationship with the Lord.
a. Would your faith have overcome your fear if you were in this situation? (Note the following thoughts and excerpts from sermoncentral.com outline “Fear Not)
IV. We get recognized by others as being in a relationship with the one true God.
V. We get promoted as a result of our faith over fear stand.
VI. We discover that faith has a proper place in our life!
VII. We discover that fear has a proper place and it's always in the hands of God!
a. Thought to ponder - Many of us don’t ever stop to think about how we hold onto fear (and anxiety) throughout the day instead of immediately giving it all back to God. We dwell on it fret over it and let it torment us.
i. We need to be encouraged in observing the three Hebrews and Daniel that it is possible to live free from fear and anxiety.
1. God will enable our faith to defeat our fears and we let Him do so!
b. The challenge we need to put into action: “ We need to be aware of our response to difficult or adverse situations and adjust as needed to have a more faithful response and breakthrough!”
i. But the reality check is: “For many of us fear and anxiety are ever-ready responses to the troubles of this life. It’s so deeply ingrained in our thinking that you could say fear has become a habit for most of us. The good news is that like any other habit, you can develop new ones in place of the old.”
1. Sermoncentral.com “Fear Not”
VIII. Once again if we look into the Bilble we discover insight on how to overcome fear with faith:
a. Paul at the end of his letter to the Philippian church gives numerous exhortations - instructions, specifically there are 2 verses in particular that are important today for us to see and hear.
i. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
IX. Please let me say it again you can be freed of fear and it’s cohort anxiety! You really can with God’s help. The following from sermoncentral.com series “Fear Not”:
a. We soon learn from observation that fear and anxiety are intertwined together. They are connected – seared to each other.
b. We can ask ourselves, “Is living a life completely free from all fear and anxiety sound too good to be true?” Does it to you?
i. Sermoncentral.com states, “Paul sounds delusional when he says, “Do not be anxious about anything…” Has Paul ever seen rush hour traffic, or had a mortgage to pay? Has he ever lived with social media, healthcare deductibles, or had his credit card accounts hacked? (has he watched the news?) He doesn’t have any idea how difficult and troublesome it is to live today! (he had no news back then to scare him!) While it’s true that Paul lived in a very different time and experienced life in very different ways than we do today, it’s also true that He just might know what he’s talking about. (he did experience fear filled moments) He says, “Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, (Have you ever had a fear of sharks?) I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.” - 2 Corinthians 11:24-28”
1. Wow - the man had fear encounters greater than most of us have ever had – but His faith helped him overcome his fears!
2. The truth is Paul experienced trials and tribulations (fear filled times) just like we do.
a. He’s too has had ample opportunity to be scared out of his mind and to work through his fear and anxiety.
b. He says, “...I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation.” (Philippians 4:11-12)
ii. Question: What if Paul knew the secret to living a life free from fear and anxiety? Wouldn’t you want to know how he did?
1. Paul gave his fears to God with faith!
a. This may sound too simple or a trivial Christian point. But it does work!
b. I know it feels like the answer should be more complicated for such a complex and destructive problem. But I also know it’s true from my life experience.
c. Can I have a show of hands from others who can attest to what I saying works?
2. The secret that Paul learned from Jesus about fear, was anxiety, and worry belong in the hands of God - not in his hands.
a. Please hear me - It’s not that fear, anxiety, worry, doubt, don’t exist, it's that they have a proper place.
b. Sermoncentral.com states it well: “THE DIFFICULTY of course is developing the habit in which you place those troublesome situations and circumstances in the hands of God INSTEAD OF holding onto them yourself.”
c. When we learn to allow our faith to overcome our fears then we can expect peace in the storm.
i. Sermoncentral.com notes: “As you pray through fear, trouble, adversity, etc.… make sure that you simultaneously hold the expectation that God will come through on His end of the deal. I cannot logically explain, “peace that transcends all understanding,” but I can tell you that I believe it’s possible. And I can tell you, it’s amazing.
1. Later on in Philippians after Paul says he has learned the secret to being content in every situation he says, “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13) Paul knows what we need to know; that in the hands of God through the power of Christ, anything is possible.
Conclusion:
What do we need to know from this message?
I know that there are some here today who have their doubts about faith over fear and it’s power. I know that there are some who are facing impossible situations, horrible storms, terrifying medical diagnoses, and severe adversity. I know that a life free from fear and anxiety seems completely ludicrous to you. All I can ask is that you commit this coming week to developing a more faith-filled response in every circumstance and situation that wants you to respond in fear .
Why do we need to know the truth Faith can defeat our fear?
A faith filled response to fear will cast away the fear and the more we learn to respond this way to fear – the more we will see the breakthroughs happen! It’s not all on us – we need to pray and ask God to help us – Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to empower us in this element of life. So go ask for His help to overcomes your fears!
What do we need to do?
Sermoncentral.com notes, “The difficulty is developing the habit in which you place those troublesome situations and circumstances into the hands of God. Let’s commit together this coming week to changing our habits by letting go of fear, anxiety, worry, etc. and expecting a divine peace that transcends understanding. Specifically, we suggest you take time every morning to write out a few prayers asking for God’s help over fear. Begin and end your prayer with gratitude, name your request to the Lord, and trust the process. Throughout the day, as trouble comes, practice the same thing by audibly thanking God and naming your request to Him. I trust that these small steps will lead to big breakthroughs for you over time.”
Why do we need to do this?
There is so much unhealthy fear in our world today crippling people’s lives. But it’s time we as believers recognize it and start putting it all in its proper place; Jesus is the fear buster if we allow Him to be – try it what do you got lose but fear.
Closing prayer and or altar call - “Lord, we need your help and guidance through the many trials and troubles we face in life. Give us the strength to respond in faith, with gratitude and thanksgiving, no matter what situation we are in.” “Lord help our faith in you empower us to overcome and bust our fears away!”
