Faith, Fear, and God's Unshakeable Promises

Devotional

Day 1: God’s “So What” Overcomes Our “What Ifs”

When anxiety and fear grip our hearts, we often find ourselves trapped in a cycle of “what if” thinking, imagining worst-case scenarios and feeling powerless over circumstances we can’t control. Yet, God steps into our fears with His powerful “so what,” reminding us that He is our shield and our exceedingly great reward. No matter what threats loom or what uncertainties lie ahead, God’s presence and promises are greater than any fear. He invites us to rest in the assurance that nothing can be taken from us that He has given, and that He will always provide what we truly need. [46:37]

Genesis 15:1 (ESV)
After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.”

Reflection: What is one “what if” that has been causing you anxiety lately? How can you invite God’s “so what” into that fear today and trust Him as your shield?

Day 2: The More Blessed Life—Receiving and Giving

God’s desire is not just to bless us, but to make us “more blessed” by inviting us into the full cycle of His love: receiving from Him and then pouring out into others. Like the Sea of Galilee, which teems with life because it both receives and gives, we are called to be conduits of God’s blessing, not reservoirs. Whether through children, spiritual mentorship, or acts of service, God wants us to experience the joy of giving as an overflow of what we have received. This is the abundant life He intends for us—a life that is not stagnant, but vibrant and fruitful as we bless others from the blessings we have received. [53:26]

Acts 20:35 (ESV)
In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’

Reflection: Who is one person God is prompting you to pour into or bless this week? What is one specific way you can give out of what God has given you?

Day 3: Faith That Pleases God—Believing His Promises

At the heart of our relationship with God is simple, childlike faith—a heart that says, “Yes, Lord, I believe you.” God is not looking for perfect performance, religious rituals, or flawless devotion, but for trust in His promises and His love. When we believe God, as Abraham did, He counts it as righteousness; everything is set right between us and God. This faith is not about never doubting or stumbling, but about choosing to trust God’s word and His heart for us, even when circumstances seem impossible. [59:08]

Genesis 15:6 (ESV)
And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

Reflection: Is there a promise of God that you are struggling to believe right now? What would it look like to simply say “Yes, Lord, I believe you” in that area today?

Day 4: Knowing and Believing the Love God Has for Us

The foundation of our faith is not our performance, but knowing and believing the love that God has for us—a love demonstrated most clearly in the cross of Christ. We are not to measure God’s love by our circumstances, achievements, or failures, but by the unchanging truth that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. When we truly believe this love, everything inside of God toward us is set right, and we can rest in the security of His acceptance and grace, even as we remain works in progress. [01:05:43]

1 John 4:16 (ESV)
So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

Reflection: In what ways have you been measuring God’s love by your circumstances? How can you shift your focus to the cross and choose to believe His love for you today?

Day 5: God Sees Us Through the Lens of Grace

Despite our inconsistencies, failures, and lapses of faith, God sees us through the lens of His grace—He remembers our faith, not our flaws. Just as God’s record of Abraham in the New Testament highlights his faith and not his mistakes, so too does God look at us and see the righteousness of Christ credited to our account. Our standing with God is secure, not because of our performance, but because of His faithfulness and the finished work of Jesus. This is the power of the gospel: God’s covenant with us is based on His faithfulness alone, and He invites us to rest in that assurance. [01:14:51]

Romans 4:20-22 (ESV)
No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.”

Reflection: What past failures or inconsistencies are you still holding against yourself? How can you embrace the way God sees you—clothed in Christ’s righteousness—today?

Sermon Summary

God’s heart for us is revealed in the story of Abraham, a man called out of his homeland to walk with God into the unknown. Abraham’s journey was marked by both faith and fear, by moments of courage and seasons of anxiety. After a harrowing battle to rescue his nephew Lot, Abraham was gripped by fear and “what ifs”—the same kind of anxious ruminations that many of us experience after our own battles. Yet, God met Abraham in his fear, not with rebuke, but with reassurance: “Fear not, Abram. I am your shield and your exceeding great reward.” God’s answer to our anxious “what ifs” is always His own “so what”—His presence, His protection, and His promise to be enough for us, no matter what comes.

Abraham’s story also reveals the cycle of blessing: God blesses us so that we might become a blessing to others. Abraham longed for a child, not out of selfishness, but because he wanted to pour out what God had given him. This is the rhythm of the abundant life—receiving from God and then giving to others, like the Sea of Galilee that both receives and gives, teeming with life, in contrast to the Dead Sea, which only receives and is lifeless. God’s desire is not just to bless us, but to make us “more blessed” as we give and serve.

At the heart of Abraham’s relationship with God was simple faith. Despite his failures and inconsistencies, Abraham believed God’s promise, and God “accounted it to him for righteousness.” This is the foundation of our relationship with God—not our performance, not our religious activity, but our trust in His love and His promise. God’s greatest desire is that we would believe His love for us, demonstrated supremely in Jesus Christ. When we believe, everything in God’s heart toward us is set right. Our righteousness is not earned, but received by faith.

Even when we stumble, God’s record of us is shaped by His grace, not our failures. The covenant God made with Abraham was based on God’s faithfulness alone, not Abraham’s. In the same way, our salvation is secured by Christ’s finished work, not our own efforts. The gospel is God’s marriage proposal to our souls—He has done everything; all that remains is for us to say, “Yes, Lord, I believe you, I receive you.” In that moment, we are made right with God, forever.

Key Takeaways

1. God’s answer to anxiety is Himself. When fear and “what ifs” threaten to overwhelm, God interrupts with His presence and His promises. He doesn’t always remove the circumstances, but He reminds us that He is our shield and our reward, confronting our anxious questions with His unshakeable “so what”—His sufficiency for every need. [45:35]
2. The cycle of blessing is completed not just in receiving, but in giving. God desires to pour out His blessings on us so that we can pour into others. Like the Sea of Galilee, which both receives and gives, our lives are most vibrant and “more blessed” when we allow God’s gifts to flow through us to others, rather than hoarding them for ourselves. [52:35]
3. Faith, not performance, is what pleases God. Abraham’s righteousness was not based on his flawless obedience, but on his willingness to believe God’s promise. Our standing with God is not determined by our religious activity or consistency, but by our trust in His love and His word. [59:08]
4. God’s record of us is shaped by grace, not by our failures. Even though Abraham’s life was marked by mistakes and lapses of faith, God’s verdict in the New Testament is that Abraham “did not waver.” In Christ, God sees us through the lens of grace, not our shortcomings, and calls us righteous because of our faith. [73:37]
5. The gospel is God’s invitation to relationship, not religion. Salvation is not a contract based on our faithfulness, but a covenant secured by God’s faithfulness alone. Like Abraham, we are invited to simply say “yes” to God’s love, to receive what Christ has done, and to rest in the security that comes from being justified by faith. [76:26]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[36:17] - Opening and Introductions
[37:19] - Reflections on Church Growth and Leadership
[38:55] - The Call of Abraham: Genesis 15 Background
[40:37] - Abraham’s Early Struggles and Family Dynamics
[41:16] - The Aftermath of Battle: Fear and Anxiety
[42:35] - PTSD, Anxiety, and Biblical Heroes
[45:35] - God’s “Fear Not” and the Power of His Presence
[46:59] - Personal Testimony: Overcoming Anxiety
[49:36] - Abraham’s Honest Prayer and Desire for a Child
[52:35] - The Cycle of Blessing: Receiving and Giving
[54:18] - Delighting in the Lord and God-Given Desires
[57:58] - God’s Promise: Descendants Like the Stars
[59:08] - Justification by Faith: Abraham’s Example
[73:37] - God’s Record of Us: Grace Over Failure
[76:26] - The Covenant Secured by God’s Faithfulness
[77:13] - Invitation to Believe and Closing Prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Genesis 15:1-6 (ESV) — > After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.” And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.” And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

Romans 4:18-22 (ESV) — > In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.”

1 John 4:16 (ESV) — > So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

Observation Questions

In Genesis 15, what is Abraham’s emotional state after rescuing Lot, and how does God respond to him? ([45:35])
What does Abraham ask God for after God reassures him, and what is the reason behind his request? ([49:36])
According to Genesis 15:6, what was Abraham’s response to God’s promise, and how did God view this response?
In Romans 4, how does Paul describe Abraham’s faith, especially in light of his and Sarah’s old age? ([01:13:37])

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think God’s answer to Abraham’s fear and anxiety was not to remove the circumstances, but to remind him of His presence and promises? ([45:35])
The sermon compares the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea to illustrate the cycle of blessing. What does this analogy teach about the purpose of God’s blessings in our lives? ([52:35])
The New Testament describes Abraham as not wavering in faith, even though the Old Testament shows his failures. What does this reveal about how God views our faith and failures? ([01:13:37])
According to 1 John 4:16 and the sermon, why is believing in God’s love for us so central to our relationship with Him? ([01:05:43])

Application Questions

When you face anxiety or “what if” scenarios in your life, what would it look like to let God’s “so what”—His presence and promises—interrupt your fears? Can you share a recent example where you needed this reminder? ([45:35])
Abraham wanted a child not just for himself, but so he could pour out what God had given him. Is there a blessing in your life that God might be calling you to share or pass on to others? What would it look like to do that this week? ([52:35])
The Sea of Galilee analogy shows that life is most vibrant when we both receive and give. Are there areas in your life where you tend to “hoard” God’s blessings rather than let them flow through you? What is one step you could take to be more like the Sea of Galilee? ([52:35])
The sermon says our standing with God is based on faith, not performance. Are there ways you measure your relationship with God by your religious activity or consistency? How can you shift your focus to trusting in His love and promises instead? ([01:09:27])
God’s record of Abraham in the New Testament is shaped by grace, not by his failures. How does this challenge the way you view your own past mistakes or spiritual inconsistencies? ([01:13:37])
The gospel is described as God’s “marriage proposal” to our souls, inviting us to simply say “yes.” If you have already said “yes” to Jesus, what does it mean for you to keep living in that “yes” each day? If you haven’t, what holds you back from receiving God’s invitation? ([01:16:26])
Think of a time when you struggled to believe that God’s love was truly for you. What helped you move toward faith, and how can you encourage someone else who is struggling to believe God’s love? ([01:05:43])

Sermon Clips

This is what it means to be chosen. It doesn't mean you're in Abraham and everybody else by default is out. It means I'm choosing you to know me, be near me. And I'm going to work through you to take my salvation to all men, to the entire world. [00:40:06]

Have you been through any battles lately in life? Life is full of battles, isn't it? Storms will hit. This is actually a refinery that we're in. It's a temporary refinery. This isn't home. [00:42:22]

What God does is he breaks in and he says, fear not. He interrupts Abram. Fear not, Abram. I am your shield and your exceeding great reward. He was no doubt thinking, what if. What if these kings regroup and they come after me? You know, God had just given him a victory in battle. But what if. What if they come? Like all these cities that we just watched were stripped of their goods. What if they come and strip me of everything? God. And this is what happens with the fearful and the anxious mind, is we get caught up in the what if? And God comes in and he confronts the what if with his great so what? So what, what, Abraham, if they come back, I'm your shield. So what if they take. They can't take anything from you that I'm. That I've given you. You're always going to have everything you need. [00:45:40]

The cure, the way I got out of it was God was showing me to bring in his great so what? So what if you die, Greg. You know, And God spoke to me and said, I will be with your kids. This was 25 years ago, okay? So the big what if was a big, big lie. But I had to confront it then. But God brought peace to my soul by bringing in God's so what to my what if? That was tearing me down. [00:47:40]

God for sure was calming Abraham's heart here with the truth of his word. The Father of all who believe was falling into some fear. But God, who is faithful, came to him in a vision to calm his fear. [00:49:12]

What's interesting is that the very blessing of God that's on Abraham is what's fueling this desire in Abraham to have an heir, to pour himself into and to hand everything God has blessed him with off to his heir. [00:50:24]

It's more blessed to give than to receive. Now, if you take all of Scripture into account, account the whole counsel of God, the whole picture. You can't be blessed in the way that God wants you blessed, which is with an abundance of life. You cannot be blessed unless you receive first from the Lord. The first step is always receiving from the Lord. Because I'm empty, I have nothing to give. Our first step is always to receive from the Lord. And if we do, we will be blessed. But Jesus, God wants us more blessed. [00:51:35]

The Sea of Galilee is teeming with life. And so species of fish. There's life all around the sea. It has an inlet. It receives, but it also gives. And it's more blessed than the Dead Sea that is dead, that only receives. This is a picture of what I'm trying to see here. God assured Abram, I blessed you and I will bless you. Abram responds to God with honesty and says, but I go childless, Lord, how can I be as blessed as you want unless you give me a son? Unless you give me someone to pour into and give to. [00:53:22]

If you delight yourself in the Lord, he will give you the desires of your heart. And I think that has a double meaning as I delight myself in the Lord, you know, And I remember in my 20s, I wasn't raised in a Christian home. I came to Faith at my freshman year at the University of California at San Diego in La Jolla. And I remember just. I was like, God, I give myself to you. My 20s, I was just giving myself these gifts. Journals I've dug up, and they're a little bit embarrassing. I wouldn't let you read them. But I read them and I'm like going, man, my heart was just full on. God take my life, you know. What God did is he put his desire in my heart. You delight yourself in the Lord. He will give you. He will put his desire in your heart. [00:55:08]

The more blessed life is to receive from God and then to pour into others. And it can be in all sorts of. Of ways. It's not necessarily through a biological or even an adopted child, you know, to pour yourself into the next generation in some form, to pour yourself out. [00:56:47]

God wants to bless us. I believe this he wants to bless you huge in order that you will be a huge blessing. You see, Sea of Galilee, not the Dead Sea. The picture of you is the Sea of Galilee. God wants to pour into you blessings so that you can get down on your knees and you can wash feet and bless and serve and give to the things that God is doing to pour yourself into somebody at God's leading. [00:57:09]

This verse right here shows how human beings are made right with God. Abram believed the Lord and the Lord accounted it to him for righteousness. Notice the word accounted. He put it in the ledger of Abraham life. He put righteousness in his account. [00:59:43]

There's something here for you and I. This is what God wants. I don't know if you're here this morning. Maybe in your heart, maybe subconsciously, you've been wondering, what does God want from me? There's so many voices that will tell you so many things. There's so much abuse of religion that will tell you things to manipulate you about. This question about, what does God want from me? What does he want? It's so simple. It's so simple that you might miss it. He wants your heart to just say, yes, Lord, I believe you. I believe you. You've called me. You've given me this promise. Yes. [01:00:57]

When you believe God, everything inside of God towards you is right. It's set right when we believe his love for us, which is the whole thing. God raised up Abraham, he builds a nation. The prophets are foreshadowing the whole time through the centuries. The one who would come and be the unambiguous, definitive demonstration of the love of God. Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. The whole point is I love you to death and I've taken away your sin forever. And when your heart goes, I believe you, Lord. Everything inside of God's soul for you is set right by you just going, yes, yes. [01:03:56]

Have you known and believed the love that God has for you? John says, this is what makes us what we are. We've known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love. And he goes on this super rich stuff. And that love has been demonstrated. Where is that love of God demonstrated for you? Some of you have been looking at your stock portfolio to figure that out. Does God love me? You've been looking at the numbers in your bank Account, you know, the ease or the difficulty of your marriage. Are we told to look to any of these things to determine the love that God has for us? No. God demonstrates Romans 5:8. His own love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. [01:06:45]

We are accounted righteous before God the moment we believe his redeeming love for us. He accounts our believing in him because he's Father. He's a father. He's Father God. He accounts it as righteousness. He doesn't account my church attendance as righteousness. He doesn't account my concern, consistent prayer life as righteousness. He doesn't account my studying of the Word as righteousness. He doesn't account my diligence or my sincerity as righteousness. He accounts my believing his love for me, his righteousness. That's what makes everything right. [01:08:51]

What pleases God is that I believe his love for me. That's what pleases God is God. Okay? And this is good news because my works, my performance is inconsistent. I'll be honest with you. I have to be honest. I have witnesses now. I have a wife and kids. I can't get up here and lie to people because I got a wife that's like going, what are you talking about, man? Sometimes I'm a total failure in my devotions. I'm not proud of it. Sometimes I'll wake up, instead of opening my Bible, I'll start scrolling on to TikTok. A half hour later, I'm thinking, I'm feeling wretched. I'm thinking, what am I doing? Get up, Greg. Get out of bed. Take a walk. You know, praise God, he doesn't count that against me. He counts my believing. His love for me is righteousness. [01:09:58]

If you could see how God sees you this morning, you would leave this place with a kick in your step, with extra prayers for the Broncos that need mercy and grace today because they're facing the eagles. It would not faze you the fact that the Broncos are probably going to get stomped because you have leave here just so blown away by how God sees you. He sees you the same way. You have a list. You have a list of all the failures and all the times you've stumbled around. God's like going, I don't see any flaws. They staggered not. They made no mistakes. This is the power of the gospel. This is how God sees us now in Christ. [01:14:59]

This covenant is going to be wholly based on my faithfulness and not on yours at all. And this is the same kind of contract we have with God. Jesus went to the cross alone and accomplished our salvation without any of our help. Do you believe him? The gospel is God's marriage proposal to your soul. That's what the gospel is. God's like, I've done everything out of my love for you. I've taken away your sin. All you got to do is say, yes, Lord, I believe you, I receive you, I'll marry you. And he will come into your life and he'll never leave you nor forsake you. [01:16:26]

Ask a question about this sermon

Chatbot

Transcript

What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?

Were there any personal stories shared?