When her Sunday school teacher kept coming to church with bruises on her arms. And Hagan heard lots of whispers: when someone’s daughter checked herself into a treatment center after a relapse from her drug addiction. And if you can’t be nice, just whisper,’” Hagan writes. “We lived by our 11th commandment: ‘Thou shalt be nice. In their lives outside of church, people might have a family member in jail, feel lost in the depths of depression, or have suffered a miscarriage, but these were forbidden topics. Hagan didn’t hear folks at church talk about what made them scared, frustrated, or ashamed. But she never observed people in her church talking about real life-the bad things that happen as well as the good. She describes the congregation of her childhood as a place where parishioners talked a lot about doctrine, church activities, outreach, and stewardship. I became a pastor because I wanted to change that,” Elizabeth Hagan writes in the introduction to Brave Church. And the next time you’re tempted to allow fear to control you, let God’s word encourage you.“I grew up in a church that never felt real. Want to experience that power for yourself? Memorize the verses above. When we entrust ourselves to the promise of God’s loving presence we discover the power that transforms our fear to courage. No power in the sky above or in the earth below-indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow-not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. – Deuteronomy 31:6Īnd I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you he will never leave you nor forsake you. Courage grows in the fertile soil of God’s promise to be with us always.īe strong and courageous. And courage isn’t something we manufacture. Like Joshua, we’re called from fear to courage. It’s having the confidence to act despite our fear. Courage, like bravery, isn’t the absence of fear. The antidote to unhealthy fear is courage. It’s caused me to live small, avoid risks and stay silent when I know I should speak. I’ve wrestled with unhealthy fear all my life. Unhealthy fear narrows our vision, crushes creativity, quenches hope and feeds despair. But unhealthy fear, the fear of things that aren’t actually dangerous, can hinder us from experiencing the abundant life that Jesus promised. When danger is real, fear can be helpful. The answer lies in the second half of the verse, “For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua would never lead alone. With so many challenges before him, how could Joshua be strong and courageous? Could Joshua fill Moses’ sandals? Would the Israelites follow his leadership? Could Joshua effectively lead the Israelite army into battle?īut God commanded Joshua to be strong and courageous. Moses was dead, and God had called Joshua to lead the nation of Israel into the Promised Land. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go. This is my command-be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged.
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