Facing Fear Through God’s Love, Peace, and Perspective

Fear is something everybody deals with because there is fear on every side in this world. The Bible gives believers things they can do to face fear and overcome it, beginning with refusing to have a mouth full of fear, doubt, and unbelief. Jesus teaches that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks, and words spoken out of a fearful heart can establish things that ought not be established. Fearful talk about sickness, disaster, and trouble needs to be replaced by words that line up with God’s Word.

God has not given believers a spirit of fear, and Christ has set them free from the ultimate fear, the fear of death. Death is the fear behind so many other fears, whether somebody fears flying, leaving the house, sickness, or some terrible thing happening. Jesus removes that fear because the born again believer knows where the spirit goes when the body dies. Heaven is real, hell is real, and repentance and faith in Christ settle eternity.

God does not exempt believers from fearful situations, but God promises to be with them in the fire, in the floodwaters, and in the valley of the shadow of death. First John 4:18 says perfect love casts out fear, so the love of God must be developed by learning how love operates and then walking it out. Love pays no attention to a suffered wrong, does not rejoice over another person’s trouble, and seeks restoration rather than glee when somebody falls.

Jesus says, “Let not your heart be troubled,” and Colossians says to let the peace of God rule. That means fear does not get to make every decision. Philippians calls believers to be anxious for nothing, prayerful and thankful in everything, and then the peace of God guards heart and mind. Isaiah adds that God keeps in perfect peace the person whose mind is stayed on Him.

Fear also gets dealt with by having the right perception of the problem. Israel saw Goliath and saw itself as grasshoppers, but David measured the giant against God. David called Goliath an uncircumcised Philistine because the giant had no covenant with God, while David did. The devil, like a bully, must not be taken lightly, but a believer submitted to God can resist him in the name of Jesus, and he will flee. The Lord is the believer’s helper, so fear does not get the final word.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Do not give fear a voice. Fear often gets established in the heart before it comes out of the mouth. Jesus says the mouth speaks from the abundance of the heart, so fearful declarations reveal what is being fed inside. Words matter, and believers need to stop rehearsing sickness, disaster, and defeat as though those things have the final say. [05:29]
• 2. Christ settles the ultimate fear. The fear of death sits underneath many other fears, even when it shows up as fear of flying, leaving home, or facing danger. Jesus gives the born again believer assurance that death does not end in hell but in heaven. That certainty does not make danger good, but it frees a person from being controlled by the worst thing that could happen. [10:42]
• 3. Perfect love drives tormenting fear out. Fear involves torment, while God’s love drives fear out. The love of God gets developed as believers choose to pay no attention to suffered wrongs, refuse joy over somebody else’s failure, and seek restoration. Love is not sentimental talk; it is a practiced way of living that makes room for God’s peace. [20:36]
• 4. Let peace rule and set minds. Jesus says to let not the heart be troubled, which means a decision has to be made in the middle of bad news. Philippians calls believers away from anxiety and into prayer, thanksgiving, and thoughts that are true, pure, lovely, and praiseworthy. A mind stayed on God does not mean there is no trouble, but it does mean God’s perfect peace can guard the heart. [34:36]
• 5. Measure every giant against God. Goliath looked unbeatable when Israel measured him against itself. David looked at the same giant through covenant eyes and saw an uncircumcised Philistine standing against the living God. Fear grows when the giant gets magnified, but faith grows when God gets magnified.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:50] - Eight Things to Overcome Fear
• [02:28] - Do Not Speak Fear
• [06:34] - Freedom From the Fear of Death
• [12:14] - God Is With Believers in Fearful Situations
• [14:08] - Perfect Love Casts Out Fear
• [21:46] - The Power of Let
• [24:55] - The Power of Setting the Mind
• [36:57] - The Perception of a Fearful Thing
• [45:39] - David Measures Goliath Against God
• [56:33] - David’s Own Tested Revelation
• [60:24] - Face the Giant in Jesus’ Name
• [71:00] - The Lord Is My Helper
• [72:59] - Invitation to Salvation and Healing

1. In 1 John 4:18, what two things does the passage say about the relationship between love and fear? [14:19]
2. In John 14:1, what instruction does Jesus give concerning a troubled heart, and what does that wording suggest believers are to do? [22:07]
3. According to Philippians 4:6–7, what replaces anxiety, and what does God’s peace do for the heart and mind? [29:04]
4. What contrast is drawn between Israel’s view of Goliath and David’s view of him? [48:32]

1. If fear involves torment and perfect love casts out fear, what does it look like for a believer to grow in God’s love rather than merely trying to suppress fearful feelings? [18:35]
2. Jesus tells believers not to let their hearts be troubled. Does this mean believers will never feel alarmed or afraid, or does it speak to how they respond when fear comes? [01:01:17]
3. Philippians connects prayer and thanksgiving with the peace of God. Why might thanksgiving be important when a person is facing real trouble or uncertainty? [29:11]
4. David identified Goliath as a man without covenant with God while David himself trusted God’s covenant. How does measuring a problem against God, rather than against personal strength, change a believer’s response? [50:50]

1. When fear or worry rises, what words usually come out first—fearful predictions, complaints, prayer, or faith-filled reminders of God’s truth? What is one fearful statement that needs to be replaced with words that agree with God’s Word? [03:26]
2. Is there a specific fear—such as sickness, finances, travel, safety, or the future—that may be connected to fear of death or loss? How does confidence in Christ and eternal life speak into that fear? [10:53]
3. Is there a suffered wrong that is still being rehearsed, held against someone, or quietly enjoyed when the other person struggles? What step toward forgiveness, restoration, or love could be taken this week? [19:20]
4. When bad news comes, what practical actions can help the group move from anxiety into prayer and thanksgiving before fear takes control of the day? [30:30]
5. What thoughts most often pull the mind in “a bazillion different directions” during a fearful situation? What true, pure, lovely, or praiseworthy truth from God’s Word can be intentionally set before the mind instead? [34:36]
6. What “giant” currently feels bigger than personal ability? How can that situation be measured against God’s power this week instead of being continually magnified? [49:09]