'fear' Tagged Posts
Afraid of the Truth
Have you ever been afraid to ask a question? Maybe you can recall a time back in grade school where you were too afraid to ask a question in class because you feared the embarrassment of not knowing. Or perhaps it was a time when you were working on some type of project or problem and needed to ask for help but feared the rejection of your peers or mentor. On the converse, have you ever been afraid to hear…
Kindness of Linus
Charlie Brown has a special place in most of our hearts for one reason or another. Multiple generations have grown up watching and reading the adventures he and his gang of friends get themselves into. For those not even a fan of the 50’s era cartoon story and characters, the incredible music of Vince Guaraldi draws them in year after year. For many of us the nostalgic animation brings us back into the world of Charlie Brown around this time…
Faith Over Fear
In October 1957, the Soviet Union launched a spacecraft called Sputnik 1, which became the first artificial satellite to orbit the Earth. Sputnik 1 was a small satellite by modern standards. It was approximately the size of a beach ball but weighed 183.9 pounds. Additionally, Sputnik 1 was a simple satellite. Its only function was to transmit radio signals. And Sputnik 1’s mission was short. It transmitted radio signals for only 21 days until its batteries ran out. It orbited the Earth for only three months before…
No More Excuses
When Moses’ name is mentioned, most of us likely think of a heroic, faithful leader. But that is not the Moses to which we are initially introduced. In Exodus 3:10, we learn that God met Moses at the burning bush and informed him that He would use him to free the children of Israel. You would think a man who is identified as a hero of faith (Hebrews 11:23-28), a friend of God (Exodus 33:11), and granted the right to…
Articluhaphobia
What are you afraid of? What is something that gives you chills or makes you feel uncomfortable when you see it, feel it, or even just think about it? When it comes to the population of America, there are a few fear or phobias that affect the majority of people. See if you fall into any of these categories: Arachnophobia – fear of spiders. Affects as many as 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men. Ophidiophobia – fear…
The Fear Factor
It seems that when tigers hunt, they have a remarkable capacity for causing their prey to paralyze with fear, a size greater than any of the other big cats. As the tiger charges toward its helpless victim, it lets out a spine-chilling roar. Now you’d think this would be enough to cause the prey to turn and run for its life, but instead, it often freezes and soon becomes tiger food. At the turn of the 21st century, scientists at…
The Framing Department – Part Three
We have spent the past two weeks taking a look at some of the “frames” that surround our thoughts, words, and actions. We are basically talking about the motivations and expectations that serve as our primary approach towards life. So far, we have discussed “The Frame of Self-Righteousness” and “The Frame of Guilt,” and we have seen that neither of these frames is effective, much less biblical. This week, we will take a look at another common “frame” that many…
THE FEAR FACTOR – PART THREE
As we wrap up this study on our response towards fear, let’s take a look at one final approach: THE “FEAR OF GOD” APPROACH: What does this approach towards fear look like? Imagine the following scenario: Something happens in our life that causes us to be afraid, but instead of doing nothing or reacting to the cause/source of that fear, we remind ourselves of whom we fear most: God. As a result of this foundational “fear” of God, we make…
THE FEAR FACTOR – PART TWO
Last week, we began a 3-part study on how to handle fear. We took a look at the “Frozen by Fear” approach and saw that it is an unwise and unbiblical way to deal with our fears. We simply can’t “do nothing” in most scary situations and still be pleasing to God. So let’s examine another possibility this week: APPROACH #2: THE “MISPLACED FEAR” APPROACH What does this particular approach to fear look like? Imagine this scenario: Something happens in…
THE FEAR FACTOR – PART ONE
Have you ever been in a situation that scared you to the point that you didn’t know what to do or how to handle it? Have you ever allowed fear to control your decision-making? Have you ever wondered what to do when you are scared to do anything? Maybe some of these situations sound familiar: “I’ve lied to my parents about something, and I know I need to make it right, but I’m afraid of what might happen if I tell…