In this week’s message, Pastor Tony, Pastor Stephanie, and the wonderful representatives from MorningStar’s Christian Counseling Center talked about … fear …
For an opportunity to fellowship and discuss, in community, how to apply this teaching, get connected in a Life Group. Life Groups is where the BIG CHURCH gets small, and where you can GROW BIG.
QUICK TAKEAWAYS
- Fear is universal — pastors, counselors, and everyday people all deal with it.
- Fear itself is not a sin. God doesn’t call us to be fearless; He calls us to move forward anyway.
- Unresolved fear can become debilitating when it starts affecting your relationships, job, and daily life.
- The lies we tell ourselves (“if people really knew me, they wouldn’t like me”) often fuel fear more than the circumstances do.
- You don’t have to wait until you’re not afraid. Some things you just have to do afraid.
- Community, counseling, prayer, and self-care are all tools God uses to help us walk through fear.
- Seeking professional help, including medication when needed, is not a lack of faith.
SERMON SUMMARY
The Only Thing We Have to Fear
In 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt told a nation gripped by the Great Depression and the rise of Hitler that “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” It was an iconic line. But for millions of Americans facing unemployment, bank closures, and real danger, it probably didn’t land the way he intended.
The truth is, fear is real. It hits all of us. Pastor Tony shared that even he was gripped by fear after a doctor’s call about masses found on his lungs. It didn’t matter that he was a pastor. Fear doesn’t check your credentials before it shows up.
In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, Pastor Tony was joined by Pastor Stephanie Parker and licensed mental health professionals Rocky Glisten and Joy Milner from MorningStar’s Christian Counseling Center to take an honest look at fear, where it comes from, and what to do with it.
Is Fear a Sin?
One of the most common sources of guilt for believers is feeling afraid while knowing the Bible says “do not fear” over and over again. The answer from the panel was clear: feeling fear is not a sin. God doesn’t command us to stop feeling afraid. He commands us to keep moving anyway.
Pastor Stephanie put it this way: fear is more of an indicator than a stop sign. It signals that you may need help, need to take action, or need to reach out. The goal is not to eliminate fear but to keep it from becoming a dictator in your life.
Joshua is a great example. In Joshua 1, God tells this mighty warrior to be strong and courageous repeatedly. Why? Probably because Joshua wasn’t feeling very strong or courageous in that moment. God doesn’t say “be strong because you already are.” He says it because Joshua needs the reminder. Fear was present. Joshua moved anyway.
When Fear Becomes a Problem
Joy Milner offered a practical framework: think of fear on a scale of 1 to 10. A low-level fear that keeps you alert is normal and even healthy. But when fear is consistently running at a 7 or 8, and it starts affecting your job, your relationships, or your ability to get out of bed in the morning, that is a signal to seek help.
Trauma also plays a role. Past experiences shape how we respond to present circumstances. What looks like an irrational fear on the surface often has a root that goes much deeper. Joy described it as tracing a signal: you think the fear is about one thing, but when you dig, you find out the real fear is about rejection, abandonment, or not being enough.
The Lies That Keep Us Stuck
One of the biggest obstacles to healing is the stories we tell ourselves. “If people really knew me, they wouldn’t like me.” “I just need to pray harder.” “I shouldn’t need help.” These lies keep people isolated and stuck.
Pastor Stephanie was direct: waiting until you are no longer afraid before taking action is itself a lie. Some things you just have to do afraid. She shared her own story of refusing to return to the pulpit out of fear of rejection, until she heard clearly: “I didn’t ask you to wait until you weren’t afraid. I asked you to do it with me.”
Practical Ways to Walk Through Fear
The panel offered several practical tools for dealing with fear:
- Get outside and take a walk. Breaking the mental loop by changing your environment makes a real difference.
- Put your phone down. Constant news and social media can feed anxiety in ways we don’t always recognize.
- Reach out to someone. Communicating fully with a safe person is the opposite of being stuck in trauma.
- Pray and get into Scripture. Renewing your mind with truth counters the lies fear feeds on.
- Seek counseling. A good counselor helps you trace fear back to its root and find real healing.
How to Support Someone Who Is Afraid
If someone you love is struggling with fear, the most important thing you can do is be present with them. Don’t qualify whether their fear is rational. Don’t try to fix it immediately. Just make room for them to say “I’m afraid” without judgment.
Ask gentle questions. Direct them toward a good counselor if you know one. Pray for and with them. And recognize that sometimes your own discomfort with their fear can cause you to push for a quick fix that is more about your comfort than their healing.
An Invitation
Fear eventually becomes a spiritual issue because it affects our trust in God and our relationships with others. The best way to fight a spiritual battle is to attack it spiritually, and prayer is where that starts.
MorningStar’s Christian Counseling Center is available for anyone who wants to take a next step toward healing. You don’t have to walk through this alone.
KEY SCRIPTURES
- Joshua 1
- Isaiah 41:10
- Philippians 4:6
- Deuteronomy 31:6
APPLICATION / NEXT STEPS
- Identify one fear that has been affecting your daily life and bring it to God in prayer this week.
- Reach out to a trusted friend or life group and share what you are walking through.
- If fear has become debilitating, take a step toward professional support through MorningStar’s Christian Counseling Center.
- Read Joshua 1 and note how many times God tells Joshua to be strong and courageous.