Answer Bad News with Faith, Not Fear

Oct 07, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: When Bad News Meets Immediate Faith

Jesus heard the report of Jairus’ daughter’s death and responded not with panic but with directive faith: “Be not afraid, only believe.” His words cut through the noise of despair, modeling how to confront crisis with covenant confidence. Fear loses its grip when met with the immediacy of God’s promises. Faith speaks first, silencing the chaos before it takes root. The answer to death isn’t drama but declaration. [01:36]

And he said unto them, Be not afraid: only believe.
(Mark 5:36, KJV)

Reflection: What situation feels like “bad news” in your life right now? How can you intentionally speak God’s promise over it today instead of rehearsing fear?

Day 2: Speaking to the Fig Tree of Frustration

Jesus confronted a fruitless fig tree with direct authority, refusing to tolerate what mocked His hunger. The tree’s leaves promised sustenance but offered nothing—a mirror of empty religious pretenses or unresolved struggles. His response wasn’t passive acceptance but intentional rebuke. Faith addresses what drains hope head-on, refusing to let barrenness linger. [03:41]

And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.
(Mark 11:14, KJV)

Reflection: Where have you tolerated “fruitlessness” in your life? What specific words of faith can you speak to that area this week?

Day 3: “It Is Well” When Nothing Seems Well

The Shunammite woman declared “it is well” over her dead son, anchoring her words not to circumstance but to covenant. She refused to let death have the final narrative, choosing instead to align with God’s promise. Her confession wasn’t denial but defiance—a refusal to let natural facts override supernatural truth. [04:24]

And she answered, It is well.
(2 Kings 4:26, KJV)

Reflection: What current hardship tempts you to despair? How can you shift your language from “it’s not well” to “it is well” this week?

Day 4: The Lion, the Bear, and Your Unseen Giant

David faced Goliath by rehearsing past victories, not present fears. The lion and bear weren’t just memories but proof of God’s faithfulness. Every giant falls when we recall how God trained our hands in hidden battles. What you’ve already overcome is your weapon against what still intimidates. [26:02]

And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth.
(1 Samuel 17:34-35, KJV)

Reflection: What “lion or bear” has God already helped you defeat? How does that victory equip you for your current struggle?

Day 5: Treading on Lions While Remembering the Lamb

Psalm 91 promises authority over every attack—loud lions, sneaky serpents, lurking dragons. But this power flows from intimacy with the Lamb who conquered death. Your covenant position lets you tread where others cower, not because you’re strong but because He’s already won. [39:10]

Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.
(Psalm 91:13, KJV)

Reflection: What “lion” have you avoided confronting? How does Jesus’ victory empower you to trample it this week?

Sermon Summary

Mark 5 puts Jairus in the path of bad news, and Jesus answers that news immediately: “Be not afraid, only believe.” Fear does not get to hang around in the atmosphere, talking to the mind and deciding the outcome. Jesus answers the report with words, just as He spoke to the fig tree when its leaves promised fruit but its branches gave Him none.

The contrast between acknowledging reality and agreeing with defeat runs through the Shunammite woman’s confession, “It is well.” Her son was not well in the natural, but God’s promise was still standing. Covenant faith does not pretend bills, diagnoses, grief, or trouble are not real. Covenant faith answers those facts with what Jesus has already purchased and what God has promised.

The noise at Jairus’s house pictures the kind of weeping, wailing, and carrying on that tries to make a scene before God. Jesus does not come into agreement with death, fear, or a house full of unbelief. Jesus puts the noise out, takes the child by the hand, and commands her to arise. Jairus remains in the house because he stays in agreement with the King instead of sliding into an ado.

James 1 names this instability as wavering, and the picture becomes a person tossed around like the sea. The habit of making an ado turns prayer into panic, noise, and double-mindedness. The practice of remembrance, however, brings God’s covenant back before the heart. Exodus 2 shows Israel groaning under bondage, while God remembers His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Psalm 78 warns that a generation that forgets God’s works becomes stubborn, rebellious, and unwilling to walk in His word.

David stands as the opposite of the tent of do-nothing Christians. David does not rehearse pain, defeats, trauma, and disappointment before the king. David rehearses the lion, the bear, and the victories God already gave him. Covenant revelation turns Goliath from an impossible giant into an uncircumcised Philistine with no right to steal what belongs to God’s people.

Psalm 91 expands the battle picture. The lion represents loud and obvious attacks. The adder represents sneaky venom and hidden trouble. The young lion represents decoys and setups with something bigger lurking behind them. The dragon represents occult pressure and dark imaginations. Christ, the conquering King who has never lost a battle, gives covenant people authority to tread on every one of them.

Key Takeaways

1. Answer bad news with covenant Jesus does not deny Jairus’s report, but He refuses to let fear have the last word. Faith is not acting like a hard thing is easy. Faith brings the hard thing under the authority of what God has said. The mouth must answer trouble before trouble becomes the voice ruling the mind. [01:17]
2. Do not make an ado The house of Jairus was full of loud grief, but noise did not move Jesus. Wailing can become a way of agreeing with the very thing Christ came to overturn. A heart settled in covenant does not need to impress God with panic. Jesus looks for agreement, not a performance. [09:01]
3. Remember what God has done David brought up the lion and the bear because past victories were proof that God would stand with him again. Defeat becomes larger when the tongue constantly rehearses it before the King. Testimony becomes spiritual strength when it remembers God’s faithfulness. The battle in front of a believer must be measured by the covenant behind that believer. [26:02]
4. Recognize the enemy’s different attacks Psalm 91 names attacks that roar, attacks that hide, attacks that lure, and attacks that seek to poison the mind. Discernment keeps small compromises from becoming open doors. Authority does not mean ignoring danger; authority means refusing to surrender ground to it. Christ’s victory gives believers a right to confront what seeks to invade their homes and thoughts.

## [39:32]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:17] - Be Not Afraid, Only Believe
[02:20] - Jesus Spoke to the Fig Tree
[04:09] - “It Is Well” and Covenant Faith
[05:54] - The Noise at Jairus’s House
[09:01] - Why Are You Carrying On?
[11:18] - Jairus Stayed in Agreement
[12:41] - Wavering and Making an Ado
[14:01] - Remembering the Covenant
[17:22] - Forgetting God’s Works
[22:22] - David and the Covenant Revelation
[26:02] - Rehearse Victories, Not Defeats
[30:45] - The Lion, the Bear, and Goliath
[38:13] - Psalm 91 and Spiritual Authority
[41:09] - Young Lions, Setups, and Decoys

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Mark 5:35-36
“While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue's house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further? As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.” [00:52]

1 Samuel 17:34-36
“And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.” [24:47]

Psalm 91:13
“Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.” [38:13]

Observation questions

What report does Jairus receive, and how does Jesus respond to him immediately? [01:17]
What details in the account show the contrast between Jairus and the people who were weeping and wailing at his house? [11:27]
When David speaks to Saul, which past encounters does he bring up, and what does he emphasize about his response to them? [24:47]
In Psalm 91:13, what four images are named, and how are they described as different kinds of attacks? [39:32]

Interpretation questions

Jesus does not deny the bad report Jairus receives, yet He tells Jairus not to fear but to believe. What does this show about the difference between acknowledging a hard reality and agreeing with defeat? [03:52]
Why might the loud mourning at Jairus’s house be pictured as “making an ado”? What kind of heart response does Jesus appear to be looking for instead? [09:01]
David remembers the lion and bear before facing Goliath. How can remembering God’s past faithfulness change the way a believer sees a present challenge? [26:02]
Psalm 91 speaks of treading on enemies rather than pretending they are not there. How does this help believers hold together discernment about trouble and confidence in Christ’s authority? [39:52]

Application questions

What kind of bad news or troubling situation most quickly stirs fear in you—health concerns, finances, family trouble, uncertainty, or something else? What promise of God can you answer it with rather than allowing fear to rule your thoughts? [05:54]
When pressure comes, what does “making an ado” tend to look like in your life? It may be panicked words, constant complaining, withdrawing, angry reactions, or repeatedly expecting the worst. What would a more settled, faith-filled response look like? [13:18]
What are one or two “lion and bear” moments from your past—times when God gave help, provision, strength, or direction? How could you rehearse those victories this week in prayer or conversation? [30:37]
Are there painful experiences that you need to bring honestly before God without allowing them to become the only story you keep repeating? How can the group support one another with compassion while also helping one another remember God’s faithfulness? [28:45]
Which kind of attack feels most familiar right now: something loud and obvious, something hidden and discouraging, a tempting setup or decoy, or fearful imaginations? What practical boundary, Scripture, prayer, or wise conversation could help you resist it? [40:05]
What small compromise, thought pattern, media habit, relationship, or repeated conversation may be opening the door to fear or discouragement? What is one clear step you could take this week to guard your home and mind? [41:16]

Sermon Clips

48s

#RememberYourVictories

“The servant slew both the lion and the bear. I'm now a guy who's gonna rehearse my defeats, o king. If he wouldn't rehearse his defeats in the sight of a heathen fool king, Why are we coming foolishly rehearsing our defeats, our problems, our pain, our drama, our sorrows, our disappointments before the mighty king? How many times have we been like David before Jesus? Well, Jesus, just wanna remind you back about ten years ago you healed me. And I know you'll do the same right here now.”

45s

#ProtectYourHarvest

“Notice, go back to verse 34. Notice the enemy went after, the lamb. Pay attention to the small things in your life. When all of sudden it's like, out of nowhere, your marriage, all of sudden you start arguing. And you get these little fights or these little thoughts that come into your head that tells you, you'll never, you'll never, you'll never, you'll never get healed. You'll never get married. You'll never get a better car. You'll never get an answer to that prayer. Come on. The devil's after the lamb. He's after the little things. But the lamb also represents your harvest.”

40s

#AuthorityOverTheEnemy

“Notice the line again. You have the authority to tread on the enemy who comes loudly, acting like he's tough and rough. He only is if you let him in or you give way to him. So those lions are those loud attacks. You have authority over the enemy when he acts all powerful, and you got loud, obvious attacks. What about the adder? The adder is a snake. Now some translations say a cobra, things that will look at you in the eye and spit you in the eye with venom. You have authority over that. You don't have to have things affect your eyesight, your vision, your perspective, your mindset.”

42s

#GuardYourWords

“you gotta be careful what you're saying. The lion and the bear, quit rehearsing your problems, your current situation. David only brought up the lion and the bear because he refused to say to the king or in the presence of the king, hello, Jesus is your king. Why are we constantly rehearsing our defeats, our struggles, our pain, our depression, our hurts, our trauma, our drama? Before the king, all he would say is, king, there was a lion and there was a bear and took a lamb out of the flock.”

36s

#CovenantFaith

“David shows up to the fight, and we often think in this story, those of you that are watching that somehow it was this little rock alone knocked out Goliath. Now, it was the rock because that's what the bible says. But what was it that caused that rock to hit like a boulder against a 10 giant and knock him out? There was something that preceded it. It was the revelation that David had of covenant. And that God would back him. And I'm gonna show you.”

47s

#VictoryOverYourPast

“David is not rehearsing his past defeats. realizing that he can stand against any challenge because he saw God do something before called a lion and a bear. Are you listening? Too many people, the reason why they are a do Christians that do nothing except make a do is because if you talk to them, all they talk about is their heartbreaks. Their struggles, their past, their pain, their suffering, all the years that they went through things.”

54s

#RecognizeTheSetup

“What about the young lion? I thought about this as I was reading this and I kept meditating. What's a young lion? And here's what I thought. This is what I wrote down. Tell me what you think. Young lions represent setups, decoys that something bigger is lurking. Don't let the devil set you up like that one little thing on social media. Click. And you open it up, it leaves a whole world of who knows what. Fear, evil, lying, deceptive demon. You ever seen young lions? Usually they say if there's a young lion around, who's lurking? A bigger lion.”

36s

#CovenantBetweenTwo

“Finally, God out of his act of mercy and sovereignty steps in in verse 24 and here's the kicker. He heard their groanings and notice what he finally did. He said, man, they're not remembering their covenant. It's our covenant. God remembered his covenant. Well, it wasn't just his covenant. Did he make a covenant by himself? A covenant, in fact, this would be unscriptural to call it a covenant. Because a covenant, the definition of a covenant is between two parties.”

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Hank and Brenda Kunneman This sermon · AI assistant

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