One day, while he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting near by (they had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem); and the power of the Lord was with him to heal. Just then some men came, carrying a paralyzed man on a bed. They were trying to bring him in and lay him before Jesus; but finding no way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the middle of the crowd in front of Jesus. —Luke 5:17-19

Why would a group of men pick up and carry a paralyzed man across town, break into a home through the roof, and lower him by ropes before Jesus’ feet? One word:

.

Life falls into place when Jesus gets first place. —Leonard Sweet

Week 1: Courage is not the

of fear; it is the right ordering of fear.

Clarity on what God is asking us to do empowers

to rise to the top. (Luke 4:18-19)

Every church should be able to get a letter of recommendation from the poor in their community. —Archbishop Desmond Tutu (1931-2021)

Week 2:

assures us that the price we pay is worth it.

Conviction that comes from God’s truth enables us to choose courage over

.

Week 3: “Candor is the ability to be open, honest, direct, or frank in speech and conversation.” – Rev. Tom Berlin

When we fail at candor, we pass down

.

If we fail to

harm that happens in a moment, it becomes a wound carried for a lifetime.

You can’t heal what you don’t feel, and you can’t feel what you medicate. —A friend

Candor is NOT

to be ugly, mean, or rude.

This Week: Courage Requires Hope

Hope is knowing God will show us

to do

Reveal Answer

we need to do it.

It is not hope in

, our grit, our abilities, or even our faithfulness. (Ephesians 2:8-10)

Hope is the assurance that

is faithful. (1 John 1:5, 7, 9)

Hope is the capacity to carry the expectation of the fulfillment of a task while working diligently and waiting patiently for an outcome that is in keeping with God’s goodness, righteousness, and justice. —Rev. Tom Berlin

Hope is not a

.

There is a difference between WISHING for a thing and being READY to receive it. —Napoleon Hill (1883-1970)

If you are going to pray for rain, bring

. (Romans 5:1-5)

Our hope is in

: what He has done, is doing, and will do for the

Reveal Answer

of the world.

We don’t and won’t know exactly what the

look like, but we can trust it will be

Reveal Answer

.

Change doesn’t just

.

If your plan doesn’t require God’s action, it is not from God. If your plan requires a miracle at every step, it is not a plan – that’s a wish. —Bob Logan

How to Live a Brave Life (Luke 5:17-20)

When Jesus saw

faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

Do what you

and trust God to do what only God can do.

When hope is lost, it is time to find Jesus. —Tom Berlin

When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hold on, and

will find you.

Never

that our hope is in Jesus, who is always with us wherever we go. (Matthew 28:18-20)

Action Steps

Connect yourself to people of wisdom and

.

Write down three times in your life when God

you, and celebrate it with a friend today.

Take the

.