Fear & Faith

"You call me out upon the waters,
The great unknown where feet may fail.
And there I find You in the mystery,
In oceans deep,
My faith will stand."

~~Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)

Hillsong United 

There comes a time in everyone's life when we are afraid of something. I'm not talking about things like being afraid of spiders, or thunderstorms, or anything like that. I'm talking about fear that keeps you up at night, the fear that consumes your every thought. It is Satan whispering in your ear all the negatives. It is our weakest moments that Satan rejoices, for then he can come in a wreak havoc with our thoughts.

For most of us, that fear comes in the form of fear of the unknown. Fear of the future and all the things that COULD happen, or MIGHT happen. It's the little things that, over time, will roll into one big thing. We've all been there. Some of us, like myself, are there right now. And it's an awful place to be. It is a place of darkness. Of feeling hopeless. Feeling like God has abandoned you.

Some people will tell you that if you have that kind of fear, then you are not placing your trust in Jesus Christ. That you're not fully following Christ and trusting in Him. Or that perhaps you have done something to deserve this. We see this example in the book of Job. Job doesn't understand why all these bad things have happened to him. His friends are of no help, suggesting that Job must have done SOMETHING to deserve this.

 

"Yet if you devote your heart to him
    and stretch out your hands to him,
 if you put away the sin that is in your hand
    and allow no evil to dwell in your tent,
 then, free of fault, you will lift up your face;
    you will stand firm and without fear."

(Job 11:1-15)

I know that I have scratched my head at times and wondered what did I do to deserve this? Did I not confess all my sins to God and ask for forgiveness? Is there some aspect of my life that God sees as unfavorable? Maybe it's just me, that I'm not worthy of God's good grace and mercy. There's Satan, once again poking his nose in where it don't belong. Trying to convince me that I am unworthy of God's love.

I keep thinking of Peter when Jesus called out for him to step out of the boat and walk to Him. Here's this boat, in the middle of the ocean, in the middle of a storm and Jesus is asking Peter to get out of the boat. If that had been me, I would have been like "Are you crazy!?!?" That's where faith takes over. As long as Peter kept his eyes on Jesus, he was able to walk on the water to where Jesus was. But the moment Peter averted his eyes and looked down, he began to sink. Jesus, being the awesome soul that He is, plucked Peter out of the water. 

That's what our faith does. It takes us to places that we fear, sticks us in the middle of a maelstrom where we wait patiently for Jesus to come save us. Jesus wants us to learn to rely solely on Him. When we are drowning don't we look up for help? We are raising our hand up yelling to God to save us. 

Sometimes, though, we feel like we just can't hear God. We feel as though He's forgotten us. I began reading Job on my own because I feel so much like him. Here's this man who is minding his own business. He has a good life. When all of a sudden he loses it all. And there he stands.

"What I feared has come upon me;
    what I dreaded has happened to me.
 I have no peace, no quietness;
    I have no rest, but only turmoil.” 

(Job 3:25-26)

What are we to do when our lives fall apart? How many times have we wondered why God would allow these bad things to happen? We may never find out why. It's at those times, however, that we truly need God. It is at those times that our faith is tested, just like Job. Like Job, our faith waivers. We go back and forth between blaming God and thanking God for His many blessings. When all is said and done, our faith steps in and keeps us from feeling afraid. We are reminded that, yes, God is listening and He hears all of our prayers. 

"Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, 

and I will listen to you."

Jeremiah 29:12

 Remember, the times when you are most afraid, when the future seems out of control, THAT is when you need to leave God in control. Just as Jesus pulled Peter out of the water, He will pull you out of the water. You need to take a leap of faith and trust in God's perfect timing. 

 

Life's Healing Choices. Healing from lifes hurts, hang-ups and habits Step 2

This program was intended for small-group study, but you can do it alone or with a friend or with a group. I'm going back and doing this by myself as I missed the first 6 sessions. All it takes is a little determination and A LOT of faith! Blessings to you all. 

Catching Up:

In our last session, we prayed for God to give us the willingness and courage to admit we are powerless. How did the concept of admitting powerlessness impact you this week?

Key Verse: "For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him." [Philippians 2:13 NLT]

Acknowledge God's ____________________.
Anyone who comes to [God] must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. [Hebrews 11:6 NIV]

The question for most people is not "Is there a God?". The real question is, "What kind of God is He?".

Understand God's _______________________.
Christ is the visible expression of the invisible God. [Colossians 1:15 PH]

THREE THINGS WE LEARN ABOUT GOD'S CHARACTER FROM JESUS CHRIST.

1. God ______________ about my situation.
You...have seen the crisis in my soul. [Psalm 31:7 LB]

You know how troubled I am; You have kept a record of my tears. [Psalm 56:8 TEV]

O God, You know how foolish I am. [Psalm 69:5 NLT]

2. God _________________ about my situation.
He is like a father to us, tender and sympathetic. [Psalm 103:13 LB]

He knows what we are made of; He remembers that we are dust. [Psalm 103:14 TEV]

"I have loved you with a love that lasts forever. I have kept on loving you with faithful love." [Jeremiah 31:3 NIrV]

God's love never fails. He loves you on your good days and your bad days, when you serve Him and when you don't, when you're right, when you're wrong. God even loves you when you're angry, or selfish, or out of control. He loves you even when you're breaking His heart. Why does God keep on loving you? Because His love is unconditional. It is not based on what you do; it's based on who He is.

God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. [Romans 5:8 NLT]

3. God can___________ me and my situation.
This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! [2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT]

ACCEPT GOD'S _____________ TO HELP YOU.

It's not enough just to believe in God. You've got to plug into His power.

For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him. [Philippians 2:13 NLT]

The only way to get God's power is to surrender to Him and let Him fill you with His Spirit.

The Spirit that God has given us....fills us with power, love and self-control.

You're not really in control until Christ is in control. How do you plug into God's power? Real simple. Believe and receive. First, believe that God exists and that He knows and cares about you, and has the power to help you. Then receive Him into your life--simply say, "Jesus Christ put Your Spirit in me."

There is a higher power you can plug into. His name is Jesus Christ. Make the Hope Choice. Believe and receive. Open your heart and life to Him today.

"Happy are those who mourn, God shall comfort them!" [Matthew 5:4 TEV]
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." [Matthew 5:4 NKJV]

"When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up." [Isaiah 43:2 NLT]

Discovery Questions
1. Pastor Rick said "The question for most people is not "Is there a God? The real question is "What kind of God is He?"  What do you believe about God?
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________

2. What part of God's character gives you the most hope?
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________

3. God's love for you is not based on your performance. It is based on His character. The Bible says "God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners." [Romans 5:8 NLT] What does this truth tell you about the nature of God's love?
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________

4. "The Spirit that God has given us...fills us with power, love, and self-control." Talk about a time in your life when God gave you power, love, or self-control when you faced a tough situation .
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________

>>LIVING ON PURPOSE: Fellowship
Like physical health, spiritual health is often easier to maintain when you are working out with a partner. As you work out what God is working in you, sometimes you need someone to encourage you and help keep you on target. Prayerfully consider which member of your group you might ask to become your Accountability Partner. Men partner with men and women partner with women. Commit to meet and pray for each other regularly for the duration of this study. Check in throughout the week by phone, or perhaps over coffee to see what each of you is learning and how you can pray for one another.

>>PUTTING IT INTO PRACTICE
In our last session, you admitted you are powerless. In this session, you discovered God is all-powerful. Think of a challenge you are currently facing: relational, emotional, financial, a hurt, a hang-up, or a habit, etc. How will you apply God's power to your situation this week?

>>PRAYER DIRECTION
Begin your prayer time by thanking God that He is powerful enough to handle any situation you are facing. If you feel comfortable, share your current challenge with the group and pray for each other, inviting God to bring His power to bear in one another's lives.


(c) 2009
John Baker and Rick Warren
Saddleback Resources.
purposedriven.com/recoveryconnection 

Life's Healing Choices. Healing from lifes hurts, hang-ups and habits Step 1

I'm going to add something a little different. For the past two weeks hubby and I have been going to this recovery program at a nearby church. I really enjoyed it. If you can find one in your area, I highly recommend it. It's called Celebrate Recovery. It's not just for alcohol or chemical addictions. It's for any bad thing you may have in your life that you want to be rid of. 

Pastor Rick Warren (The Purpose Driven Life) guides you through this 8 week program. 

I enjoyed this so much I want to share it here. Also, I came in on the end, so I have 6 weeks of catching up to do. I think it will be beneficial.

**Note: everything here is directly from the study guide. You'll be able to fill in the blanks while watching the video.

 

 

The Beatitudes

"Happy are those who are spiritually poor...Happy are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Happy are the meek...Happy are the pure of heart...Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires...Happy are the merciful...Happy are those who work for peace...Happy are those who are persecuted because they do what God requires."  (Matthew 5:3-10 NIV/TEV)

The root cause of your problem: Trying to ___________________.

HOW WE PLAY GOD

1. We try to control our _______________ by wearing masks, playing games, and hiding the truth about ourselves.

2. We try to control ___________________ by manipulating each other through guilt or shame or praise or even through silence.

3. We try to control our ________________ by saying things like: "I can handle it; it's not really a problem. I don't need any help. I can quit any time."

4. We try to control our _______________ by avoiding it, denying it, escaping it, medicating it, drowning it, or postponing it.

But the first step toward recovery-the first healing choice you have to make-is The Reality Choice, where you realize and accept the fact that you are not God, and you need help from someone much greater than you to overcome your hurts, hang-ups, and habits.

Consequences of Playing God

1. ______________________________________________

We fear that someone will find out who we really are and reject us.

2. ______________________________________________

I don't understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I can't. I do what I don't want to---what I hate. I know perfectly well that what I'm doing is wrong....But I can't help myself...It is sin inside me that is stronger than I am that makes me do those evil things. [Romans 7:15-17 LB]

My dishonesty made me miserable and filled my days with frustration. [Psalm 32:4-5 LB]

3. _______________________________________________

My strength evaporated like water on a sunny day until I finally admitted all my sins to You and stopped trying to hide them.  

[Psalm 32:4-5 LB] 

4. ______________________________________________

You'll never succeed in life if you try to hide your sins. Confess them and give them up. Then God will show mercy to you. 

[Proverbs 28:13 GNT]

We don't change when we see the light. We change when we feel the heat. God whispers to us in our pleasures, but He shouts to us in our pain. The fact is that if you could solve your problems, you would have done it a long time ago and you wouldn't have them anymore. You can't get fixed until you 'fess up, face your faults, and admit, "I am powerless."

Three Important Facts of Life

1. I am powerless to __________________ my past.

2. I am powerless to _______________ other people.

3. I am powerless to _____________ with my hurts, hang-ups, and habits.

• Good intentions are not enough.
• Willpower is not enough.
• You need another source of power.
• You need God.

God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. [James 4:5 NIV]

• Grace is the power God gives you to make the changes in your life that He wants you to make. How do you get God's grace? There's only one way. God gives it to the humble. 
• What needs to change in your life? Make the Reality Choice today.

Discovery Questions
1. We all try to play God by attempting to control our image, other people, our problems, and our pain. Why do you feel the need to be in control? List some ways you try to control your image, your problems, your pain, or other people.
_______________________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________

2. Read the passage again from Romans 7:15-17. Can you relate to that? Share your experiences with this kind of tension.
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

3. The first healing choice is to admit you are powerless to change your past, control other people, and to cope with your problems. Which of these do you struggle with the most?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

4. The Bible says, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." [James 4:6 NIV] Why do you think God "opposes the proud"? What does it mean to humble yourself before God?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________

5. Where are you in learning to trust God? Share honestly with your group and ask for prayer to grow in this process.
___________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

>>Putting It Into Practice
C.S. Lewis said "God whispers to us in our pleasures, but he shouts to us in our pain." That pain can be physical, emotional, relational, or financial. What might God be saying to you through your pain right now? We are all powerless over something. This week, take the first healing choice, and admit to God something you are powerless over.

>>Prayer Direction
Pray for God to give you the willingness and the courage to admit where you are powerless.


(C) 2009 Rick Warren and John Baker
Saddleback Resources
purposedriven.com/recoveryconnections