Game Changers - Using Pain

This month we have been looking at some game changing ideas that can significantly improve our lives and strengthen our faith.  The first week we learned that Jesus is greater than our problems AND Jesus is with us, which means that no matter what situation we are in, we can have hope that things can improve.  The second week we learned that anything new comes with a learning curve, so we have to start small and keep going.  “New” comes from a long obedience in the same direction.  Last week we learned that one way we can keep moving forward is to introduce a new habit or routine, specifically one that will help us focus on God and change the rhythm of our lives.  Today we are going to look at a game changer that in time can touch all of us, because today’s game changer has to do with how we deal with pain.

Pain is the great unifier because we all deal with people.  We have all been through seasons of pain, or are in a season of pain, or we will enter into a season of pain in the future, so pain comes to all of us.  The pain might be physical.  Many of you have had your lives touched by the physical pain of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, MS, or accidents, and you have seen this pain in those you love.  If it is not physical pain, then maybe it is financial.   We struggle with mounting debt or shrinking assets.  We have retired and now aren’t sure we have enough to get us through, or we are just starting out and looking at school loans that seem insurmountable and never ending.

If you have ever loved anyone or anything, you have been through emotional pain.  I remember the day we had to put our dog Ginger to sleep.  Ginger was the first dog I remember, and she was my pal.

She helped me learn to walk, taking my hand to hold me steady, and she was my constant companion.

Ginger also had epilepsy, which led to an enlarged and weakened heart.  I remember the day she had a seizure at an unusual time of the day and the vet said, her heart just can’t continue.  I sobbed.  If you have ever loved anyone or anything, you have felt emotional pain.

And if you have been married for more than about 15 minutes, or dated someone for more than a few days, then you know what relational pain is like, and let’s not forget spiritual pain.  If we have any kind of relationship with God, we go through those moments of doubt and darkness where we wonder if God is with us.  Does God care for us?  Will God do anything to help us?  Does God even want to help us?

Pain is the great unifier because we all go through it, and we go through it many times in life.  So how do we deal with pain?   Some people allow pain to bury them.  These people become overwhelmed by pain and never get past it in their lives.  They break down, they shut down, and they are never able to move forward.  We often see this in people who have been so hurt in a relationship that they vow to never love again.  They have allowed relational and emotional pain to bury them.

Some people simply bury pain.  The deny it, ignore it, force into some deep, dark hole and never openly or honestly deal with it.  While we think we can overcome pain by doing this, the truth is that we can never really bury pain.  Buried pain will pop up in our lives when we least expect it, or when we are most vulnerable, and it will keep us from moving forward, and fully experiencing the freedom and joy of living and loving.

These are the extremes in dealing with pain, but there is a middle ground, and there is even a way of using our pain to lead us to a better place in life.  Before we move on, however, if you have just realized that you deal with pain by burying it, or if you have let pain bury you, and you want to begin to honestly deal with it, then I want to encourage you get some support and help.  Pastor Terry, Pastor David, and I are all willing to sit and talk with you, and we are all willing to direct you to counselors and people who can help you process life’s pain.  We have several competent counselors in the congregation who are also willing to help you or direct you to the right help.  If you want to work through your painful times, then please let us know.

To help us learn how we can look differently at the pain we go through, we are going to look at a painful moment in the life of a family who loved Jesus, and a family whom Jesus loved.  Mary and Martha were two sisters who had come to know Jesus, and whenever Jesus was in the region of Bethany, a town not far from Jerusalem, Jesus would stay with them.  They also had a brother named Lazarus, who was also a close friend of Jesus.  When Lazarus became sick, Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus, hoping he would come quickly and heal their brother.  We find this story in John 11:1-7.

Did you notice that when Mary and Martha sent the message, they didn’t have to mention Lazarus’ name?  This shows us what a close relationship these two had.  And they didn’t say, Jesus the one who loves you is sick, but the one YOU love is sick.  This was a special friend to Jesus, and yet, Jesus did not drop everything to run to Lazarus’s side.  In fact as we keep reading, it appears that Jesus actually allowed Lazarus to die.  John 11:11-15

Why would Jesus wait and allow Lazarus to die before he went to visit?  Did Jesus not love Lazarus?  Did he not care about Mary and Martha?  No, he loved and cared for them deeply.  What this story shows us is that our circumstances are not evidence of how God feels about us.  This might be the game changing truth you need to hear today.  Our personal circumstances are NOT evidence of how God feels about us.  In other words, if we are going experiencing pain, it does not mean that God is not with us, or that God does not care about us, or that God doesn’t want to or is unable to help us.

The evidence of how God feels about us is not found in our circumstances but in the cross.  The cross is the constant reminder about how much God loves us.  For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son.  And no greater love is there than this, to lay down one’s life for his friends.  So God sent Jesus into the world to live for us and die for us, which means that it is the cross that shows us just how much God loves us, and the cross doesn’t change.

Our circumstances change, and if we are looking at the circumstances of our lives to evaluate whether or not God loves us, we will be on a roller coaster of faith.  When things are going well, we will think God loves us, when we experience pain, we will think God has forgotten us.  Our circumstances are not and cannot be the evidence of how God feels about us, the cross is that evidence of God’s unconditional love for us, and the cross never changes.  God’s love never changes.  Paul assures of this in Romans 8:35-39.

So death did not end Jesus’ love for Lazarus because it was after he died that Jesus went to Bethany.  Outside of town he met Martha and they talked theologically about resurrection and life, but then Jesus met Mary.  He saw her weeping and that moved Jesus.  It says, Jesus wept.  If there is one verse of scripture you want to memorize, here it is.  Jesus wept.  Why did Jesus weep?  Because he loved Lazarus and Martha and Mary.  Jesus wept because he felt their pain and despair.  In times of pain we need to recite this verse, Jesus wept, because in our pain, Jesus weeps for us and with us.

We get bad news from the doctor, Jesus weeps with us.  We struggle with the breakup of a relationship, Jesus weeps with us.  We feel hopeless because of the financial struggles that seem to be sinking our lives and families, Jesus weeps with us.  We experience tragic and unexplained violence in our community, Jesus weeps with us.  We walk through a dark night of the soul and think that God has forgotten us, Jesus weeps with us.  And why does Jesus weep with us?  Because he loves us.  God loves us and cares about our lives.

So here is the second game changer we need to remember when we face pain, we believe in a God who cares.  God is not shaken by our pain, instead, God is moved by it.  God is not overwhelmed by our pain, instead God weeps with us.  This is the picture we get of God all through the scriptures.

When God’s people cried out in pain as slaves in Egypt, God heard their cry and sent them one who would lead them into freedom.  In Psalm 23 we read, even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me...  You comfort me.  

When David felt lost, alone, and abandoned by God, and everyone around him, God said to him, Psalm 34:18.   The Lord is close to the brokenhearted, and saves those who are crushed in spirit. 

Our pain is not evidence that God has abandoned us, or a sign that God does not love us; God is near to us in times of pain, and God is present to help turn our pain into something positive.  That is what Jesus did with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.  John 11:38-44

Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead and turned the pain of this family into an example of God’s power.  But this painful time also became a platform for other people to see and experience the love and grace and power of God.  John 11:45.  Many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. So this painful experience for Mary, Martha, and Lazarus not only was an opportunity to give God glory, but it became a platform to tell other people about the power and love of God.

Whenever we go through painful times, it gives us a platform to point people to Jesus.  In our world, the two biggest platforms we are given to point people to the power and love of God are success and pain.  If you walk through the biography section of any book store, you will find stories about those who have achieved success, and those who have overcome pain.  Those are both platforms for us to point people to God, but only pain is universal.

We all have, or will, experience pain, and every painful chapter of our lives becomes an opportunity, or a platform, for us to point people to God.  Every struggle with our health, every difficult relationship we push through, every financial set back we face, every dark night of our soul, is an opportunity for us to point people to Jesus.  Pain is universal, so when we are able to share how God sees us through the pain, others will find the strength and the courage they need to trust God as well.  And if we are struggling to get through a painful moment, then we need to look to others who can help point us in the right direction.

We point people to God through support groups, blogs where we share our painful struggles with the world, as well as personal testimonies with family and friends.  Every painful event gives us a platform, and using our pain to lead us to a place of greater faith, and seeing how our pain can be used by God, just might be the game changer that also helps us overcome that pain.  Sharing our pain and pointing people to Jesus helps us look to Jesus to find comfort, power, and peace.

So we can allow pain to bury us, or we can bury pain, but the better way to deal with our pain and overcome it is to begin to see our pain as an opportunity to give God glory and a platform to point others to the power and love of God.

So where are we today in our own battle with pain?
Are we trying to bury pain?
Have we allowed pain to bury us?

Let’s look at a better way.  How can our pain give us an opportunity to give glory to God, and what kind of platform has our pain given us to point people to Jesus?

These are game changing ideas that can help us through the pain and make this year our best year yet.
 

Next Steps
Game Changers – Pain

Game Changing Concept #1 – Our circumstances are not evidence of how God feels about us.

Game Changing Concept #2 – We believe in a God who cares. 

1.  In what ways have you allowed pain to bury you?
• In what ways have you tried to bury pain?
• How have both of these responses been ineffective?

2. What pain currently makes you feel far from God?

3. Read the story of Jesus and Lazarus in John 11:1-45.

4. How does this story show us that our circumstances are not evidence of how God feels about us?
• How is this good news for you today?
• Read Romans 8:28-39.

5. Jesus wept with Mary, Martha, and their friends.
• Where do you need Jesus to weep with you?
• How can knowing that “God cares” help you get through this difficult time?

6. Who do you know that needs to hear that God cares for them?  How can you share this game changing truth with them?

7. Pain is a platform for us to point people to Jesus.
• What pain have you been through that can become a platform in your life?
• How can you share your story with others?
• Who can support you in this ministry?

Game Changers - New Life

Last week we started a new series called game changers, because if we are going to make this year better than last year, and better than every year we have lived so far, we need to make some changes.  Nothing gets better if nothing changes, and sometimes to make the needed changes in our lives we need some game changers.  A game changer is a newly introduced element or factor that changes an existing situation or activity in a significant way.

A game changer can be a new way of looking at things, new habits that we introduce into our lives, or a new way of living that will lead us to something better.  Last week the game changer we learned from the disciples was that we can overcome fear by understanding that Jesus is bigger than our fears AND Jesus is always with us.  When we begin to live with this kind of confidence and conviction, we will be able to cross over from our fear and move from what is comfortable to what is courageous, from what is predictable to what we are passionate about, and from what is safe to what is deeply satisfying.

Today’s game changer helps us see that anything new we introduce into our lives doesn’t take place quickly.  We see this every time we start a new activity, or buy something new, there is always a learning curve we have to go through.  For example, we all love new cars and that new car smell, but it takes a while to figure out how to actually drive that new car.  Where do we put the key?  Wait, what, you don’t need a key?  How do I use the back-up camera and GPS system?  What is Bluetooth anyway?  And the first time behind the wheel it feels different, maybe awkward, and while we love what is new, to get to the place where that new thing actually feels better, takes time.  There are no shortcuts.  A new life, and a better life, comes when we take small steps, feel awkward and unsure, but then keep going.

If you have ever started a new job, learned to play an instrument, tried out for a new sport, or experimented in any form of art, then you know this truth:  our first day is never our best day.  My first day trying to run after I turned 40 was not pretty.  I couldn’t go more than a few hundred feet before I had to stop and walk, and I often wanted to throw up.  It wasn’t my best day.  My best day came years later when I ran my first half marathon and over the course of those 13.1 miles I didn’t have to stop at all or throw up.  Our first day riding a bike is never our best day, in fact, our first day often looks like this.

I’m thankful there were no cell phone cameras when I was learning to ride a bike.  My first ride probably wasn’t much better, but it wasn’t my last ride.  We’ve all been there.  The first day doing anything new feels awkward and uncomfortable.   We are afraid and we are not sure we are doing anything right, but we keep going.

In 2 Corinthians 5:17 it says, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone and the new is here.  But this new creation, this new life, doesn’t transform us immediately.  We are changed over time not overnight, and it can be a long, slow process.  So here is the game changing concept we need to embrace if we want to get to that new and better life – “new” comes through a long obedience in the same direction.  

New habits, new faith, stepping out in new directions, embracing new opportunities, entering into new relationships, anything new we introduce into our lives takes time and commitment to make it work.  We can’t be great in new things at the very beginning, we have to commit to this new life over the long haul.

One of the reasons new things are often so hard to work through is because we are replacing something old.  That new car works differently and we are used to the old one.  For years I drove a car with standard transmission and every time I visited my parents and drove their car, I was always trying to push in the clutch.  Of course there wasn’t a clutch so I would just slam on the brakes.  I was used to one way of driving and now was trying to wrap my head around something new, or rather something old, because I knew how to drive their car.  Learning something new takes time.
Let’s go back to the idea of riding a bike.

Knowledge is not understanding.  Just because we know something doesn’t mean we understand how to do it, or have the ability to do it.  This is definitely true when we look at our faith and what it means to follow Jesus.  The principles Jesus taught us and the life he lived was new to the people of his day and while they knew what he was saying, they struggled to live this new life.  The disciples were often getting things wrong, not fully understanding what Jesus was talking about, and failing to live up to the new life, and the better life, Jesus was showing them.  We find a great example of this in Mark 9:30-37.

Jesus had been teaching and leading his disciples for months.  He had been showing them that the better way to live was to love others, care for others before yourself, and serve others first.  Jesus even told them that he was going to lay down his life for others, but then the disciples started arguing about what?  Who was the greatest?  Jesus is trying to show them a new way to live.  He is trying to elevate the values of sacrifice and service, love and mercy, and while they might hear this and know what he is saying, they don’t understand it and they are not living it out.

This new way seems strange and foreign to them.  This new way is not how they have always lived.  They have always been taught to try and get to the top – fight for your position of prominence and power.  They had to unlearn this principle to embrace a new and better one.  What I love about this passage is that Jesus doesn’t condemn them, he teaches them.  One more time, he teaches them the priority, the value, the better life that comes through humility and service.  (9:36-37 again)

Their experience is still ours today because while the teachings of Jesus may not be new in our world, it is definitely different from how people live around us and what we see from the world.

Jesus taught people to forgive always, and while this is not a new idea, it is not how we see people living around us.  There is not much forgiveness in our world.  In fact what we tend to see is that it is fun to try and trip people up in their hypocrisy.  We look for people’s failures and are quick to point it out and hold on to it.  While Jesus teaches about mercy and forgiveness, it is not something we see, and if we try and live this life of grace, it can feel awkward, we think it doesn’t make sense, and so we give up.

It’s not just forgiveness, think about selflessness and sacrifice.  Jesus was telling his followers that putting the needs of others before their own was the better way to live, but again, that is not what we see, and it is not what we are taught by the world.  So if and when we practice this new way of living, it feels different and we find it difficult.  In so many ways, following Jesus means we have to live a new life and while Jesus promises that this new life will be better, living this new way isn’t going to be easy.

Knowledge is not understanding.  Knowing that we want to live a new way doesn’t mean we understand how to live that way, or have the ability to do it.  When it comes to following Jesus, just knowing what that means doesn’t equal having the power to do it.  Knowledge does not equal understanding.  Knowledge doesn’t equal new life, there has to be something more.  To get to that new and better life there has to be some game changing step, and here is it. 

What did Destin have to do to learn to ride that new bike?  He had to start small.  He had to be ok with knowing he wasn’t going to be good at it the first day.  He had to allow the entire process to feel awkward, he had to endure the teasing and ridicule of others, he had to literally fall off and then get back up again.  He had to start small, take slow steady steps, and keep going.  He said it took him 5 minutes a day for 8 months to develop the ability to ride this new bike.

Old pathways have to be unlearned and new pathways have to be established.  This is what the Apostle Paul said, the old has gone and the new is here, but this is a process that takes time, feels awkward, and requires small, steady steps in the same direction.  This is what we see in the disciples as they walked with Jesus.  They had to unlearn old ways of living so they could embrace the new ideas of Jesus.  To get the new life Jesus offered they had to commit to a long obedience in the same direction.  They had to commit to following Jesus day after day after day.

Whether we want a deeper faith, or have better relationships, a healthier lifestyle, or develop new habits that can lead us to a new life, new only comes through a long obedience in the same direction.  It comes by unlearning the old and truly learning and practicing the new.  This simply takes time.  Better relationships take time.  Learning new habits and improving in any sport, art or skill takes time.  If we want the better life that Jesus offers, it takes time and a commitment to keep moving in that new direction.

If it is a deeper faith that we want in this New Year, we need to introduce small daily steps that will lead us to where we want to be.  One step might be the 5x5 we are encouraging people to do.  If you haven’t been with us these past few weeks, the 5x5 is reading God’s word 5 days a week and praying 5 minutes a day.  This is a slow, steady process of unlearning an old way of life – living just for me – and learning a new way of life – putting God first and making time with God a priority.  There will be moments of triumph and failure, but the key is to keep going.

Maybe the deeper faith and better life will come through service.  What small step can you take to serve God?  Can you give some time next Saturday to the Habitat Work Day?  Can you offer your time to serving in the church or work with your family at the Faith Centre and Food Bank?

Maybe the deeper faith and better life will come through forgiveness and love.  Who is it that you need to forgive?  Who is God asking you to love and extend to them grace and mercy?  Maybe the deeper faith and better life will come when we can let go of the pain of being hurt by someone and find some peace.

New and better comes from a long obedience in the same direction and God has promised that if we can make this our way of living, He will lead us to new life.  Philippians 1:6 says, I am confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.  In other words, the new life we want is a lifetime of small steps with God.

It is important that we work to make it a lifetime of intentionally living this new way because once we stop focusing on this new life, once we allow ourselves to slide back to the old life that old life returns quickly. 

It took him 8 months of constant, daily, slow training to unlearn the old way of riding a bike and embrace the new way, but it only took him a few minutes to return to the old way.  New habits and lifestyles only stay with us as long as we are focused on them, if we give them up – the old ways return quickly.  I haven’t run for some time so when I get back out there this spring, I will be closer to my first day then my best day.  While we often see and experience this in things like sports, my hope is that we won’t allow this happen to our faith.

When we stop reading God’s word, stop praying, stop serving God and others, stop worshiping, and giving ourselves in love to others, our life of faith suffers terribly and it will quickly fade away.  The game changing truth we need to remember is that the new we want, the better life, our best year yet, comes from a long obedience in the same direction.  A constant, intentional, daily living of new life that will lead us to something better.

To watch the entire backwards bike video.  Visit The Backwards Bike.


Next Steps
Game Changers – New Life

Game Changing Concept – new life comes from a long obedience in the same direction.

1. Identify an activity in your life where your first day was not your best day.  What steps helped you move from that first day to your best day?  How long did that process take?

2. In our faith, following Jesus often means unlearning how we currently live.  What thoughts, priorities, and activities have you had to unlearn to more faithfully follow Jesus?  What thoughts, priorities, and activities do you currently need to unlearn to more faithfully follow Jesus?

3. In what ways can you see in your own life that Knowledge ≠ Understanding?  What do you know about following Jesus but struggle to live out?

4. In what area of your life do you need to apply this game changing concept?
• Faith
• Family
• Finances
• New work ethic
• Learning new skills
• Diet and/or exercise

5. What would a long obedience in the same direction mean to you in the areas you want to change?

6. Support, encouragement, and accountability are essential for long term change and growth.
Who can support you in the changes you want to make?  Who can hold you accountable - in love?

Game Changers - Overcoming Fear

If we want to make 2019 our best year yet, we need to introduce some game changers into our life.  A game changer is a newly introduced element or factor that changes an existing situation or activity in a significant way.  A game changer helps us see life differently, embrace new ideas, and take new risks which, in turn, helps us live life differently.  It is only in living life differently that we will find something better.  For the next few weeks we are going to look at some concepts that could be game changers in our own lives.  If we can introduce these ideas and practices into our daily living, 2019 can be better than any year we have experienced before. 

The first game changer is perhaps the most powerful one because what holds most of us back in life is fear.  Fear keeps us from taking risks and trying new things.  Fear keeps us in the status quo, which keeps us from a better life.  In 1980, it was fear that kept me from auditioning for the spring musical of my senior year.  We were doing the musical Godspell and I knew the soundtrack by heart.  The irony is that I wanted to try out for the part of Judas because he got to sing my favorite song in the show, but I was too afraid.  Fear kept me from crossing over into a better life.  Fear kept me from an adventure and an experience to remember – whether I got the part or not. 

Fear holds us back in life and keeps us safe in our comfort zones.  Fear keeps us from new relationships that can bring love and joy.  Fear keeps us from better finances because we miss new jobs and new opportunities.  Fear keeps us from fulfilling our dreams and God’s plans because we are never willing to step out in faith.  Fear keeps us from serving God more fully and experiencing the blessing of that service.  Fear keeps us from crossing over
from what is safe to what is satisfying,
from what is comfortable to what is courageous,
from what was predictable to what we are passionate about. 
So how do we make this change?  How do we cross over and experience a better life?  The game changer is to overcome fear and the disciples show us how to do this.
Matthew 8:23-27.

The disciples are crossing over the Sea of Galilee when a storm hits their boat.  Storms often came up quickly on the sea and this one was terrifying.  It was literally ground shaking for the disciples, the word for storm here is seismo, which is where we get the word seismograph which registers what?  Earthquakes.  This was a massive ground shaking storm that brought fear to the hearts of the disciples and it was Jesus who helped them not turn back to where it was safe but continue to cross over the sea.  Jesus can be the one to help us cross over to a better life – even when we are afraid – if we will learn to do what the disciples did, and the first thing they did was to follow Jesus.   Matthew 8:23.

Jesus is the one who got into the boat first.  He is the one who was leading them to a better life, but there was risk involved.   While Jesus always wants to lead us to a better life, there is also an element of risk involved because leaving the status quo behind always carries risk.  Jesus always called people to something bigger and better.  Jesus called fishermen to become fishers of men and women and work to lead people into the kingdom of God, but they had to leave behind what was secure, like their families, homes, and jobs.  Jesus called tax collectors and prostitutes to become children of God, but they had leave behind their lives of sin to embrace this new life.  Because sin is often where we are most comfortable living, it is difficult to leave it behind, but can we leave what is safe so that we can experience a life that is more satisfying?  Following Jesus always means crossing over from where we are to where God wants us to be – and sometimes this is a scary journey – but we can find strength to overcome our fear if we will look in the right places.

When the storm came up for the disciples, they were looking in the wrong place, they were looking at the storm.  They were looking at the wind which was whipping all around them.  They were looking at the water that was crashing over the sides of the boat ready to sink their ship.  They were looking at the strength of the storm and saw that the storm was greater than they were.  When they wake Jesus up from his nap, they are still looking at the storm.  Notice what they say, Matthew 8:25 – we are going to die.  They can only see the power of the storm and the danger of the wind and waves.

This is living a fear filled life.  When all we can see is that the storm is greater than we are, we will live in fear.  This is where the disciples are living and if they had their way they would have quickly turned back to shore, but Jesus shows them another way.  Jesus calms the storm, and in that moment, the disciples suddenly see things from a different perspective.  Jesus is greater than the storm.  If we are going to cross over to a better life, then the game changing concept we need to hold onto is this: Jesus is greater than the storm. 

Whatever storm we think might hold us back in life or keep us down, Jesus is greater.  Whatever fear we have that keeps us from stepping out and trying something new, Jesus is greater.  Whatever it is we think is going to shipwreck our lives, Jesus is greater.  If I had known this in High School, maybe I would have stepped out onto the stage to sing, because no matter what happened, Jesus is greater than the storm and when we focus on him and follow him we will find a better life.

The game changer that helps us overcome fear is knowing that Jesus is greater than the storms and our fear, but just knowing Jesus is greater, is only half of the equation, the other half is this, Jesus is with us.  The disciples were not alone in the boat – sleeping on a bench in the midst of it all, was Jesus.  Knowing that we are not alone, that Jesus is with us, can also give us the courage to cross over from what is predictable in life, to what we are passionate about. 

Think of all the people in the bible who stepped out in faith because they knew that God was with them.  Moses set out to free God’s people because God told him that he was not alone.  David went up against Goliath because he knew that God went with him.  Daniel remained faithful to God even though he knew it would send him into a lion’s den because he knew that when he was tossed in there, God would go with him.  The disciples set out with the message of Jesus because they knew that God, through the Holy Spirit, was with them.

We need to learn from the disciples that the power of God is always with us.  It doesn’t mean we will always find success and that the future we want, will be ours, but it does mean we can keep crossing over from fear to faith and from what is safe to what is more satisfying.  I may have never gotten that part in High School, but I would have been more satisfied if I had at least crossed over from my fear and tried for it. 

Overcoming fear is a game changer that we can develop.  Fear doesn’t go away just because we want it to, we need to learn how to become fearless by understanding that Jesus is bigger than the storm.  This is the game changing perspective that we can develop by doing 3 things. 

1. Stay in the scriptures.  Reading God’s word helps us see the power of God.  From creation, to the power we see in Jesus, to the power and love of God seen in the book of Revelation, we see the power of God by reading God’s word.  But God’s word doesn’t just open our eyes to who God is and what God can do, it shapes us.  God’s word is living and active and it shapes our attitudes and perspectives.  God’s word can breathe into us courage and strength.  If we feast on God’s word daily, it will strengthen us and help us cross over from fear to faith. 

If you are not doing the 5x5 we talked about last week, I want to invite you to join us.  The 5X5 is reading God’s word 5 days a week and praying for 5 minutes a day.  It is not too late to start and you can pick up the reading schedule in the lobby.  This can be a game changer in your life. 

2. Start small.  We need to learn how to take small steps away from what is comfortable.  The disciples spent three years with Jesus before they were sent out in ministry.  They took small steps with Jesus and learned to trust him day after day.  What small step of faith can we can take to teach us how to trust God?  What small risk can we take to learn that God is bigger than our fear and that God is bigger than the storms around us?  What one small step can we take in this new year to cross over from fear to faith? 

3. Stand on God’s promises.  If committing to reading the Bible in a year seems too big a step to take, how about spending the rest of this series standing on one of God’s promises every week?  For every fear that tries to hold us back, God provides a promise to help us overcome.  If we are afraid of being alone, God promises to be with us always.  If we are afraid of public speaking, God promises to give us words to speak.  If we are afraid that financially we will not have enough for tomorrow, God said that he will provide all we need.  If we are afraid of death, God said, that if we trust in him, we will have everlasting life. 

For every fear we face, God has a promise to help us overcome that fear, and if we stand on that promise – we can find the courage to cross over to a better life. 

Overcoming fear is a game changer that can make this year our best ever.  We may not always get the success we want, we may not always get the victory we are looking for, but we will get a stronger faith, and we will experience the fullness of life that God wants for us.  It won’t always be easy, but it will be an adventure, and it will be our best year yet. 




Next Steps
Game Changers – Overcome Fear

Game Changing Concept – Jesus is greater than the storm.

1.  What fears keep you from crossing over to a better life?
What risks are you afraid to take in your relationships, job, finances, and faith?

2.  Stay in the scriptures. 
If you are not already reading the Bible daily, consider doing the 5x5 and read through the Bible this year.  Reading plans can be found in the lobby. 

3. Start small. 
What small step can you take to get out of your comfort zone?  What step can you take to connect with God and others, serve in and through the church, and grow in your faith? 

4. Stand on God’s promise. 
For every fear we face, God has a promise to help us overcome.  Use these promises to help you overcome fear during the next four weeks.

• Fear of the future – Psalm 56:3-4, Proverbs 3:5-8, Jeremiah 29:11-14, Matthew 6:33-34, Luke 12:22-28
• Fear of failure – Joshua 1:6-9, Psalm 23, Psalm 46:1-6, Romans 8:31-39
• Fear of being forgotten – Isaiah 49:15-16, Luke 12:6-7, Lamentations 3:22-24, Philippians 1:3-6
• Fear of fatigue – Isaiah 40:28-31, Isaiah 41:10, Jeremiah 17:7-8, Matthew 11:28-30, Philippians 4:19