How To Overcome Fear: Diving Deeper
See Jesus
In her message this past Sunday, Pastor Merodee shared a story about a man named Hamal. He had gone out into the jungle to gather wood when he came upon a tiger. He had been attacked by a tiger before and knew he could not outrun it. The only thing he could do was pray.
He then began to roar at the tiger each time the tiger roared. Hamal’s wife heard this and responded quickly. She called on the other villagers to follow her into the jungle to help her husband. They came running with clubs and chased the tiger off.
Pastor Merodee reminded us that we are surrounded by the Lord of angel armies. When we believe in His Love for us it is like our roar ... it activates the Lord's protection for us.
As she shared about the way this story ended for Hamal, I couldn’t help but think about his wife and the other villagers who rushed to assist him. Had Hamal not cried out, the story may have ended quite differently for him. But he did cry out. And they heard and responded. This literally saved Hamal’s life.
Family, we need our tribe! We need each other! We cannot do it alone!
James 5:16 says that we are to confess one to another for our healing. Confess means to say, to tell, to admit. Family, we must tell one another what is going on inside of us. When we think we can do it alone, we become vulnerable to attack. Hamal was alone as he faced the tiger. But once he cried out, he was no longer alone. When I try do it alone, I struggle. When I admit what’s going on, I take that step into the freedom that Christ Jesus purchased for me!
There are already so many places where we can step into telling others about ourselves!
Men, come out to Mens’ Breakfast on Wednesdays at 6:30am.
Women, come out to Bible study on Friday mornings at 9:30am or to All In on the 2nd and 4th Monday of each month from 7-8:00pm at the church. Mark the next Ladies’ Event in your calendars (it’s on June 15th).
Parents with young families, come out to Stay & Play on Wednesdays at 10-11:00am.
Or come check out Masters’ Commission devotions from 6-7:00pm at the church. And then you could stay for Prayer at 7:15pm.
Youth, come out to youth group on Thursdays after school.
Consider texting someone else in the family, or anyone else in your network, and asking them to come with you!
The enemy will work to isolate us because he knows just how vulnerable to attack we become alone. But, as I shared at the ladies’ event last Saturday, real connection, where we’re not hiding behind shame, brings us closer to the original design that God had for us from the very beginning!
Family, you are loved!! This is who you are! Created by God simply because He wants relationship with YOU! You are fully seen and fully known by Him… and still .. He calls you, me, us … LOVED!
So don’t allow shame, or anything else, to cause you to stop meeting together with other believers... Instead, encourage each other, especially as you see the day drawing near. (see Hebrews 10:25).
Written by:
Kendall O'Connell
Master's Commission Intern
Pastor of Connection
Know Jesus
This week, you can dive deeper into the message through one or all of the following:
Discovery Bible Study
TO BEGIN
Pray and ask Holy Spirit to teach you about God from His word.
Next, read the verse a couple of times.
Now, ask these questions:
What does this tell me about God/Jesus?
What does this tell me about people?
How can I respond to what I just read?
When you’re done asking these questions, it’s a great idea to pray and thank God for teaching you more about who He is and who you are!
Discovery Bible Study (DBS) is a way for anyone, anywhere to read God's word! You can dive deeper into this week's message by doing a DBS one any one or all of these scriptures. DBS is a great tool to use for your own devotions, as a bible study with friends, or as an evangelism tool!
"The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him and He delivers them."
Psalm 34:7
Prayer Prompts
Pray that Holy Spirit will help us know God's love for us.
Pray the words of Psalm 91 as a personal prayer of protection.
Pray the Lord will help us to deliver others from their prisons in Jesus' Name.
Share Jesus
You can share this week's podcast, email, or blog post. Check out volunteer opportunities to get involved in the work of sharing Jesus in our church family and community.
