I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13
As I sit at my desk preparing to preach and teach our new series called No Fear, I am thinking about my childhood fears. The first thing that comes to mind is my fear of anything having to do with spiders. I spent a good deal of time outdoors with my brothers and friends growing up. We often went trampling through the nearby woods on one adventure or another. Nothing freaked me out more than walking through a spider web. As if feeling the sticky fibers all over my face and body wasn't bad enough, I never knew if the spider had also attached itself to my various nooks and crannies or clothing. What a nightmare!
Then, my big brothers taught me how to flick the spiders off of my body whenever I detected one. Being able to remove them made me feel braver about their proximity. I also became more alert to seeing their webs and avoiding passing through them. After all, those little creatures had much more to fear from the wrath of a human child than I should have had for them, right? A few years later, when I discovered a spider in its habitat, I would stand amazed at the intricacy of the web and the movement of the spider. In time, I overcame my fear of spiders and their webs. They no longer have any power over me.
Fear is a tricky thing. It can either protect us from harm or put us in an unnecessary tailspin based on misconceptions and faulty information. Starting this Sunday, we will be exploring fear, discovering ways to determine the genuineness of a perceived threat, and learning strategies to overcome fears with faith. Some of the topics being addressed are: fear of "the other," fear of failure, fear of disappointing others, and fear of change.
Come and join us for worship during the five-week series. On Sunday you will receive a daily devotional booklet to encourage praying the scriptures throughout the duration of the study. Please also consider joining a small group that accompanies the No Fear study, so you can dig deeper into the topics and make progress with the fears, anxiety and worries that may be holding you back. This series is based on Adam Hamilton's book Unafraid: Living with Courage and Hope in Uncertain Times.
In Christ,
Pastor Mary
P.S. Click here to watch a video for an introduction to our new sermon series.