We're continuing our Overcoming series and beginning a new topic, fear.

1. Fear is universal
   1. Adam and Eve experienced fear in the garden
      1. Farther we go from God and the more disobedient we are, the greater the fear that we experience
   2. Our world offers a continual diet of fear
      1. Economy
      2. World conditions
      3. Medical concerns
      4. See Reader's Digest illustration p. 82 LaHaye
         1. Joseph Fort Newton, former pastor of St. James Church, Philadelphia
         2. Had newspaper article called "A ministers mail"
         3. His column "everyday living" reached millions of people
         4. One article was about fear and he said that "fear leads to worry and worry is a tiny rivulet seeping into the mind like slow poison, until it paralyzes us and cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained."

1. Fear is personal
   1. We fear failure
   2. We fear that our kids will be hurt
   3. We fear retirement
   4. We fear not having medical help
   5. Parents in our culture especially battle with fear
      1. Fear of leaving our kids in a church nursery
      2. Fear of letting our kids attend youth ministry
      3. Fear of losing our kids to the world
   6. Singles battle fear
      1. Fear of getting married to the wrong person
      2. Fear of being deceived by someone you marry

1. Fear is costly
   1. 92% of our fears NEVER take place
   2. Emotionally - fear leads to any number of emotional issues
      1. Anxiety
      2. Doubts
      3. Timidity
      4. Indecision
      5. Superstition
      6. Withdrawal
      7. Loneliness
      8. Overagression
      9. Worry
      10. Inferiority
      11. Cowardice
      12. Suspicion
      13. Hesitancy
      14. Depression
      15. Haughtiness
      16. Social shyness
   3. Socially
      1. Fear keeps us from speaking
      2. Fear keeps us from serving
   4. Physically
      1. Fear affects our health in a variety of ways
   5. Spiritually
      1. Quenches the Holy Spirit
      2. Stifles our soul wining
         1. Compare Paul and Silas with the Philippian jailor
      3. Prevents us from pleasing God

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Enjoy this last episode of the Overcoming Hurt mini-series.

Fruit That Can Result From A Hurt

v. 14. God will use it to make you holy

v. 17 God will use it to get you to the Father

v. 21 God will use it to build your faith and hope

v. 22 God will use it to purify your heart to fervent love

V. 23 God will use it to get you saved

Part 4 and the final episode in this Overcoming series.

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4. Forgive the one who hurt you

1. Forgiveness understands the wrong
2. Forgiveness understands that it will always be wrong
3. Forgiveness chooses to move on
4. Forgiveness releases the debt that I am owed because of the wrong

Let's dive in on part 3!

5. Treat others with love

6. Guard your words

1. Speak truth - but always in love

2 Be honest - lying never works

3. Control your temper

1. The wrath of man never works the righteousness of God

3. Confront the hurt Biblically -Ephesians 4:30-31

1. Grow spiritually Ephesians 4:19-24

2. Be kind to those who hurt you

3. Be tenderhearted about the hurt

1. Put away bitterness

2. Put away anger

3. Refuse to speak hurtfully

4. Forgive the one who hurt you

Let's dive in!

Part 2

3. Hurts can be overcome

1. Consider our texts

1. 1 Peter 1
   1. v. 3. Lively hope
   2. v. 4 incorrupt inheritance
   3. v. 5 Keeping power
   4. v. 6 heavy burdens
2. 1 Peter 4

1. Consider Biblical examples who overcame

1. Joshua
2. Daniel
3. Hannah
4. David
   1. Chosen to be king but ignored by his family
   2. Ridiculed and made fun of
   3. Threatened and hunted and had to run for his life
   4. Forced to leave his home and family
   5. Was mistreated
      1. But found healing
5. These teach us that we are not alone when we are dealing with hurts
6. These also teach us that we can overcome them

1. Consider steps that are essential in overcoming

1. Identify the hurt
2. Do right in the hurt
   1. Think right about it
      1. Illustration of "the church hurt me"
   2. Stay in church
   3. Stay in the Word
   4. Stay faithful to God

Did you hear the big news?!?! Dave and Bethlie have a BIG announcement!

We're continuing our Ovecoming series and this week we begin the focus on Ovecoming Hurts.

1 Peter 1:3-9

1 Peter 4:12-14

1. Hurts are a normal part of living in a sin-cursed world.
   1. Storms
   2. Trials (v. 7)
   3. Disappointments
   4. Discouragement
   5. Persecution
   6. Illustration - what is your story?
      1. Your parents divorce
      2. An unhappy home-life
      3. An absent father or mother
      4. A loss of a loved one
      5. A authority figure who let you down
      6. A health issue
      7. A person whose words were hurtful
      8. A personal struggle that you hate

1. Hurts come from a variety of sources
   1. Outside sources
      1. Spiritual attacks from the enemy
      2. Sins committed against you
      3. Unkind people
      4. Unwanted circumstances
   2. Inside sources
      1. Our own spirit
         1. A sensitive spirit
         2. A wounded spirit
      2. Our own sin
      3. Our wrong responses to events, situations, and people

Join Dave and Bethlie as they finish up this series on Overcoming Dullness!

3. We overcome dullness by making changes

1. 1. Get exercise
   2. Get healthy
   3. Get rest

4. We overcome dullness by practicing simple Christianity

1. 1. Joy
      1. The joy of the Lord is your strength
      2. The fruit of the Spirit is joy
   2. Contentment
      1. I have learned to be content
         1. I have everything I really need
         2. I can survive on little if need be
         3. I can serve with a lot if God blesses me that way
   3. Gratitude
      1. In everything give thanks

5. We overcome dullness by developing relationships

1. 1. Some truths about relationships
      1. Relationships cannot be onesided
      2. Relationships always take time and talking
      3. Relationships take investments
   2. Some places to begin relationships
      1. At church
         1. Smile
         2. Speak first
         3. Genuinely care
      2. In life
         1. Slow down
         2. Put Others first
         3. Speak and mean it
      3. In friendships
         1. Invite people into your life
         2. Invite people into your home
         3. Invite people into your hobbiesOvercoming

How do we overcome dullness?

1. We overcome dullness by praying
   1. Praying alone
   2. Praying together
      1. With our spouse
      2. With our kids
      3. With strangers even
2. We overcome dullness by practicing simple Christianity
   1. Joy
      1. The joy of the Lord is your strength
      2. The fruit of the Spirit is joy
   2. Contentment
      1. I have learned to be content
         1. I have everything I really need
         2. I can survive on little if need be
         3. I can serve with a lot if God blesses me that way
   3. Gratitude
      1. In everything give thanks

This is an episode from our first season.

Dave and Bethlie get asked this question often. We thought you'd find this discussion helpful. Share it with a friend if you think it would be helpfu!

1) Birth control is it right or wrong?

2) Is there ever a time it's ok?

3) How does it apply in a Christian family?

As we conclude the series on Overcoming Anxiety, Dave and Bethlie finish with steps four and five.

4. Focus on immediate problems - that is concrete reality

1. 1. What is the problem/my problem?
   2. What does God want me to do about it?
      1. The answer to this is found in the BIBLE
      2. If no answer is found in the Bible, the answer is found in Wisdom
         1. Ask God for it
         2. Ask Counsel of Godly elders
   3. When should I begin doing something about it?
   4. Where should I begin to do something about it?
      1. Get training
      2. Change my outlook
      3. Read books that help address the issue
   5. How should I begin to solve the problem/my problem?

5. Plan for future accomplishment

1. 1. Set goals
      1. Financial ones
      2. Physical ones
         1. Walking is a wonderful exercise that is a gift from God
         2. Work is a gift from God too
      3. Emotional ones
         1. Learn to laugh
            1. A merry heart does good like a medicine
         2. Embrace gratitude
            1. In everything give thanks
         3. Practice prayer
            1. I sought the Lord and He heard me
   2. Pray over today and tomorrow
   3. Trust God for all of it
   4. Matthew 25
   5. Servant worried and did nothing
   6. Servant became lazy and did nothing
   7. Servant lost
      1. Financially
      2. Emotionally
      3. Spiritually
      4. Eternally