5. OVERCOMING FEAR
Start with an Icebreaker Question To start off your small group, briefly share your response to the following question: What is the scariest movie you ve ever watched? Share with your group. What to expect Let s get a big picture of what we ll be learning today From sleeping in the dark to the idea of losing something or someone, we ve all come face to face with fear at one point or another. In this series, we will learn how to identify and overcome our fears! At this time, please prepare for the DVD teaching of this small group session. Take out a pen or pencil to write down notes on the next page. Press PLAY on your DVD. 46
VIDEO NOTES When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, The Lord is with you, mighty warrior. But sir, Gideon replied, if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt? But now the Lord has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian. (Judges 6:12-13) 1.. The Lord turned to him and said, Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian s hand. Am I not sending you? But Lord, Gideon asked, how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family. (Judges 6:14:15) 2.. The Lord answered, I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together. Gideon replied, If not I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really you talking to me. Please do not go away until I come back and bring my offering and set it before you. And the Lord said, I will wait until you return. (Judges 6:16-18) 3.. Answers: 1.) Anger 2.) Insecurity 3.) Control 47
VIDEO NOTES S: your ground. Moses answered the people, Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today will never see you again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still. (Exodus 14:13-14) P: for peace. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6) O: to lies. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:5) T: in God. When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise - in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? (Psalm 56:3-4) i. It is time to fight because is on the other side of. Answers: S: Stand P: Pray O: Object T: Trust i.) my future, my fear 48
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS At this time, please break into smaller groups of 2-4 for the discussion question section. Have a great discussion! 1.) As a child, what did you fear the most? Share with your group. (i.e. the dark, being away from your parents, clowns, etc.) 2.) We all deal with fear to some degree. The fact is that fear is out to consume us and it can be disguised in many ways. Throughout the story of Gideon in the book of Judges, we saw fear manifest itself in 3 different ways in Gideon s reactions to the angel of the Lord: Anger, insecurity, and control. When you re experiencing fear, what is your natural reaction? Share with your group. 3.) In his message, Mark Pettus shared with us some tools we can use when we spot fear so that we may confront it and overcome it. Praying for God s peace is an important thing to do in the midst of fear. Read the scripture below: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6) Can you think of a time when you felt God's peace in the midst of a difficult situation? Share with your group. 4.) Another tactic that God gives us to confront and overcome our fears is to object to lies. The devil will try to use lies to evoke fear in us. This will often come through thoughts of insecurity, doubt, and worry. However, God s Word provides us truth that we can use to denounce these lies. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. (2 Timothy 1:7) What does 2 Timothy 1:7 mean to you and how can it encourage you in overcoming fear? Share with your group. 49
WHAT WILL YOU DO? As we learned in this session, God has in fact given us the power and authority to confront our fears. Ultimately, the most effective way to overcome our fears is to trust in God. This week, commit to memorizing at least ONE of the following scriptures that can help you to combat thoughts of fear: 2 Timothy 1:7 - For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. Psalm 56:3-4 - When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise - in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? CLOSE IN PRAYER Take a few minutes to close your time together with prayer and to pray for each other s prayer requests. Below is a sample prayer to read if you choose to. You can also choose to write down each other s prayer requests to remember throughout the week. Sample Prayer: God, thank You for the spirit of power that You ve given us to overcome our fears. Lord we know that You didn t create us to live in timidity or fear so remind us that when we face fear, we just need to trust in You. We pray for Your peace that surpasses all understanding to flow through us when we are afraid. You are a faithful God and we know that You will carry us through everything. We trust in You and pray these things in Jesus name, Amen. Group Prayer Requests: Name Request 50
DAILY DEVOTIONS: DAY 1 S C R I P T U R E Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6) O B S E R V A T I O N A P P L I C A T I O N P R A Y E R DAILY DEVOTIONS: DAY 2 S C R I P T U R E We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:5) O B S E R V A T I O N A P P L I C A T I O N P R A Y E R 51
DAILY DEVOTIONS: DAY 3 S C R I P T U R E When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise - in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? (Psalm 56:3-4) O B S E R V A T I O N A P P L I C A T I O N P R A Y E R DAILY DEVOTIONS: DAY 4 S C R I P T U R E For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11) O B S E R V A T I O N A P P L I C A T I O N P R A Y E R 52