It is to be fearless; it is possible to Fear is actually a thing Fear the is the by-product of our ability to project into the and remember the Our is tied to fear Matthew 10:28 (NIV) “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:29 (NIV) “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.” Your heavenly Father has the ; He is the ultimate Matthew 10:30-31 (NIV) “And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” Jesus doesn’t promise to keep from happening Matthew 8:23-24 (NIV) “23 Then He got into the boat and His disciples followed Him. 24 Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping.” When you feel that Jesus is sleeping when you , the good news is you are not the first person to experience that Matthew 8:25-26 (NIV) “The disciples went and woke Him, saying, ‘Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!’ 26 He replied, ‘You of little faith, why are you so afraid?’” Matthew 8:27 (NIV) “The men were amazed and asked, ‘What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey Him!’” The disciples focus went from the of the storm to the of the person who could calm the storm If there is anything we should fear, it is not the , but the one who has the ability to After the resurrection the disciples finally got it: This man [Jesus] was sent from . And if there is anyone and anything we ought to fear, respect, awe, reverence, it’s They began to fear less because a replaced a When their in someone exceeded their of something, fear lost its The same is true for you – though your fear doesn’t completely – it loses its , its on you Life Lessons about Fear from a Christian Dying of ALS **1. If you spend time with fearful people, you will their ** Most people aren’t concerned about things; they’re just not concerned about really things You’ve got to find people who the right thing and are about the right thing **2. ALS makes everything I worried about in the past seem ** Stop , your life The you accept what can’t be changed the it becomes unknown 3. The greatest fear is the “ ,” but the truth is is really unknown There is no as to how life ends for all of us – we all We don’t need to be afraid because the unknown isn’t to Fear not a, is When fear creeps back in, you must it to God; remember, there is a who overwhelms the If you can trust in the someone, the something stays smaller, and you can John 16:33 (NIV) “[Jesus said] I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Hebrews 13:5 (GN) “…For God has said, ‘I will never leave you; I will never abandon you.’” Psalm 23:4 (NIV) “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for You are with me.” Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV) “Do not worry about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” My Next Step Today Is: □ I will shift my focus from the what of the storm (my situation) to the who of the person (Jesus) who can calm the storm (going on inside me) □ My prayer: Jesus, strengthen my faith in You so that it exceeds my fear of my problem, so fear will lose its grip on me Join next week for a new message series, “Who Needs Christmas.” Invite a friend to join you.