FACING & OVERCOMING FEAR

1. Fear…is it good or bad?

DISCUSS

“There are two types of people in the world: those with a gun, and those who dig.

Now dig!

“Forgiveness is between them and God. It’s my job to arrange the meeting”

Are you gonna do something? Or just stand there and bleed?

— Tombstone

“I ain’t got time to bleed” – Predator (Jesse the Body Venture)

“You’re the disease…and I’m the cure” – Cobra

“I’ll be back.”

1. What role does fear play in our lives? 2. How is it good? 3. How is it bad? 4. What do we need to do with fear to rise to the occasion of our life?

DISCUSS

BON JOVI – “FEAR”

I SEE YOU LOOKIN' OVER YOUR SHOULDERTELL ME WHO DO YOU THINK IS OUT THERE

YOU'RE REACHIN' FOR YOUR FOUR LEAF CLOVERBUT BABY THERE AIN'T NO LUCK DOWN THERE

I SWEAR THAT THERE'S NO HEART IN THIS CITYIT'S HERE THE SLOGAN READS "DO YOUR TIME"

EVERYBODY'S DOIN' THEIR SENTENCEIT'S JUST THERE AIN'T NOBODY HERE

WHO KNOWS JUST WHAT'S THE CRIME

“FEAR” – BON JOVI

I WATCHED MY FATHER LIVE A LIE HEREI'D RATHER DIE THAN FADE AWAY

I READ THE RULES AND YEAH I KNOW THEM

YOU AIN'T EVER GONNAMAKE ME PLAY THE GAME OF

FEARFEARFEAR

OF A NEW THING

“FEAR” – BON JOVI

RUNNING WITH THE RATS THROUGH THE CITYMAKES YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE A PARTNER IN CRIME

GIRL, ONCE YOU WERE YOUNG AND PRETTYNOW WON'T YOU STOP TO WATCH THAT LITTLE GIRL DIE

HEY BABY, WON'T YOU STOP AND HEAR MEJUST BEIN' HERE WE'RE BREATHING HEART ATTACKS YEAH

WE CAN RUN AND CHASE THE SETTING SUN BABYWE CAN RUN AND WE WON'T EVER LOOK BACK NOW

“FEAR” – BON JOVI

TAKE MY HAND I KNOW WE'LL MAKE ITI'LL LET NOTHIN' SLOW US DOWN

I KNOW YOU WANT TO CURSE THIS PLACE

THERE'S ONLY ONE THINGTHAT'S STOPPING US NOW IT’S

FEAR, FEAR, FEAROF A NEW THINGFEAR, FEAR, FEAR

OF THE BRASS RING

“FEAR” – BON JOVI

YOU AIN'T ONE FOR TAKIN' CHANCESYOU WORK AND YOU LIVE AND YOU BREATHE 9 TO 5

STILL THAT'S WHAT YOU CALL LIVIN'MAN, THAT'S SURVIVING TO ME,

AND SURVIVING IS LIVIN' TO DIE IN FEAR…

“FEAR” – BON JOVI

1. What might you decide or do, that you don’t now, of you were suddenly completely without fear?

2. Are the areas of your life where you have more faith in your fears than you do in your possibilities?

DISCUSS

“Fear is a bird that believes itself into extinction.” — Jewel

“We can’t attack those people;they are stronger than we are….

All the people we saw there are of great size…We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes

and we looked the same to them.” — Exodus 13:31-33

“Whom have you so dreaded and feared that you have been false to me?”

- Isaiah 57:11

“Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them?”

- Jeremiah 1:17

Fear is a choice.

“This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you

life and death, blessings and curses.

Now choose life, so that you and your children may live”

- God (Deut 30:19)

Fear is not a lack of faith. Fear is faith.

Have you ever wondered why we are so certain of our fears?

Fear is faith.

It’s just faith in the dark being more powerful than the light.

Faith in bad things happeningbeing more likely than good things.

1. Can you see times when you speak your fears into being?2. Are there times when you bring fear to a situation rather than faith? 3. What can you do to change this? What’s one step you can take?

DISCUSS

“…he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy the devil

and free those who all their lives were held in slavery

by their fear of death”

- Hebrews 2:14-18

“Do not fear what they fear and do not dread it”- Isaiah 43:1

“Do not fear, for I am with you”- Isaiah 41:10

“Do not fear, I will help you”- Isaiah 41:13

“Do not fear the reproach of mere mortals or be terrified by their insults”

- Isaiah 51:7 “Do not fear, for I am with you”

- Isaiah 41:10

“This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.”

Haggai 2:5

“Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked”

Proverbs 3:25

“…even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.”

1 Peter 3:14

“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.”

1 John 4:18

“I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power

of the enemy; nothing will harm you.

However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in

heaven.”

- Luke 10:18-20

1. What might you have been given power over, but your fears are keeping you away from?

2. What skill do you possess that society needs, that you’re not expressing as freely as you could because of other concerns?

DISCUSS

Fear is a kind of faith. Fear of God keeps us humble.

Fear of death/loss/pain paralyses us.

Fear of God = honest appraisal of who he is & who we are

Fear of death/fear of man= underestimates God,

underestimates the kingdom of lightoverestimates humanity, overestimates darkness.

We are to fear God and have an honest appraisal of ourselves.

Faith gives us boldness. Fear of God gives us humility.

FEAR ISN’T THE ISSUE. WHAT WE FEAR IS THE ISSUE.

ROLL AWAY YOUR STONE AND I’LL ROLL AWAY MINETOGETHER WE CAN SEE WHAT WE WILL FIND

DON’T LEAVE ME ALONE AT THIS TIMEFOR I’M AFRAID OF WHAT I WILL DISCOVER INSIDE

‘CAUSE YOU TOLD ME THAT I WOULD FIND A HOLEWITHIN THE FRAGILE SUBSTANCE OF MY SOUL

AND I HAVE FILLED THIS VOID WITH THINGS UNREALAND ALL THE WHILE

MY CHARACTER IT STEALS

“ROLL AWAY YOUR STONE” – MUMFORD & SOSN

DARKNESS IS A HARSH TERM DON’T YOU THINK? AND YET IT DOMINATES THE THINGS I SEE

IT SEEMS THAT ALL MY BRIDGES HAVE BEEN BURNT

BUT YOU SAY,“ THAT’S EXACTLY HOW THIS GRACE THING WORKS”

IT’S NOT THE LONG WALK HOME THAT WILL CHANGE THIS HEARTBUT THE WELCOME I RECEIVE

WITH THE RESTART

“ROLL AWAY YOUR STONE” – MUMFORD & SOSN

DARKNESS IS A HARSH TERM DON’T YOU THINK? AND YET IT DOMINATES THE THINGS I SEE

STARS HIDE YOUR FIRESTHESE HERE ARE MY DESIRES

AND I WILL GIVE THEM UP TO YOU THIS TIME AROUND

AND SO I’LL BE FOUND WITH MY STAKE STUCK IN THIS GROUND

MARKING THE TERRITORY OF THIS NEWLY IMPASSIONED SOUL

“ROLL AWAY YOUR STONE” – MUMFORD & SOSN

BUT YOU YOU’VE GONE TOO FAR THIS TIME

YOU HAVE NEITHER REASON NOR RHYMEWITH WHICH TO TAKE THIS SOUL

THAT IS SO RIGHTFULLY MINE

“ROLL AWAY YOUR STONE” – MUMFORD & SOSN

“You cannot find peace by avoiding life”- Virginnia Woolf in The Hours

“So how do you overcome fear?”

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.”- Helen Keller

”I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full”

- Jesus (John 10:10)

1. What are you protecting yourself from that might be unnecessary? 2. What’s a step you could take to change this?

DISCUSS