Fear, Uncertainty, and Hope

Conrad Hilario

Psalms 23:1-6

Crisis brings biblical passages to life. Many are living in fear and uncertainty, as the pandemic threatens and disrupts our lives. It is a good time to reflect on a familiar passage--Psalm 23--and hear what it says about fear, uncertainty, and hope.

The Great Shepherd

Chris Hearty

Psalms 23:1-6

The Bible repeatedly describes God as the "good shepherd," offering loving leadership and care. Just as sheep under a good shepherd's care trust him, we should seek to establish a trusting relationship with God through Jesus, looking to Him for our needs. With Jesus as our shepherd we have rest from our anxious fears, spiritual nourishment, stability, fulfillment, and eternal life.\r\n

Abraham's Early Faith

Gary DeLashmutt

Genesis 12:4-13:18

As we study the Bible's account of Abraham's life, we see that God's dealings with him mirror His dealings with Christians who have put their trust in Him to pay for their sins--the essence of faith. Abraham's life gives us a picture of a normal life of faith-lapses, as is common and normal for Christians, but also shows us that God is always faithful to people who have put their trust in Him--not because of their performance but because of His faithfulness. Understanding this will help us be more stable, have an answer for our fears, find growth through trusting Him and through His loving discipline, and, someday, see amazing results of our steps of faith.

Cynicism

James Rochford

2 Corinthians 1:12-2:11

Paul is writing to the church in Corinth, which had become cynical. What are the dangers of cynicism in the Christian life? It distorts our view of truth, it leads to pride, and it ultimately suggests that we know better than God does. A historical look at cynicism and modern day examples are reviewed to understand the damage it can cause.

Elijah's Downward Spiral

Jim Leffel

1 Kings 19:1-18

Standing up to the prophets of Baal took its toll on Elijah. Afterwards, he started going on a downward spiral. He began to let his fears control him. God ministered to Elijah and lovingly reminds him of things that Elijah can't see. This teaching covers how devastating fear can be in our lives and how to not allow fear to control us.

Created for Good - Restoring Hope in Our Christian Lives

Brian Adams

Katie Adams

Romans 7:24-25

The fear of falling from grace can at times cripple us, especially when we see other spiritual leaders fall. But while we are capable of evil, we have been created for glory. God created us for good, and he offers his comfort for the fearful. By observing the transformation of the apostle Peter we see a model of grace's power to provide hope and change. In fact we see powerful transformations scattered across the Bible! These examples and truths give us hope in our own Christian lives.

Our Part in Evangelism

Chris Risley

Romans 7:24-25

We have an important role to play in the process of evangelism! We can play this role through 1) prayer, 2) preparation, 3) planting seeds, 4) modeling authentic christianity and 4) being aware of opposition. \r\n\r\n

Are We Overprotective?

Paul Alexander

Rebecca Alexander

1 Samuel 1

As much as we hate suffering, it is fair to say as parents, we hate even more to see our children suffer. Paul and Becky Alexander share how they as parents have learned to avoid the mistake of following the cultural mandate to protect your children from any and all suffering. They cite studies that demonstrate that allowing your children to experience normal, reasonable levels of suffering actually prepares them to deal with the inevitable suffering, that will come their way, in a positive, healthy way.

Trusting Your Child to God

Chip Geiser

Kim Geiser

Psalms 91:1-2

Our fears interfere with us truly trusting God with our children. The problem is not having fear but when we allow fear to dictate the way we parent. Instead, place your fears in their proper place (in the hands of God), pray until you experience peace and take God at His word, (His promises). And repeat these steps over and over again!