Saturday, March 22, 2014

Kicking Fear to the Curb {Week 3}

Week 3 - Replacing Fear with Faith 

Hello ladies! Erin here with you this week. Can you believe it's already week 3 of Kicking Fear to the Curb! We have some powerful truths planned this week to help you replace the fear in your life.

As we've talked about previously, fear of things in this world come easy. Fear of what could happen to my family, fear of burglars and fear of failing are just a few of my fears. 
In 2 Timothy 1:7, Paul tells Timothy:
  
"God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline.”

What a powerful verse! If we have a spirit of fear and timidity, we need to rid our lives of them and replace fear and timidity with power, love and self-discipline. And to do this we need to dig deeper into what fearing The Lord means.

Proverbs 9:10 says:

"The fear of The Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding."

What is fear of The Lord? Does it come easy? For most of us it is probably easier to fear the things of this world than to fear The Lord. But why is that? Is it because in our daily lives, we feel like fear is a negative word? Fear of The Lord is the only healthy fear we can have, but yet so few have a good grasp on what that actually means.

Fear in the negative sense brings timidity.  Fear of the Lord brings wisdom and understanding.
These verses are going to be our plan for replacing the fear in our life this week. We need to take our eyes off the things of this world that we fear and focus on the One True God.

By the end of this week, you will have the tools to rid your life of fear, replace it with faith in The Lord and keep it away!

Free Tools: (clickable links)


Assignments 

Assignment 1

1.What is one fear in your life that you can go to God with this week? Got it? Great! Now do a topical search using our free Bible tools to help you find out if the Bible has anything specific to say about that fear.

2.Did you find any specific promises that God gives to help overcome that fear?

3.In 2 Timothy 1:7 we see power, love and self-discipline as replacements for worldly fear.   Read 1 Acts 1:8, 1 John 4:18, 2 Peter 1:2-7.  How are power, love and self-control connected?

4.What is the opposite of fear?

Assignment 2

 1. What do you think fearing The Lord means?

 2. Do you believe that you truly have fear of The Lord?

  3.  God has many names that can give better understanding of who He is, which will help you in conquering your fears.  The Blue Letter Bible's lists of the "Names of God in the Old Testament" and "Our God is...We are..." are fabulous resources!   Find at least one that speaks to you specifically in regards to the fear you are tackling this week. 

 4.  Does knowing more about the Lord and His attributes help you to have faith in His promises? Why or why not?

 Assignment 3

 1. Look at Isaiah 43:1-21.  What does it say about believing God?  Now that you know more about the Lord and how He is aware of your fears, do you believe Him? 

 2. Read Mark 5:36.  How is believing God linked to not fearing things of the world?

 3.  Verse map Phillipians 4:6-7 and/or 1 Peter 5:7.  What actions do you need to take to be successful in living in continuous victory over your fear?

Blog Hop

Watch for the Blog Hop post on Thursday and share your blog with us if you have one.  Suggested topics for this week's Blog Hop are:
1    Share the promises God gave you through His Word to overcome your fear.  Will these verses help you kick fear to the curb once and for all?

What name(s) of God did you find that will help you conquer your fear? How will this help you have faith in God’s promises?

What did you discover about how you view the fear of the Lord? How will this help you kick fear to the curb?

What did your verse map of Philippians 4:6-7 or 1 Peter 5:7 look like? What will help you overcome your fear? 
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Saturday, March 15, 2014

Kicking Fear to the Curb {Week 2}

Week 2 – Victors over Fear

Hello fearless Gap Bible Study ladies!!! Sue here! I am so thankful to have the opportunity to study God’s Word with you this week! Last week, we looked at some victims of fear. This week, we are going to look at some victors! I love a good victory story, don’t you?!

Our faith overcomes our fear and gives us the courage to take risks for Jesus. When we face our
difficulties with courage, God leads us to our destiny. This week, we are going to be looking at three
 different victors over fear. Monday, we will look at David. Wednesday, we will look at Joshua.
 And, Friday, we will finish with the Author and Finisher of our faith, Jesus! It's going to be great seeing how they were victorious over fear and how we can apply the truths that help them to our own
lives!

We will also look at how our victors utilized the train of thought: belief-faith-courage-action-success that
 helped them be victorious.

Use the following links to help you dig into God’s Word this week:

(Monday) Assignment 1: David 

In 1 Samuel 17, we find David about to face the giant, Goliath. Goliath was huge! He was nine and a
half feet tall, and you can bet he worked out! When David heard about this giant, who threatened the
Israelite army, he asked, "Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the
living God?" David showed no fear. He knew God was on his side. He had seen how God had helped in
the past and knew He would help him in this situation (1 Sam 17:35-36). He faced the giant and spoke to
the giant, "The battle is the Lord's, and He will give you into our hands."

We, too, have giants we need to face. They may not be physically nine feet tall, but they can seem just
as insurmountable. Like David, we need to know some things before we are ready to face our giants.

What did David know? What was it that made Him so ready and EAGER even to face this giant with
certainty that he would come out victorious?

1. David knew His God. He spent many hours in the presence of the Lord. Before David was a giant
slayer, he was a harp player. He spent many hours singing and praising the Lord in the middle of the
meadow. David had a strong relationship with the Lord, which fed his confidence.

2. David knew His God was with Him and would help him. He drew confidence from past
victories. "Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of
them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God." (1 Samuel 17:36).

3. David knew who he was. He knew God was on his side and that he was in the army of the Living God.
We have God on our side and in comparison, all giants (fears) are small! We are victorious through Christ!

Read 1 Samuel 17. David knew his God.
1. What are some truths you know about Your God? Where are these truths found in scripture?

2. Use verse mapping and verse map Psalm 139:5, Deuteronomy 3:22, Deuteronomy 33:26, and/or Psalm 33:20. How do those verses help you?

3. Do a search on the word “help”. How does our God “help” us?

4. What is your giant (fear)? Using God’s Word as a weapon, what can you say to your giant to remind yourself of Whom is fighting for you, build up confidence and defeat the giant?

(Wednesday) Assignment 2: Joshua

Last week, we looked in the book of Numbers and saw how the Israelites feared the Canaanites instead of rightfully trusting and fearing God. Today, we will fastforward 40 years and look at Joshua.

In Joshua 1, God tells Joshua 3 times in the first 9 verses to be of “good courage”. Each of the three verses coincides with a reminder from the Lord of what is needed to help his people “be of good courage” to face their fears. What the Israelites did to prepare their hearts for belief is an example we can follow to prepare our own hearts to believe God and conquer fear.

1. In reading Joshua 1, what were the 3 verses where God told Joshua to “be of good courage”? What
instructions followed in those verses?

2. What did Joshua tell the Israelites in Joshua 1:13 and Joshua 3:5? How does this correlate with what God told Joshua about being of “good courage” in Joshua1:6 and Joshua 1:7?

3. Read Joshua 3 and 4, how many times do you see the Ark of the Covenant mentioned? How does that correspond with Joshua 1:9?

4. Now look at Joshua 6:10, why do you think God commanded Joshua that the Israelites should not say anything until they were told to “shout”? Do you think our words our important in overcoming fear? How do these truths apply to you?

5. How can you use these same truths to prepare your heart for belief and conquer your fears?

(Friday) Assignment 3: Jesus

The last Hero of the Bible we are going to look at this week is the King of Heroes—Jesus! We are going
to look at Jesus in the Garden and discover whether Jesus was afraid.  What do you think?  Do you think the King of Kings ever struggled with fear? 

In Matthew 26: 36-46, we find Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. He said to Peter, James, and John,
“My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.” (Matt 26:38).

My Bible, Spirit-Filled Life Bible (New King James Verson), commentary states that the agony Jesus experienced was not caused by the fear of physical death, but by the association of His death with sin. “For He made Him who knew no sin to become sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.” (2 Cor 5:21) This is huge! Sin and God cannot be together, so this meant Jesus would be temporarily apart from the Father!  That is why on the cross, He said, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt 27: 46).  Jesus trembled at the thought of being separated from the Father, and His Holy nature agonized over becoming sin, the one thing He hated.

Jesus, the One who constantly stood confident in the face of fear, is the same as God who commands
over and over again in His Word, "Do not be afraid."  He agonized over His plight and temporary suffering,
but He was not afraid. He may have been tempted to fear and He left a good example of what we
should do when tempted to fear. Jesus followed the train of thought: belief-faith-courage-action-
success. Of course He did, after all, He is Jesus. And we want to be like Jesus!

1. Read the example of Jesus in Matthew 26. Do you agree that Jesus was not afraid? Why or why not?

2. Do you think Jesus was naturally full of faith? Read Matt 4 and Matt 26, what did Jesus do in the face
of difficult circumstances and adversity?

3. Read James 5:15,16; Psalm 102:17; Matthew 21:22. How does prayer build our faith?

4. How did all three examples this week use the faith train of thought: belief-faith-
courage-action-success? How can we follow their example?

Blog Hop Topics:

Watch for the Blog Hop post on Saturday and add your links there!

1. Looking back at the faith heroes this week, what tool did Joshua, David, or Jesus use that would
 be most beneficial to you?

2. Think about God telling Joshua to “be of good courage.” Are you a woman of “good courage?”
 Why? If not, what could you do or what is holding you back?

3. Take some time and explore your doubt train. How has this train ride (wreck?) worked out for
 you?


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Saturday, March 8, 2014

Kicking Fear to the Curb {Week 1}




Week 1 - Victims of Fear

Welcome to Week 1 of Fear study! This is Erin Peters and Sue Molitor, and we have teamed up to write
this study for you. We are so glad you have joined us on this journey of digging deeper into what the Bible has to teach us about fear. This week we are going to look at being a victim of fear and bring
out some Biblical examples of those who were fearful/doubtful.

Fear is the opposite of faith and since God says that without faith it is impossible to please God, we can see how important gaining victory over fear is to God. There are over 300 times in scripture that the command "do not be afraid" appears. I think He's trying to tell us something!

We have a choice to make. We can choose one of two trains of thoughts. The one we choose will
determine our destination. One destination ends in success, the other ends in failure. Hmmm…which
train do you want to choose? Together, let’s choose the one of faith and ride it all the way to freedom
and our destiny in Christ!

The train of thought of faith: belief-faith-courage-action-success.

The train of thought of fear: Unbelief-doubt-fear-inaction-failure.

First, we wanted to share a little about why we wanted to write this study. We have both been
victims of fear in the past, and so we can relate to whatever struggle you have; we knew God would
speak not only through us, but to us as we wrote this study.  We pray that God will speak to you as you go through it.


If you can't see Erin's video above, click here to view it on YouTube



If you cannot view this Sue's video, click here to view it on You Tube

Now that you know a little about us and why we we're eager to do this study with you, get ready to dig
in and conquer fear and kick that bully to the curb!

Assignment 1

Fear. Just that single word can send a list of things running through your head. I don't know what your list
looks like, but I have one in my head, too. Most of my fears boil down to control. I want to control the
situation and I doubt God can really handle the situation. In the light of day, it seems ridiculous, but in
those moments of fear-soaked panic, I hold on pretty tight to being in charge.

Fear is a tool that Satan uses to try and control our lives. And control it he does. How many times have
you thought you heard a noise at night, but did not want to get out of your bed just in case a burglar
might be in your house so you hide under your covers in fear? Okay, maybe that's just me, but the point
is that fear can be something that cripples us. We can become so blind to our fears, that we cannot see
the work of God in our lives or what He wants to do. Just think of how many people suffer from the fear
of public speaking who could be sharing the work of God with others in their lives. Or how many people suffer from
the fear of rejection, so they avoid inviting their neighbor to church because they can't handle being told
no.

Free Tools: (clickable links)

Use the free tools to dig deeper into these key words:
- fear
- faith
- wisdom
- doubt
- courage
 - trust

What connections did you find between these words? Did you discover clarification on these things in your own life? Does this change the way you look at your own fears? Did you feel God speaking to you through these verses in regards to your own fears?

Assignment 2

Use verse mapping to see how God speaks to you in these verses: Proverbs 3:5-6, Philippians 4:13,
2 Timothy 1:7, Joshua 1:9, Isaiah 41:10, Deuteronomy 31:6, and then share what God showed you in one
of the verses and/or post a picture of your verse mapping!

Assignment 3

Fear is something that goes as far back as the Garden of Eden. In Genesis Chapter 3, we see the first
recorded instance of fear. The first person to experience fear was Eve. What exactly did she fear? In Genesis Chapter 3, we read about Eve being tempted and falling. God told her not to eat of that tree. Instead of trusting God, she chose to believe the lie of the enemy and feared that God was keeping something from her. The second instance of fear was when Adam took the fruit and ate.Maybe he feared losing his wife, so he followed her in sin. Then, in Genesis 3:7, we see the third instance of fear recorded. Because Adam and Eve had sinned, they hid in fear from God. Fear begets sin and sin begets fear.

Pardon my pun, but the apple didn’t fall far from the tree, because just a chapter later in Genesis 4, we
see the story of Cain and Abel. Read Genesis 4. God rejected Cain’s offering and in anger, Cain sinned
and killed his brother.

Was Cain’s sin rooted in fear? What was his motivation for not offering his best to begin with? Did he fear he would be losing his best crops and provision instead of trusting God to provide? Did he then fear further rejection from God? Fear of rejection causes us to take our eyes off of trusting God and loving others and puts them onto ourselves. Fear begets sin.

Now that we have looked at the first family in the Bible and their struggles with fear, let’s jump ahead to
another group of people who oozed with fear--the Israelites. I am fascinated with this group of people
because they saw miracles and signs and wonders that make our mouths hang open. Yet they lived in
fear and doubted God consistently.  Let’s look more closely at the Israelites and see how their lack of faith and unbelief kept them in the wilderness for 40 years and, ultimately, led to their death.

Read Numbers 13 and 14. How did the Israelites choose doubt and fear over trust and faith? What did
it cost them? (Numbers 14: 30-33).

How did Adam and Eve, Cain, and the Israelites use the fear train of thought?
Unbelief-doubt-fear-inaction-failure

What does fear cost us when we choose fear over faith in God and His Word? What is one scripture you found this week that will help you overcome fear?

However tempted I may be to judge our Old Testament friends, I am reminded that we, too, are guilty of the same. God has done so much for me and yet there are times when I find myself in fear instead of trusting God. Sweet friends, we can conquer fear and trust our God. He is good. He is faithful. We can trust in His provision. We can trust in His love and care.

Blog Hop Topics:

 Watch for the Blog Hop post on Saturday and add your links there!
1. What fear(s) are you kicking to the curb? What scares you about doing this?

2. What fear do you have? What control does it hold on you? How does it affect your relationship
with God and others?

3. What did you learn from your verse mapping this week?
 


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