THE FEAR CHASER

 “Perfect love casts out fear.” (1 John 4:18)

Four reasons why we shouldn’t fear 2009
1. God is already there because he is the God who goes before his people.

He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. (Jn. 10:23-24)

“Follow God - No Fear!”                       “Follow men - Know Fear!”

2. God promises to be with you no matter what happens to you this year.

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." (Heb. 13:5)

3. If you know the Lord, the worst thing that can happen is that you will go to heaven this year, which is also the best thing that can happen to you this year.

4. You will have all the time you need this year to do everything God wants you to do.

Question: What do all four of these questions have in common?

Answer: The ______________________ of ________________.

All of us will have fears in 2009.

Here’s what fear does to us.

+Fear makes us _______________________

The word anxiety" is a word derived from a Greek root meaning, 'to strangle'

We suffocate the present with a dread of the future.

+Fear _____________________ us.

Fear paralyzed people don’t move forward, they stand still.

+Fear leads to __________________________ thinking

We begin to say things like “I can’t do this” “I could never do that...”

“And there were shepherds living out in fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at

night. And angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around

them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you

good news of great joy that will be for all the people….This will be a sign to you: You

will find a baby.. lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:8-10)

The term “do not be afraid” was more than just a command to get off the ground where they were cowering in fright.

It was a declaration of ________________ on fear.

In essence all fear is fear of the future and it causes us to be anxious, paralyzed, and cynical and negative about anything and everything. The angel proclaimed the antidote to fear in the coming of Jesus. The coming of Jesus, His presence in our midst, guarantees to us that there is perfect love which can cast out fear.

We must make a choice about what will dominate our thinking in 2009.

Will anxiety strangle us, paralyze us and cause all kinds of negative, cynical garbage to keep us from doing everything God needs us to do?

Or will we allow our minds to be filled with the perfect love of Christ which casts out all fears?

“I sought the Lord and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.” (Psalm 34:4)

Our theme for 2009 - “The Year of Action”

LEAVE ALL YOUR FEARS BEHIND IN 2009!

“The LORD is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid. Though an army besiege me my heart will not fear;

though war break out against me, even then will I be confident.” (Psalm 27)