• Man and beast have fear
    • God made us and them that way
    • Protected and fed by animals’ fear of us – Genesis 9:2
  • Fear can help us – Proverbs 1:7
  • Fear can hinder us – Matthew 25:24-28
  • What causes fear?
    • Danger
    • The unknown or unfamiliar
    • Overwhelming opposing force
      • If God is with us, there is no such thing as overwhelming opposing force.
    • Personal experience – II Corinthians 12:20-21
    • Other people’s experience – Acts 9:26
    • Disapproval of others – John 9:17-22
    • Immediate consequences for actions – Jonah 3:4-9
  • Kinds of fear
    • Reverence and respect
      • Cornelius – Acts 10:1-2
      • Jonah – Jonah 1:1-3
    • Mortal fear
      • Belshazzar – Daniel 5:1-6
      • Saul and the Israelites – I Samuel 17:8-11, 21-24
      • Peter – Matthew 14:27-31
    • Phobia
      • Spiders, snakes, etc.
      • Heights, people, situations
    • Memory fear
      • “I remember what happened last time I did this!”
    • Fear of consequences
      • Jonah – Jonah 3:10-4:3
      • Ecclesiastes 8:11
  • Subjecting fear
    • Knowledge
      • Fear is the beginning of knowledge. Proverbs 1:7
      • Learn what should NOT make you afraid. Matthew 10:24-33
    • Familiarity
      • Doing activities that make you fearful.
      • Understanding better through instruction.
    • Faith
      • Truly believing you will be all right – Matthew 10:29-31
      • Faith that God is with you
        • Isaac – Genesis 26:24
        • Israel – Isaiah 41:8-13; Haggai 2:13
        • Jeremiah – Jeremiah 1:4-8
        • Apostles – Matthew 28:19-20
        • Other times and other ways
    • Love
      • Love ultimately overcomes fear – I John 4:16-19
      • Motivation to put the fear behind you.
  • Helping others gain courage
    • “Encouragement”
      • Isaiah 35:3-4
      • Acts 11:22-24 (4:36)
      • Colossians 4:7-8
      • Hebrews 3:13
    • Mentorship and examples
      • Missionary activities rarely done alone
      • Titus 2:1-8
  • Why is courage so important?
    • Why work so hard for it?
    • Why strive to encourage others?
      • God instructs us so
      • It has eternal consequences – Revelation 21:8
  • Take courage
  • Encourage others