The Sermon The Fear Factor by Terri Rummel
Jul 05, 2015
The Fear Factor (31:53)
Referenced Scriptures: Genesis 3:8-10; Joshua 1:6-9; Exodus 23:30
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Fear - Emotion of dread or alarm from danger timidity
Afraid - Be fearful or apprehensive about an unwanted or uncertain situation
"Fear will always work against us"
"Faith will always work for us"
Ways To Overcome Fear
- Decide to face it
- Pray for strength, peace
- Magnify God
- Read, write and confess scripture
- Practice walking in faith: Do it afraid
The scriptures below are from the WEB Bible.
Genesis 3:8-10
8) They heard the voice of Yahweh God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Yahweh God among the trees of the garden.
9) Yahweh God called to the man, and said to him, "Where are you?"
10) The man said, "I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself."
Joshua 1:6-9
6) Be strong and of good courage; for you shall cause this people to inherit the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.
7) Only be strong and very courageous, to observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded you: don‘t turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.
8) This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate thereon day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success.
9) Haven‘t I commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; don‘t be afraid, neither be dismayed: for Yahweh your God is with you wherever you go.
Exodus 23:30
30) Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased and inherit the land.
The WEB Bible is provided by Public Domain.
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This is a machine transcript of the sermon. It won't be completely accurate of what's said in the sermon.
OK today I would like to bring a message forth that something that guy's been dealing with me personally for a good while now and I just felt led to share some things about fear. My lesson today is that kind O. is the fear factor. Can you hear me how's that better better better. OK OK so the le is the fear factor. Now first I read the definition of fear. Now there's two types of fear in the Bible mentioned there's fear which is a reverential profound part of which is a good fear because that's honoring But the other meaning of fear is an emotion of dread or alarm from danger. And also it's timidity and that is a root word afraid is from that root word fear and the word afraid means be fearful or apprehensive about unwanted or uncertain situations and I think we can all say that we have fear in one area or more in our life at one time or another. The reason that I felt led to do this is because I realized the floor was speaking to me about a year ago how I really allowed fear to control so many areas in my life whether it be real fear that is something like you're facing a real situation or it's in my mind it is fear is not really it's False Evidence Appearing Real. And that's where a lot of things can make or break how you look at life and I know we have fears and some people have phobias. Some people have fear of heights or bugs or whatever. That's a different kind of fear that I wanted to talk about today. The unknown areas of our life can cause fear. And that's where I always walk. And I'm not going to say always walk now because that's the present thing. I know that 's helping me to deal with that situation that I am walking more free from that area. And that's with the help of because I even as I was younger feared would always keep me from doing something new trying something. And it's in when you continue walking that way in your life allowing fear and these thoughts of not being able to do something or I don't know or even traveling to another area or flying all these things will keep you frozen in place in your life if you allow them. And if you allow that fear at the beginning of your life when you're young to continue to grow and add on to that and grow an add on to the insecurities fear is related to insecurities in life and I can vouch for that because if you're insecure about yourself right there's a base foundation for fear to grow. So we have fears of those things like new areas maybe a new job going to school. Maybe it's a challenge because it's something scary to you because you don't feel like you're smart enough or maybe it's marriage work commitment to having it parenting leadership skills in all these places in your life. There are so many I can list tons of them but I won't go there. Just think of some of those areas in your own. Life where you may have had to step out of your comfort zone of your familiar place in your life to take on a new phase in your life. We're always growing as people as Christians we're growing physically older we're growing spiritually and hopefully maturing that way more as we get older that we're also going from one phase of our life of one fear to something new and challenging at every stage of your life. Now I wouldn't think I would've thought about getting older. So now I'm older you know or like things like that that don't enter your mind when your kid when you're a kid everything's free or whatever do whatever. No worries that then when you have responsibilities having a job supporting your family raising your kids you know all those things. World events terrorism all these things can cause so much fear in our lives that it can paralyze us to not move forward and walk in our faith. There's the fear of failure. There's the fear of always making mistakes. So what do we do we don't do anything or we don't want to lose control of our situation so we don't give up control that way we can keep tabs on everything in our life. So it's a nice little box so that nothing interferes with our comfort area. How about relationships. I thought of a lot of the relational areas. Intimacy with and with other people. It's interesting that the first place in the Bible that fear's mention is in Genesis chapter three verse eight through ten. And if we read that. Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord as he was walking in the garden in the course of the day and they hid from the Lord among the trees of the garden. But the Lord called to them and where are you. He answered I heard you in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked so I hid and that's the first place in the Bible talks about Adam and Eve they hid from before that they had a great intimate relationship with They walk with Him daily every day in the garden. Everything was good that when this obedience came in and sin entered a world all the sudden that intimacy of closeness separated and there was fear of and they knew they were naked before that that wasn't an issue. So we have the fear of there and don't we sometimes when even before we are saved or even at times now when we feel like we are afraid to approach because maybe there is an area in our life or we rebel against or we have sin in our life that maybe keeps us from approaching him because we feel like he's not gonna ever love us again or forgive us. But those things are false. Those are not true that Satan can make you believe that that is true. We have trashed trust issues with relationships fear of commitment. Too many people don't make commitments in relationships with other people because they've been hurt before or they just don't want to deal with having something happen that they can't control. Then there's the fear of man. Fear of man is wondering what if what others are going to think. You know that can encounter like a lot of areas in our life. Even just open openly wars. Should being is some areas where were fearful were afraid. I walked in that a long time too. It took me years because I felt like I love you so much but I couldn't even my hands up this their love you worship time and it's like trying to like weights but I really prayed about that because I felt like I can't really worry about what other people think because My Love for The Lord is stronger more worthy than what people think. Stepping out in your gifts has there ever been a time when was telling you to go lay hands on someone and pray for that person you like him to want to do that. What if I don't pray right. Well if I don't say the right things I don't know I'm not a leader I'm not a deacon or I'm not a pastor or it doesn't matter if guy was laying something on your heart. I'm not saying these things to be because I'm been there done that and I'm you know there's so many times I've done that and I wish and Windom done it one time I was led to tell someone something that I really felt like during a service one time I really felt was telling me to tell this person and I never met this person before. So OK we're used to seeing each other here in church and we know each other. Think of this situation. So when you're sitting beside you never met them before. Worship times over. And guys laying it on your heart so strong you need to tell this person this comes like no I'm not going to tell or what you think you know if you can you hear what she going to think of me I don't know I don't know what I'm doing. I made up so many excuses that I felt worse as the time was going in my head. Finally I said Lord if it's you you've got to give me the strength to do it and just. Do it and say what I need to say to her. So after worship and I took her aside and I told her what the Lord told me. She started to cry because she said I can't believe you're saying that because I've been praying about see if we would just allow to use us even when we are afraid just materialize because I didn't believe and not to trust them right away. So you gotta pray it through and do it anyway. OK Another area in relationships is confrontation which I'm sure none of us like I hated. But there are times when we need to confront people issues things what's going on what kind of parent will we be if we didn't confront our kids when they were doing wrong that would lead to their spiritual walk or their their safety if we wouldn't say hey this is wrong we need to do something. Sometimes are too afraid to confront our own kids. It's easy when they're little. Hey you do that you're going to get time out. Whatever. When they get bigger. Teenage years come they get older it's harder to because you want that relationship to stay there but you need to confront. That's a hard issue for me just even confronting a situation that's not right and you need to say hey I don't like this or being afraid to say what you mean. That's when a lot of mean what you say Say what you mean. You know why is it so hard to do that for me. I don't know is that a problem for anyone else in here. I have a problem saying what I mean and meaning what I say because I'm afraid when I say it I'm going to get a backlash from that. I don't know what the reactions are going to be even in a good situation with someone that's really close to you you need to say something or share something but you're afraid to. Because you're afraid they're going to think well why would you think that or I don't know what you're talking about that you're afraid of all these scenarios come a natural. So already there in my mind thinking before it even happens. So I don't confront and a lot of times we just we things keep them down there stuff from down there don't confront the issue keep things safe. But I look at David in the Bible David with like able to watch over a sheep attacked a bear and everything kill Goliath with a stone. But yet he ran from Saul and hidden caves Alija calls down far takes the licks up the water around the altar against the false prophets of Bale. Show them who's you know he stood against the prophets. Next thing you know there's a Bells after him and he is under a tree like I'm afraid. I look at Moses too and I was reading and a couple weeks ago I was reading Moses and I thought you know I forgot how many excuses he made to Why I can't go back to Egypt and let my people go. He made up like he I thought the way is really get these tests and go I was like four or five times he did this and he was making extend it made angry. He finally OK I'll get get air and he'll go if you all right. So how can we see even then and there's many more we have get to that later with Joshua but there's many people you look in the Bible. They all were like OK I'm afraid to do that well don't be afraid I'm with you. He's telling them to do something. They've had their highs big victories and then next thing you know they're not going to be able to do this. how can we go. From one extreme to another so quickly but it happened doesn't happen to a lot of us. Well in my own life. Like I said when I was younger I was afraid to try anything because I didn't want to fail and look stupid. So I never got involved in much. Then I would always think of well I don't know if I can do that because I'm not smart enough or maybe you know all of fried fried afraid. Well you know what I came to a time like I thought you know what I think I was telling someone on our walk that one day will remember that I said you know I'm sick and tired of being so afraid of stuff. And in my life I'm tired of it and so now a lot of times and things are common at me thought here's some of those thoughts. These are just in a book I read a little bit of that. The future that you're you're going to fail. Well that's not going to work though. Don't even bother trying. Just better play it safe. It's better to be safe than sorry. This is going to just be too hard. Not going to bother trying. Well ody has ever done this before so what makes you think you could do it. You never have enough money. You'll never be able to be secure all these Never-Never you can't can't negative negative Satan loves to use those thoughts to keep us from isn't paralyzed state comes a time when you've got to say that's enough. I heard her just saying on T.V. in a way that was perfect and you might have heard it but it says fear will always work against us. Faith will always work for us and it's true it takes faith to work out through the fear. But isn't it. See for someone to say just trust the Lord when it's not your situation. How how is it when you're waiting for a doctor's test report or you're waiting for that job or that pink slip you're worried you're going to be next. There's just so much fear fear fear. Turn on the T.V. another attack here a bombing there. Fear Satan works really well in fear but we've got to recognize who is more powerful in us or Satan. So we go to Joshua one for six through nine says Be strong and courageous. This is what he's calling Joshua to take the people over Christmas is a dive because you will leave these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them be strong and very courageous be careful to pay all of my love that my servant Moses gave you did not turn from the right or left that you may be successful in what you do. Do not let this book of the law depart from your mouth and meditate on a day and night so that you may be careful to do everything written then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified for the Lord your will be with you wherever you go. Now I always remember hearing be strong and courageous Joshua that you know what he commanded him. He says Have I not commanded you be strong and courageous Well courageous courage. I wonder into the point because that is so. There I'll find it here in a minute. OK having courage this is what courage is. Courage is not the absence of fear. It's the faith to trust to be with you through it. And it's true. It's not that you're not going to fear or feel fearful because you will still fear and fear can be a legit reason to be fearful but to be curried courageous takes faith and trust in to get you through it. And he will because he says I won't leave you or I will never leave you in even says for the Lord your will be with you wherever you go. In an Exodus twenty three thirty talks about the Israel life when he was going to take him into the Promised Land. He said I'm going to give this land to you. Little by little you're going to inherit the land. He was going to drive out all the main inhabitants of those nations and take them into it. But first he would drive them out a little at a time. I think that just shows me for myself the more than I take that little step in a time that being out in faith to do things that I feel fearful of or afraid to do the more that I can advance in the promises of and every time we take that step of faith it's like stepping out on the water. If we focus on the fear it's going to sink in if we focus on trusting in His Word it will take us through it and they will be walking on the water. So when says fear. There's so many times in the Bible if you read Fear not fear not says fear not take courage Do not be afraid there are so many I didn't count them. There's probably a list somewhere that tell you but it says it doesn't mean you are still afraid just means not to give in to it. We're all going to feel fear that we don't want to give in to the fear that is the main challenge for us all. So I wrote down the I don't want to talk to negatively about fear because fear is there dreary and do you know. But so how do we overcome fear. So I made a list of things that I thought the Lord showed me. Number one the first thing is make up your mind and decide it's time to face your fear. This had happened to me. And yeah I'm not overcoming all of it. I mean I'm just saying there are so many different things that come in at you. But now I have decided in made up my mind I am not going to let fear take my joy let me not experience 's will for my life not stepping out in ministry not stepping out in friendship not stepping out and doing even this when I was in school I hated to read out a lot I was so afraid I couldn't read out loud. I couldn't talk in front of people. Well here I am again. I'm standing up here again because yes it's scary but now I'm starting to realize that OK guy got me through the first time. Little by little god got me through the next time and this time. And I'm thinking as long as I'm lookin for his help and not trusting in my own flesh my own flesh will mess things up. So I got to really trust to help me through it. And it becomes a little bit fatter a little bit easier. Not that I'm ever ever going to not say I'm not nervous because I am nervous but that's OK I'm learning not to let it bother me if I'm nervous. OK So the first thing make that make your mind up. Are you tired of it. Are you tired dealing with it. Nobody does anything about something until they're sick of it. Even when I'm sick of gaining weight that's it I'm done. I'm getting back in them pants again. I have to make up my mind that's it I'm going to eat healthy. I'm tired of these bad doctors. You know is whatever it is it could be anything. I'm tired of staying silent and not saying what I need to say and then nothing gets resolved. These could be something you're saying that these are just things that come to my mind. Number two pray for strength an inability in peace to do so. Songs thirty four thirty four forty seven. I thought the Lord and He answered me. He delivered me from all my fears. This it looked to him are radiant. Their faces are never covered with shame. This poor man called in the Lord heard him. He saved him out of all his troubles. The angel in camp of the Lord in camps around those who fear him today you have the bad fear and you know the fear and reverence of being with you because I will be there with a number three. Magnify not the issue. The word magnify means to make larger and I figure if I stand around and say I am so afraid that I don't know on the three I can see I'm afraid I'm afraid I'm afraid the more you say and enforce that the bigger the fear gets the more I say can get me through it whatever I gotta do the more I believe it. So you gotta magnify now. Not the issue here this is the nice thing I come across this this is a German proverb It says Fear makes the walls look bigger than he is and it's true. Don't we magnifies a little thing and make it so big that by the next day we can even you know it could be a simple little thing that could be a thing that's making you a little worrisome. But by the time p es it's gotten so big that you can't deal with it and you think that you can deal with it. OK Number four read write and confess scriptures. These are just simple little things to do when you think well that's just silly. It's not really silly because it really works I've done it it really worked. If I would read all the scriptures on fear and all the scriptures on 's promises coming against fear if I read them when I'm dealing with fear and I write some scriptures down makes them favorite ones on your index car or a piece of paper and stick it on your fridge or air confessed it every time you go to the fridge. That's a good place because everyone's another for a jury or some time or another. Sometimes too often I should be in there. But anyway is there a time you see that remind yourself OK I'm not going to fear it will never spur sake me he will never leave me I will be with you always. You know the enemy is always trying to steal like bondage is can come off when you face fear head on things that can hold you in changes like your being chained in prison to fear. You can have bondage is being broken off of you and other people just think of people that you're not helping set free because of your fear you could be helping someone else by praying. Or them or helping them. But you're too afraid you may be stopping someone else's blessing from being free from things because of your own bondage of fear and fear is like a bondage. Every time I sing the song Amazing Grace by Chris Palmer the part that says my chains are gone I've been set free. I always think of that you know what I'm tired of it my chains are gone I am set free and don't go don't trust your emotions because remember what the meaning of fear was in the beginning. Fear an emotion or dread or alarm or afraid and apprehensive being apprehensive about unwanted or uncertain things. Don't let that emotion override the truth. And it's so easy to happen very suddenly but it happens if you don't get it. Get in on it right away. OK last one practice stepping out circuits on him and it is something that you have to practice. Put it into practice put it into practice. Now I want to read you something to close with and as I don't really like how she wrote This is from Joyce Meyers book and I thought I read to say goodbye to fear this is a letter. OK Put yourself in this place reading this letter. Dear fear I only refer to you as dear because you are a long term intimate relationship. Our long term intimate relationship and certainly not because you were dear to me in any way in fact you have been a tremendous influence from start. You've told me lies prevented me from doing the things I wanted to do and should have done. You are indeed a miserable wretched companion and one I no longer and willing to be involved with I'm writing you this letter to let you know that from this point forward I will not fear although I may feel your presence I will not bow down to your demands. I have a friend whose name is Jesus and he has promised to never leave me nor forsake me but to be with me always. He is indeed a powerful friend and although you do have some power his is by far much greater than yours. You can come against me but Jesus lives in me and the power of the one who is in me is greater than a power greater than you are. Although I cannot prevent you from coming to visit I do want to give you notice that you will be ignored. I am far too busy now fellowshipping with my friend Jesus and developing an intimate relationship with him to give you any of my time. The more time I spend with Jesus the more courageous I become. He is teaching me a new way to live that is exciting and ventures and one that is fearless. I also want to inform you that since I have so much experience with you and know how self-defeating it is to listen to you I now intend to tell many people as many as I can tell about what a thief and a liar you are. The years I have wasted with you will be redeemed and I will bear much good fruit. Thank you for driving me to Jesus. You see that made me so miserable that I thought a way to be free from you. And Jesus met me where I was and set me free. Should you decide to waste your time and try to visit me even after this letter. I am letting you know ahead of time that you will be met. By my faith in and a determination that I will not fear him and so I would challenge you all. I don't care if it's a little thing that you think or that's not a big deal in some people's mind like it was for mine. Little things that you may not think is a big deal. It was a big deal for me. I mean so and so you're in that place of really having that self-doubt and insecurity in an area. Do you feel in the Phillips you feel that it's real even if it's not real the enemy's lines here. So OK let's stand and pray. Father we thank you Lord that you are greater than and then he who is in the world. He is a little higher and you are the father of truth and love and redeeming power. Thank you Lord for what you've done in our lives. Help us to not be looking at fear as an issue that keeps us from walking where you would want us to walk out in our life. Help us by reminding us of your great love that your perfect love casts out fear of your love. We are not to be fearful of man or whatever can come against us. So the Lord just to help us to walk out in courage to step out in faith whatever areas in our lives show us those areas where we may be walking in fear and not realizing it and little or that we would put our trust in you because with you we can do all things Lord we think you are through Jesus we pray and then bless you all. I have a good week. OK today I would like to bring a message forth that something that guy's been dealing with me personally for a good while now and I just felt led to share some things about fear. My lesson today is that kind O. is the fear factor. Can you hear me how's that better better better. OK OK so the le is the fear factor. Now first I read the definition of fear. Now there's two types of fear in the Bible mentioned there's fear which is a reverential profound part of which is a good fear because that's honoring But the other meaning of fear is an emotion of dread or alarm from danger. And also it's timidity and that is a root word afraid is from that root word fear and the word afraid means be fearful or apprehensive about unwanted or uncertain situations and I think we can all say that we have fear in one area or more in our life at one time or another. The reason that I felt led to do this is because I realized the floor was speaking to me about a year ago how I really allowed fear to control so many areas in my life whether it be real fear that is something like you're facing a real situation or it's in my mind it is fear is not really it's False Evidence Appearing Real. And that's where a lot of things can make or break how you look at life and I know we have fears and some people have phobias. Some people have fear of heights or bugs or whatever. That's a different kind of fear that I wanted to talk about today. The unknown areas of our life can cause fear. And that's where I always walk. And I'm not going to say always walk now because that's the present thing. I know that 's helping me to deal with that situation that I am walking more free from that area. And that's with the help of because I even as I was younger feared would always keep me from doing something new trying something. And it's in when you continue walking that way in your life allowing fear and these thoughts of not being able to do something or I don't know or even traveling to another area or flying all these things will keep you frozen in place in your life if you allow them. And if you allow that fear at the beginning of your life when you're young to continue to grow and add on to that and grow an add on to the insecurities fear is related to insecurities in life and I can vouch for that because if you're insecure about yourself right there's a base foundation for fear to grow. So we have fears of those things like new areas maybe a new job going to school. Maybe it's a challenge because it's something scary to you because you don't feel like you're smart enough or maybe it's marriage work commitment to having it parenting leadership skills in all these places in your life. There are so many I can list tons of them but I won't go there. Just think of some of those areas in your own. Life where you may have had to step out of your comfort zone of your familiar place in your life to take on a new phase in your life. We're always growing as people as Christians we're growing physically older we're growing spiritually and hopefully maturing that way more as we get older that we're also going from one phase of our life of one fear to something new and challenging at every stage of your life. Now I wouldn't think I would've thought about getting older. So now I'm older you know or like things like that that don't enter your mind when your kid when you're a kid everything's free or whatever do whatever. No worries that then when you have responsibilities having a job supporting your family raising your kids you know all those things. World events terrorism all these things can cause so much fear in our lives that it can paralyze us to not move forward and walk in our faith. There's the fear of failure. There's the fear of always making mistakes. So what do we do we don't do anything or we don't want to lose control of our situation so we don't give up control that way we can keep tabs on everything in our life. So it's a nice little box so that nothing interferes with our comfort area. How about relationships. I thought of a lot of the relational areas. Intimacy with and with other people. It's interesting that the first place in the Bible that fear's mention is in Genesis chapter three verse eight through ten. And if we read that. Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord as he was walking in the garden in the course of the day and they hid from the Lord among the trees of the garden. But the Lord called to them and where are you. He answered I heard you in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked so I hid and that's the first place in the Bible talks about Adam and Eve they hid from before that they had a great intimate relationship with They walk with Him daily every day in the garden. Everything was good that when this obedience came in and sin entered a world all the sudden that intimacy of closeness separated and there was fear of and they knew they were naked before that that wasn't an issue. So we have the fear of there and don't we sometimes when even before we are saved or even at times now when we feel like we are afraid to approach because maybe there is an area in our life or we rebel against or we have sin in our life that maybe keeps us from approaching him because we feel like he's not gonna ever love us again or forgive us. But those things are false. Those are not true that Satan can make you believe that that is true. We have trashed trust issues with relationships fear of commitment. Too many people don't make commitments in relationships with other people because they've been hurt before or they just don't want to deal with having something happen that they can't control. Then there's the fear of man. Fear of man is wondering what if what others are going to think. You know that can encounter like a lot of areas in our life. Even just open openly wars. Should being is some areas where were fearful were afraid. I walked in that a long time too. It took me years because I felt like I love you so much but I couldn't even my hands up this their love you worship time and it's like trying to like weights but I really prayed about that because I felt like I can't really worry about what other people think because My Love for The Lord is stronger more worthy than what people think. Stepping out in your gifts has there ever been a time when was telling you to go lay hands on someone and pray for that person you like him to want to do that. What if I don't pray right. Well if I don't say the right things I don't know I'm not a leader I'm not a deacon or I'm not a pastor or it doesn't matter if guy was laying something on your heart. I'm not saying these things to be because I'm been there done that and I'm you know there's so many times I've done that and I wish and Windom done it one time I was led to tell someone something that I really felt like during a service one time I really felt was telling me to tell this person and I never met this person before. So OK we're used to seeing each other here in church and we know each other. Think of this situation. So when you're sitting beside you never met them before. Worship times over. And guys laying it on your heart so strong you need to tell this person this comes like no I'm not going to tell or what you think you know if you can you hear what she going to think of me I don't know I don't know what I'm doing. I made up so many excuses that I felt worse as the time was going in my head. Finally I said Lord if it's you you've got to give me the strength to do it and just. Do it and say what I need to say to her. So after worship and I took her aside and I told her what the Lord told me. She started to cry because she said I can't believe you're saying that because I've been praying about see if we would just allow to use us even when we are afraid just materialize because I didn't believe and not to trust them right away. So you gotta pray it through and do it anyway. OK Another area in relationships is confrontation which I'm sure none of us like I hated. But there are times when we need to confront people issues things what's going on what kind of parent will we be if we didn't confront our kids when they were doing wrong that would lead to their spiritual walk or their their safety if we wouldn't say hey this is wrong we need to do something. Sometimes are too afraid to confront our own kids. It's easy when they're little. Hey you do that you're going to get time out. Whatever. When they get bigger. Teenage years come they get older it's harder to because you want that relationship to stay there but you need to confront. That's a hard issue for me just even confronting a situation that's not right and you need to say hey I don't like this or being afraid to say what you mean. That's when a lot of mean what you say Say what you mean. You know why is it so hard to do that for me. I don't know is that a problem for anyone else in here. I have a problem saying what I mean and meaning what I say because I'm afraid when I say it I'm going to get a backlash from that. I don't know what the reactions are going to be even in a good situation with someone that's really close to you you need to say something or share something but you're afraid to. Because you're afraid they're going to think well why would you think that or I don't know what you're talking about that you're afraid of all these scenarios come a natural. So already there in my mind thinking before it even happens. So I don't confront and a lot of times we just we things keep them down there stuff from down there don't confront the issue keep things safe. But I look at David in the Bible David with like able to watch over a sheep attacked a bear and everything kill Goliath with a stone. But yet he ran from Saul and hidden caves Alija calls down far takes the licks up the water around the altar against the false prophets of Bale. Show them who's you know he stood against the prophets. Next thing you know there's a Bells after him and he is under a tree like I'm afraid. I look at Moses too and I was reading and a couple weeks ago I was reading Moses and I thought you know I forgot how many excuses he made to Why I can't go back to Egypt and let my people go. He made up like he I thought the way is really get these tests and go I was like four or five times he did this and he was making extend it made angry. He finally OK I'll get get air and he'll go if you all right. So how can we see even then and there's many more we have get to that later with Joshua but there's many people you look in the Bible. They all were like OK I'm afraid to do that well don't be afraid I'm with you. He's telling them to do something. They've had their highs big victories and then next thing you know they're not going to be able to do this. how can we go. From one extreme to another so quickly but it happened doesn't happen to a lot of us. Well in my own life. Like I said when I was younger I was afraid to try anything because I didn't want to fail and look stupid. So I never got involved in much. Then I would always think of well I don't know if I can do that because I'm not smart enough or maybe you know all of fried fried afraid. Well you know what I came to a time like I thought you know what I think I was telling someone on our walk that one day will remember that I said you know I'm sick and tired of being so afraid of stuff. And in my life I'm tired of it and so now a lot of times and things are common at me thought here's some of those thoughts. These are just in a book I read a little bit of that. The future that you're you're going to fail. Well that's not going to work though. Don't even bother trying. Just better play it safe. It's better to be safe than sorry. This is going to just be too hard. Not going to bother trying. Well ody has ever done this before so what makes you think you could do it. You never have enough money. You'll never be able to be secure all these Never-Never you can't can't negative negative Satan loves to use those thoughts to keep us from isn't paralyzed state comes a time when you've got to say that's enough. I heard her just saying on T.V. in a way that was perfect and you might have heard it but it says fear will always work against us. Faith will always work for us and it's true it takes faith to work out through the fear. But isn't it. See for someone to say just trust the Lord when it's not your situation. How how is it when you're waiting for a doctor's test report or you're waiting for that job or that pink slip you're worried you're going to be next. There's just so much fear fear fear. Turn on the T.V. another attack here a bombing there. Fear Satan works really well in fear but we've got to recognize who is more powerful in us or Satan. So we go to Joshua one for six through nine says Be strong and courageous. This is what he's calling Joshua to take the people over Christmas is a dive because you will leave these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them be strong and very courageous be careful to pay all of my love that my servant Moses gave you did not turn from the right or left that you may be successful in what you do. Do not let this book of the law depart from your mouth and meditate on a day and night so that you may be careful to do everything written then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified for the Lord your will be with you wherever you go. Now I always remember hearing be strong and courageous Joshua that you know what he commanded him. He says Have I not commanded you be strong and courageous Well courageous courage. I wonder into the point because that is so. There I'll find it here in a minute. OK having courage this is what courage is. Courage is not the absence of fear. It's the faith to trust to be with you through it. And it's true. It's not that you're not going to fear or feel fearful because you will still fear and fear can be a legit reason to be fearful but to be curried courageous takes faith and trust in to get you through it. And he will because he says I won't leave you or I will never leave you in even says for the Lord your will be with you wherever you go. In an Exodus twenty three thirty talks about the Israel life when he was going to take him into the Promised Land. He said I'm going to give this land to you. Little by little you're going to inherit the land. He was going to drive out all the main inhabitants of those nations and take them into it. But first he would drive them out a little at a time. I think that just shows me for myself the more than I take that little step in a time that being out in faith to do things that I feel fearful of or afraid to do the more that I can advance in the promises of and every time we take that step of faith it's like stepping out on the water. If we focus on the fear it's going to sink in if we focus on trusting in His Word it will take us through it and they will be walking on the water. So when says fear. There's so many times in the Bible if you read Fear not fear not says fear not take courage Do not be afraid there are so many I didn't count them. There's probably a list somewhere that tell you but it says it doesn't mean you are still afraid just means not to give in to it. We're all going to feel fear that we don't want to give in to the fear that is the main challenge for us all. So I wrote down the I don't want to talk to negatively about fear because fear is there dreary and do you know. But so how do we overcome fear. So I made a list of things that I thought the Lord showed me. Number one the first thing is make up your mind and decide it's time to face your fear. This had happened to me. And yeah I'm not overcoming all of it. I mean I'm just saying there are so many different things that come in at you. But now I have decided in made up my mind I am not going to let fear take my joy let me not experience 's will for my life not stepping out in ministry not stepping out in friendship not stepping out and doing even this when I was in school I hated to read out a lot I was so afraid I couldn't read out loud. I couldn't talk in front of people. Well here I am again. I'm standing up here again because yes it's scary but now I'm starting to realize that OK guy got me through the first time. Little by little god got me through the next time and this time. And I'm thinking as long as I'm lookin for his help and not trusting in my own flesh my own flesh will mess things up. So I got to really trust to help me through it. And it becomes a little bit fatter a little bit easier. Not that I'm ever ever going to not say I'm not nervous because I am nervous but that's OK I'm learning not to let it bother me if I'm nervous. OK So the first thing make that make your mind up. Are you tired of it. Are you tired dealing with it. Nobody does anything about something until they're sick of it. Even when I'm sick of gaining weight that's it I'm done. I'm getting back in them pants again. I have to make up my mind that's it I'm going to eat healthy. I'm tired of these bad doctors. You know is whatever it is it could be anything. I'm tired of staying silent and not saying what I need to say and then nothing gets resolved. These could be something you're saying that these are just things that come to my mind. Number two pray for strength an inability in peace to do so. Songs thirty four thirty four forty seven. I thought the Lord and He answered me. He delivered me from all my fears. This it looked to him are radiant. Their faces are never covered with shame. This poor man called in the Lord heard him. He saved him out of all his troubles. The angel in camp of the Lord in camps around those who fear him today you have the bad fear and you know the fear and reverence of being with you because I will be there with a number three. Magnify not the issue. The word magnify means to make larger and I figure if I stand around and say I am so afraid that I don't know on the three I can see I'm afraid I'm afraid I'm afraid the more you say and enforce that the bigger the fear gets the more I say can get me through it whatever I gotta do the more I believe it. So you gotta magnify now. Not the issue here this is the nice thing I come across this this is a German proverb It says Fear makes the walls look bigger than he is and it's true. Don't we magnifies a little thing and make it so big that by the next day we can even you know it could be a simple little thing that could be a thing that's making you a little worrisome. But by the time p es it's gotten so big that you can't deal with it and you think that you can deal with it. OK Number four read write and confess scriptures. These are just simple little things to do when you think well that's just silly. It's not really silly because it really works I've done it it really worked. If I would read all the scriptures on fear and all the scriptures on 's promises coming against fear if I read them when I'm dealing with fear and I write some scriptures down makes them favorite ones on your index car or a piece of paper and stick it on your fridge or air confessed it every time you go to the fridge. That's a good place because everyone's another for a jury or some time or another. Sometimes too often I should be in there. But anyway is there a time you see that remind yourself OK I'm not going to fear it will never spur sake me he will never leave me I will be with you always. You know the enemy is always trying to steal like bondage is can come off when you face fear head on things that can hold you in changes like your being chained in prison to fear. You can have bondage is being broken off of you and other people just think of people that you're not helping set free because of your fear you could be helping someone else by praying. Or them or helping them. But you're too afraid you may be stopping someone else's blessing from being free from things because of your own bondage of fear and fear is like a bondage. Every time I sing the song Amazing Grace by Chris Palmer the part that says my chains are gone I've been set free. I always think of that you know what I'm tired of it my chains are gone I am set free and don't go don't trust your emotions because remember what the meaning of fear was in the beginning. Fear an emotion or dread or alarm or afraid and apprehensive being apprehensive about unwanted or uncertain things. Don't let that emotion override the truth. And it's so easy to happen very suddenly but it happens if you don't get it. Get in on it right away. OK last one practice stepping out circuits on him and it is something that you have to practice. Put it into practice put it into practice. Now I want to read you something to close with and as I don't really like how she wrote This is from Joyce Meyers book and I thought I read to say goodbye to fear this is a letter. OK Put yourself in this place reading this letter. Dear fear I only refer to you as dear because you are a long term intimate relationship. Our long term intimate relationship and certainly not because you were dear to me in any way in fact you have been a tremendous influence from start. You've told me lies prevented me from doing the things I wanted to do and should have done. You are indeed a miserable wretched companion and one I no longer and willing to be involved with I'm writing you this letter to let you know that from this point forward I will not fear although I may feel your presence I will not bow down to your demands. I have a friend whose name is Jesus and he has promised to never leave me nor forsake me but to be with me always. He is indeed a powerful friend and although you do have some power his is by far much greater than yours. You can come against me but Jesus lives in me and the power of the one who is in me is greater than a power greater than you are. Although I cannot prevent you from coming to visit I do want to give you notice that you will be ignored. I am far too busy now fellowshipping with my friend Jesus and developing an intimate relationship with him to give you any of my time. The more time I spend with Jesus the more courageous I become. He is teaching me a new way to live that is exciting and ventures and one that is fearless. I also want to inform you that since I have so much experience with you and know how self-defeating it is to listen to you I now intend to tell many people as many as I can tell about what a thief and a liar you are. The years I have wasted with you will be redeemed and I will bear much good fruit. Thank you for driving me to Jesus. You see that made me so miserable that I thought a way to be free from you. And Jesus met me where I was and set me free. Should you decide to waste your time and try to visit me even after this letter. I am letting you know ahead of time that you will be met. By my faith in and a determination that I will not fear him and so I would challenge you all. I don't care if it's a little thing that you think or that's not a big deal in some people's mind like it was for mine. Little things that you may not think is a big deal. It was a big deal for me. I mean so and so you're in that place of really having that self-doubt and insecurity in an area. Do you feel in the Phillips you feel that it's real even if it's not real the enemy's lines here. So OK let's stand and pray. Father we thank you Lord that you are greater than and then he who is in the world. He is a little higher and you are the father of truth and love and redeeming power. Thank you Lord for what you've done in our lives. Help us to not be looking at fear as an issue that keeps us from walking where you would want us to walk out in our life. Help us by reminding us of your great love that your perfect love casts out fear of your love. We are not to be fearful of man or whatever can come against us. So the Lord just to help us to walk out in courage to step out in faith whatever areas in our lives show us those areas where we may be walking in fear and not realizing it and little or that we would put our trust in you because with you we can do all things Lord we think you are through Jesus we pray and then bless you all. I have a good week.