Isa 41:10  Perception & Performance 4: Emotions - Fear

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Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My victorious right hand.’  Isa 26:3  You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed/fixed on You, because he trusts in You. 4  Trust in the LORD forever, for in YAH, the LORD, is everlasting strength

I. Our Habits & Values create Expectations, influencing our Perceptions & Emotions, determining our Performance.

Experiences Values Expectations Feelings Filtering Perceptions, yielding info that magnifies Feelings, Decisions Filtered into Performance

Steps (Robbins): 1. Identify emotion & signal; 2. Listen to message about what needs to change (perception/rules or procedure); 

3. Get curious about what it’s offering you how can benefit; need to change way acting, feeling, communicating;

4.Reprogram by rehearsing how to use as tool of empowerment; 5. Take constant and repeated action to improve and change life

20. crime 19. Pet's health 18. fashion 17.work targets 16. parenting 15. bad rlshp 14. find partner 13. partner loves me? 12. attractive 11. find new job 10. generally unhappy 9. rent/mortgage 8. physique 7. wrinkles 6. Job security 5. debts 4. diet 3. Low energy 2. financial future  1. Getting old; NEWS

II. Worries (85%=0 79%=+)  Mt 6:10 Thy will be done 11 daily bread 24 No one can serve two masters...loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money (1Tim 6:8 having food and clothing..be content 9 those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in ruin (devil; excluded) and destruction (broad  way). 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves thru with many sorrows. 11 flee...pursue) 25 do not worry about your life...eat..drink..wear Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 birds...heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 30 will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not worry 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 do not worry about tomorrow...Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Phil 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. (Ps 37:1 Don't fret 4 Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. 23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, and He delights in his way) 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 8 whatever things are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy --- meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you (Ps 23:1 The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want) 

III.  Fear: concern, apprehension, worry, anxiety, scared, frightened, terrified (don’t deny or surrender to) 

Message: need to prepare self to deal with or avoid negative consequences (appropriate versus fixation) Pr 22:3 forsee evil..hide Ps 61:4

Fear is a signal that we are not embracing the goodness, power, and wisdom of God; that we’re rebelling against Christ’s Lordship

We don't know/trust God, His purposes, promises, His faithfulness, and/or we're not faithful/blessable (thus we consider ourselves unworthy)

We trust in ourselves/efforts/achievements/others (idolatry?), rather than depend on God (independence is the essence of {demonic} sin)

We're deceived into thinking that God isn't good, doesn't care, and that (like Lucifer) we know better than God and dis Him! Silly humans.

We refuse to believe Rm 8:28 God works/weaves all things together for our good, even tho He really loves us and wants what's best for us. 

A. Once we’ve take the appropriate actions to prepare…(especially 1Pt 5:7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.)

…then we need to leave what we’ve placed in God’s hands, and do the things He’s given us to do. Spiritual problems need spiritual solutions.

B. “Oswald Chambers: ‘The remarkable thing about fearing God is that when you fear God, you fear nothing else. Whereas if you do not fear God, you will fear everything else.’ Fear is inevitable. You will fear. The question is, ‘Whom or what will you fear’?”

If we are rightly trusting in God, we can see and embrace the truth that He is in control, and the result is peace. (Psalm 23)

If we wrongly trust in ourselves, we eventually realize we are not in control, we’re inadequate for the task of being God, result is anxiety.

Anxiety (distracted/divided) keeps us from serving/obeying God, is an attempt to play God, by seeking to control the future. 

False Predictions and Evaluations rob us of present joy and prevent us from building a firm foundation against future variables.

If we put too much of our hope and trust in a person, thing, or event, then we lose our ability to enjoy it, and the future.

C. See Truthbase.net “Barak, Faith in the Face of Fear” and “Fruit of HS=Peace” for more on the causes, consequences, cures for fear.

Questions for Reflection/Discussion/Response:

1. For/in what do you have the hardest time trusting God, and thus worry and fear? Why don't you trust Him? When will you change?

2. How did God respond when Israel disrespected, dishonored, and failed to depend on/trust Him? Whatever is not of faith is sin - Rm 14:23

3. If God's creation plan was for us to abide in Him (Jn 15) What keeps people from trusting God? What spirit is influencing them. Why?