What If? Behind our fear, there is often a sense that we are losing control.  Fear throws the question “What if” at us?  What if I lose my job?  What if I get a bad diagnosis?  What if  often taps into our fear of losing control.  We often make the mistake and think that if life spins out of control, and we feel out of control, then God must be out of control as well.  There is a God who is bigger than our “What Ifs” and he wants to help us break free!

Download a printable note-taking sheet.

Download the “Fear Test” mentioned in the podcast.

About the Series
Break Free – What Are You Afraid Of?
Fear is one of our strongest and powerful emotions. What does it tell us? What does it do to us? And more importantly how can we break free from its grip on our lives? This series will look at our greatest fears, and give us God’s prescription for fighting fear in our lives.

Pri$on Break – Has the current economic climate held you captive with fear and worry? Are you worried about the future? Jesus speaks directly to these issues by offering hope and a challenge. We have a choice to do it our way, or His way’ to build our kingdom, or seek His kingdom. So what will it be?

Download a printable note-taking sheet.

About the Series
Break Free – What Are You Afraid Of?
Fear is one of our strongest and powerful emotions. What does it tell us? What does it do to us? And more importantly how can we break free from its grip on our lives? This series will look at our greatest fears, and give us God’s prescription for fighting fear in our lives.

Women aren’t the only who bring some fears into a marriage. Deep down, a man’s core fear has to do with feeling powerless and out of control. Men deeply fear the loss of power and respect of those who surround them. Men are doers by nature. They want to feel that they are good at something. They want to be successful. Due to their manly wiring (and a lot of pride), men have a hard time admitting that they are not good at something. When men sense a lack of respect, it becomes hard for them. A man’s fear button tends to get pushed in those moments, and he may respond in unhealthy ways. A man gets his fear button pushed when he feels someone has disrespected him or “challenged his manhood.” Have you ever heard a woman say that someone has challenged her “woman-hood?” No. It’s a guy thing. This is why men have a hard time hearing criticism from their wives at time. It is because they are feeling that they are not respected; therefore they are not a real man.

Men you may not be willing to admit it, but there is a lot of truth in this. If you can realize this about yourself, you can diffuse a lot of battles. It is often and immaturity and fear that causes men to get defensive and combative. You can choose another way of reacting though. Women, it helps if you know this about men. They don’t need to be handled with kid gloves, but they do need to feel they have what it takes in your eyes. They need to know they are not a failure.

So you know what every good marriage needs: a healthy dose of love and respect. In scripture, God calls a man to love his wife. This means a man’s job is to make sure she feels valued, loved, and connected. She needs the security of your complete love. A woman is called by God to respect her husband. A woman is supposed to honor her husband, and truly make him feel that he has what it takes. Love and Respect. These are two keys to a great marriage. Come back next week for more about love and respect. And that’s the Word.

Running Scared – Have you ever bowed down to the opinion of others? Have you allowed yourself to become hostage to what others think? The Bible calls this the fear of man, and it is one of the greatest fears that controls so many. Let’s seek God’s plan to break free from the fear of man.

Download a printable note-taking sheet.

About the Series
Break Free – What Are You Afraid Of?
Fear is one of our strongest and powerful emotions. What does it tell us? What does it do to us? And more importantly how can we break free from its grip on our lives? This series will look at our greatest fears, and give us God’s prescription for fighting fear in our lives.

Scared to Death – Fear is a paralyzing force in our lives.  It can literally hold us hostage.  The death and resurrection of Jesus begins to help us break free from its grip however. See how the message of cross and the resurrection help us to put fear in its proper place by putting us back into our proper place with God.

Download a printable note-taking sheet.

About the Series
Break Free – What Are You Afraid Of?
Fear is one of our strongest and powerful emotions.  What does it tell us?  What does it do to us?  And more importantly how can we break free from its grip on our lives?  This series will look at our greatest fears, and give us God’s prescription for fighting fear in our lives.

Fear is something that strikes at all of us.  It is one of the most powerful human emotions.  Fear is the first negative emotion that is expressed in scripture.  After Adam and Eve sinned and rebelled against God, they hid from him.  Adam said to the Lord, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid” (Genesis 3:10).  Man’s heart became filled with fear.  He was now afraid of God.  He was afraid of the future.  He felt as if he was now on his own and somehow had to survive in a dangerous world.  That can be scary.  Know what I mean?  Sure you do.  I am convinced that fear is truly rooted in our separation from God.  Sin has left us disconnected from Him.  Even as Christians, there are times we still feel disconnected from our Father.  We feel that we can’t trust Him.  We feel all alone and vulnerable.  There are times that fear takes us hostage.

What is that you are afraid of?  Some of us are afraid of death.  We might be afraid of a bad diagnosis from the doctor.  Many of us have been fearful of the financial future.  The economy has exposed our insecurities, and we face the future with a lot of anxiety.  Some of us are afraid of people.  We are scared of rejection and fearful of failure.

So what do we do?  What does Easter say to our fears? Jesus stepped out of the tomb and proclaimed, “Do not be afraid.”  I think he was seeking to bring peace to his disciples who were fearful of the future.  They felt they had disappointed God, and perhaps no longer felt secure in their relationship with Him.  They had developed an unhealthy fear of God.  He wanted to calm their fearful hearts.

The death and resurrection of Jesus has the power to remove our unhealthy fear of God and assure us of the power of God’s love for us.  Many people fear God’s true commitment to them.  They feel that God is one day going to give them what they fear they deserve.  God’s love is too good to believe in their opinion, and eventually they are going to be punished.  Scriptures says, “(Jesus) was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him” (Isaiah 53:5).  The truth is that God has already dished out what you and I deserve.  He poured out our punishment onto Jesus.  We do not have to fear that God is going to one day give us what we think we deserve.  It has already been dealt with.  Jesus absorbed God’s wrath. We no longer need to be afraid of God’s intention towards us.  When we receive Christ, we can fully receive the love of God.  It is ours.  His love has been purchased for us.

Jesus has also conquered death on our behalf through his resurrection.  The apostle Paul declared, “Where O Death is your victory?  Where O Death is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:55).  As Christians, we will still die physically, but it no longer has power over us.  We have no need to be afraid of death, afraid of the future.  If death no longer has power over us, then we should truly be free to live.  A Risen Savior offers His life, His hope, His peace, His presence.  What does Easter say to our fears?  It says everything.  It says, “Do not be afraid.”  And that’s the Word.