fear on SermonAudio

1. Fear's Counsel 2. Faith's Confidence

This sermon on Ecclesiastes 11:1-6 urges believers to face an uncertain future with prudent enterprise and persistent diligence, ultimately resting in Christ. The preacher explains that we must cast our bread upon the waters—taking bold initiative in trade and calling—while diversifying efforts ("to seven and also to eight") because we do not know what evil may come. Paralysis from overthinking clouds, wind, or life's mysteries is rejected; instead, we are called to sow diligently morning and evening, trusting that what will be, will be. Yet these practical exhortations rest on the deeper reality that God alone knows and ordains the future. In Christ we receive His perfect righteousness, so our standing is secure regardless of earthly outcomes. United to the sovereign Lord who holds all things, we are freed from anxiety to act boldly yet prudently and to labor persistently, following the example of the One who walked this path in dependence upon His Father and who will return to vindicate His people. Only those joined to Christ possess the resources to face the future without fear.

We ought to hope in God's lovingkindness. I. GOD'S VIEWING OF MANKIND II. GOD'S LOVING DELIVERANCE OF THE SAINTS III. FRUITFUL WAITING UPON THE LORD

Have you considered the many spiritual struggles of believers? So many face rejection and fear of failure not only in their ministry but even in their daily lives. Do you envision Paul as an encourager, when it comes to Timothy and others? Are we aware of the spirit of power, love, and self-control God grants us, all to help us overcome our fears? Do you really know what the 'Zoe life means? For answers to these questions and more, please listen to "Shake It Off," taught by Pastor Jamie.

This sermon examines Deuteronomy 14 and 15 to illustrate the principle that God's people are to be distinctly separate from pagan cultures, a mandate rooted in their covenant relationship with Yahweh. The teaching clarifies that Old Testament dietary laws and tithing were positive laws designed to mark Israel as a holy nation, rather than health regulations, and notes that Jesus fulfilled and removed these specific restrictions in the New Covenant. While the legal requirements have changed, the core imperative to live distinctively as God's treasured possession remains, shifting from ethnic separation to a spiritual distinction marked by love and faith. The message emphasizes that true holiness is not about external ritual compliance but about belonging to God, which calls believers to purify their hearts and lives in the fear of the Lord.

Whatever burdens you face in life—whether illness, loss, uncertainty, or fear—you have a God who is powerful enough to carry you through them. Unlike the false gods of this world that demand your devotion but cannot save, the true God promises to sustain you from the beginning of your life to its very end. Through Jesus Christ, He has accomplished your greatest rescue, delivering you from sin and death and securing your eternal hope. You can face life's challenges with confidence, knowing that you belong, body and soul, in life and in death, to your faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.

In Romans 10:3-4 Paul shows that ethnic Israel's zeal for God was misplaced because they were ignorant of the righteousness of God revealed in Christ and instead sought to establish their own righteousness by the law, refusing to submit to God's way. Christ is the end (goal and termination) of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes, so that true right standing with God comes only by faith in Him rather than by works. The call is to abandon self-righteous efforts and rest in Christ's finished work alone.