Overcoming Fear: The Power of Faith and Perspective

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We will rejoice and be glad in Him. Are you thankful that God has given you health and breath and strength to be here today? All right, all right. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you God for this day that you have given us the opportunity to gather as your people, around your word, to praise your name, to hear from you today. Father, our desire is an encounter with your presence. [00:13:38] (24 seconds)



Lord Jesus, we come here today recognizing how much we need you. All the stuff of life gets heavy and overwhelming. It's difficult. There's challenges on every side, but you said, take heart, I have overcome. So, Father, we come today to get our cups filled, to be encouraged, to bless your name with our worship and love on you and to receive from you that which you have for each individual today. [00:14:02] (28 seconds)

And there's a whole world around us that is so noisy calling us to focus and see the problems and the storms and the issues and the diagnoses and all of that. But God, we need you today to help us to see and know that there is no God like Jehovah. There is no other name under heaven given among man by which we might be saved. There is salvation in no one else. You are our savior, our healer, our provider, our strength. [00:34:40] (38 seconds)


So, God, whatever each one needs today, I trust that you are going to fill every cup that is set open before you today. Every cup that is turned up will be filled because God desires to fill your cup today. Father, help us to believe. Help us to receive. Father, now I commit myself to you that this body, this mind, these words that I will speak, that they won't be mine, but they will just be an offering in your hand and through me today. [00:35:57] (34 seconds)

It is part of the overall war for our mind, but this is a battle for how we will see. This is a battle for every day. And there is so much at stake. Do you know what's at stake here? I want you to think about it for a minute. If fear wins this battle, what? Well, if fear wins this battle, we become hesitant, right? Even worse, we become paralyzed or completely stuck. [00:45:43] (30 seconds)


When fear wins, we actually begin to make fear-based decisions and then opportunities and possibilities and promises and power. They vaporize. They're stolen from us because fear won the day. So let me ask you, do you think the enemy wants to win the fear battle for your life? Do you think that the enemy wants to get your eyes on the power of the storm and not? [00:46:26] (29 seconds)


the provider not on the great I am you're right he does and there is a lot at stake because when we stand in faith we are empowered to stand we are able to sink and not fall we are able to rise and not fall stand and not sink we are able to stand in a place of peace even in the most difficult of circumstances this is the battle do you see it for our perspective will we see God how will we see a situation will we see the possibilities will we see the provider or will we see the pitfalls and the problems where will we focus this is a battle do you face this battle anyone except me every single one of us in this room face this and you know what we don't just face it every now and then we face it every day all of the time the noise of the world and the enemy it's blowing up chaos all around us we have to learn church we have to learn how to be victorious in the battle [00:46:41] (68 seconds)

So I see Jesus doesn't condemn them. They're on the boat. They catch a glimpse of him. They start freaking out. Oh, no, it's a ghost. What does Jesus do? How quickly does Jesus respond? Immediately. So when you have a situation that does make an initial emotional response of fear, how quickly is Jesus ready to? respond to you. Immediately, come on, somebody. That's good news. It doesn't mean we won't feel it, but he's immediately ready to step in and speak to us, and that's what we see here. He says to the disciples, take courage. It is I. Do not be afraid. [00:55:07] (41 seconds)

I think Peter's the one who actually got it more than any of them in this moment. God, you are inviting us to know who you are and know who I am. Like we're just saying, because I belong to you. So you tell me to walk on water. He said, come. And the scripture tells us Peter gets down in the boat, into the stormy water, and he walked on water and came towards Jesus. Hallelujah. This was an impossible thing. Anybody disagree with that? Was this a normal thing? [00:58:04] (35 seconds)

He switched his focus and it changed his perspective. Now, instead of focusing on God and seeing all things are possible, he began to look at the storm and realize all things in the storm are possible and it's likely that I'm going to drown. Do you see what happened? He changed his focus. He switched his perspective and he began to sink. Guys, the moment fear captures our attention, faith takes the back seat. [01:00:16] (38 seconds)

And I'm going to tell you, shifting perspective, shifting your focus, you can repent and you can do that today. And God will begin a new work and a help and chains can be broken. But this will be work for you because when you leave the joy of the miracle, the enemy is going to try to distract you again. You will need to work to align your words and your mind with God's truth. [01:11:26] (28 seconds)


You're going to need to plow a new track in your brain because our thoughts and the way we think, they're like a lawnmower that cuts a path in the grass, makes it the easiest path to travel. That's what's happened. Now we need to begin to plow a new path, a path that aligns with God's word, fix our mind like Philippians 4 says on what is true and noble and pure and right. Got to change the way you see and to change where you focus. You need to make a shift and it's going to be a daily journey. [01:12:32] (35 seconds)


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