Session 4: COURAGEOUS
Welcome
What were some of the things you were afraid of when growing up?
Worship
Jesus and all in Him is mine!
In John 10:10 Jesus says The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. And in John 16:14-15 He says about the Holy Spirit 14He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”
Prayer & Declaration
My Father God, You are my Rock, my Shield, my Deliverer and my High Tower! How wonderful to know that I am in the palm of Your hand and no-one can snatch me away! In the strong name of Jesus my Lord. Amen.
I have not been given a spirit of fear so I turn away any spiritual attack of fear, anxiety or worry. I give them no permission to stop me hearing truth. I choose now to fix my eyes on Jesus and put my confidence in Him alone.
Word
Focus verse is Joshua 1:9 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.
Focus truth is: We do not have to allow unhealthy fears to control us or set the agenda in our lives because God is all-powerful and everywhere-present and has given us the grace gifts of power, love and sound judgment.
Be strong and courageous
When the whole generation of the Israelites who escaped from Egypt had died wandering around the wilderness, God finally told Joshua to cross the Jordan and take the land that had been promised to them.
He said to Joshua As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous (Joshua 1:5-6a). God then repeated Himself Only be strong and courageous and added an instruction Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go (Joshua 1:7-8). God then repeated Himself yet again Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go (Joshua 1:9).
What does God say to us? The writer to the Hebrews 13:5 tells us God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. So we can confidently say The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? (Hebrews 13:6).
You are a child of God with the robe, the ring and the sandals. By His grace, you have everything you need to live a fruitful life. But fear is one of the major things that can hold you back. And if you are motivated by fear, you cannot be motivated by love.
What is fear?
Fear is an emotional reaction that triggers a physical response in our bodies that comes from the perception of impending danger or harm.
Fear is not necessarily a bad thing. We need to have a healthy fear of things that could harm us. So there are healthy fears.
Unhealthy fear
Unhealthy fear is fear that is not a reasonable response to what is happening. We may not even be aware of some of the unhealthy fears that operate in our lives. On the other hand, others can practically control us. The more severe fears are usually known as phobias.
Unhealthy fears close our lives down. They work like the coils of a boa constrictor or python. The snake first bites its victim to gain a hold and then rapidly coils itself around its victims’s torso. As the victim breathes out, the coils tighten so that its prey is unable to take as deep a breath as before. After several times of exhaling and the snake’s tightening of coils, the victim suffocates, unable to breathe at all.
Most of us don’t have phobias. But that does not mean we are not affected by unhealthy fears. These fears may simply have become part of our lives so that we think that’s just how we are. But they keep us from being the people God created us to be. The great news is that every fear, no matter how severe, can be resolved in Christ.
Now, watch the 14:47-minute video from video A.
PAUSE FOR THOUGHT 1
First let’s pray this prayer out loud together:
Dear Heavenly Father,
I come to you as Your child and I put myself under Your protective care. Thank you that You love me so much. I confess that I have been fearful and anxious because of my lack of trust and unbelief. I have not always lived by faith in You and too often I have relied on my own strength and resources. i thank You that I am forgiven in Christ.
I choose to believe the truth that You have not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love and sound judgment (2 Timothy 1:7).
Therefore I renounce any spirit of fear. I ask You to reveal to my mind all the fears that have been controlling me. Show me how I have become fearful and the power of Your Holy Spirit. Show me how these fears have kept me from doing that. I ask this so that I can confess, renounce and overcome every fear by faith in You.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Now spend some time on your own with God and, in the blue box below, write down the fears that you have been prone to. This examples of fear list may help you identify some of them, but there will be probably be others too.
Save your worksheet by pushing the EMAIL button below.