Fear is a Liar: The Battle of the Mind

2 Cor 10:3-5
1. There is a battle going on for our minds. v3. 2 Cor 4:4, Satan blinds the minds of unbelievers. 2 Cor 11:3, Satan leads believers astray.
2. The battle is spiritual. v4. Our weapons have divine power to demolish strongholds. Satan is always trying to deceive us with "what ifs." Fear, anxiety, resentment, unforgiveness, jealousy can all be strongholds in our lives. Internal battles can be the hardest ones. We can only win this battle spiritually, with strength from the Lord. We come together and worship and meet in smaller groups.
3. We must take every thought captive. v5. You'll never win the battle if you're not filling your mind with Jesus. We need to take inventory of what we are filling our minds with, and if Jesus is not at the top of the list, we need to make some changes. Col 3:2; Rom 8:5-7, 12:2; Phil 4:5-8. Study "Words to live by" by Craig Rochelle. What strongholds do you struggle with? What spiritual truths can demolish those strongholds?

Fear is a Liar: Because He is with us, we win!

Fear is not from God. The Devil is the father of lies.
The questions, "what if? where are you God?" lead us to fear, anxiety and depression.
God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, He will be on His throne.
Because He is with us, we win!
King David: the most fearful man that ever lived, also the most courageous man who ever lived. Ps 42:3
1. Your fear... Is normal. When it rains, God still reigns.
2. Your fear... Will be your platform. God will take your trouble and use it as a testimony for Him.
3. Your fear... Is a liar. Seek God. Fear will tell you who you are not, God is going to tell you who you are.
4. Your fear... Will make you question "Where is God?" He is with you. Ps 23

Fear is a Liar: Busyness

Lk 10:38-42
Busyness is an addiction.
Regular stillness is necessary for living the joyful life Jesus has promised us.
In the middle of joy there is no fear or anxiety. We must sit at the feet of Jesus.
1. Busyness without regular stillness can quickly distort our view of God. Busyness and anxiety are a cycle. If we're not careful, distractions become the new normal. Ps 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God..." God and Jesus modeled this for us. Get 2:2-3; Lk 5:16. Lk 10:40 Martha's distractions caused her to voice her anxious heart. The busier we become, the more intentional we must become at being still and know/remember that he is God.
2. We must get good at recognizing the difference between what is urgent and what is important. What have I made important that is not important? Learn to say no to things that aren't important. Mt 6:33 Seek God and Jesus first. Don't just operate on emotions. Give others permission to say no. v41-42 Choose what is better.
3. Service to God must not supersede worship of God. My cup needs to be filled regularly with God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Mt 12:28; Jn 16:33. We are called to do less and spend more time with God.
Jer 29:13 "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."
Ps 46 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,  though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.  There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.  God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.  Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts.  The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.  Come and see what the Lord has done, the desolations he has brought on the earth.  He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire.  He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”  The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Fear is a Liar

2 Tim 1:7
4 types of fear:
-Fear of loss
-Fear of failure
-Fear of rejection
-Fear of the unknown
Max Lucado "Anxiety is a meteor shower of [10,000] 'what ifs'."
Fear is an emotion, not a sin. What are we going to do with the emotion of fear? Just because you have fear, fear doesn't have to have you.
1. Satan is a liar. Jn 8:44
2. Satan wants to mess you up. 1 Pet 5:7-9. You are not alone, we all struggle with different things.
3. God loves you, and that's a really good thing! Jn 3:16. God loves you so much, he laid His life down for you. Amen! Rom 8:31-39; 1 Jn 4:18
4. God is the answer to your "What ifs?" Mt 6:25-34; Ps 139:16; Ex 3:1-4:13.
5. God can be trusted. Prov 3:5-6; Ps 27:23-24, 34:4; 2 Tim 1:7