Maintaining a Sane Brain in a Scary World

This week, our final lesson, explores the bold courage of Peter after the Resurrection.  His dramatic transformation, by the power of the Holy Spirit, offers an absolute blueprint for a fearless life abandoned to God. That is the secret to Maintaining a Sane Brain—no matter how scary the world. 

This week we reflect on the most significant moment in all of history—the incredible sacrifice of Christ on the Cross. Everything we’ve studied so far has pointed toward God’s perfect plan for humanity’s salvation. But to the people in Jerusalem that day, events surrounding the Crucifixion were surprising—and frightening. There’s much to learn by from the experiences of those eyewitnesses.

This week marks the beginning of the end of our look at some of the Bible’s biggest names and how they handled fear. Our three-podcast conclusion starts by exploring the life of Peter before the crucifixion. We encounter a simple, uneducated fisherman whose relationship with Jesus was marked by personal confusion, bravado, and eventually panicky denial of Christ. In him, we see much of ourselves.

This week we look at the lives of Mary and Martha, two sisters who have very different reactions when Jesus comes to dinner.  As we explore Mary’s devotion and Martha’s distress, we see that learning to handle routine worries helps the sisters—and us—learn to trust God with huge difficulties.

In this episode we look at two very different people who are privileged to have one-on-one conversations with Jesus the Messiah. Nicodemus, a leader of the Jewish Council, is consumed with curiosity and also afraid of his powerful, friends’ opinions. Fear compels him to visit Jesus under cover of darkness and he just can’t understand the simple gospel message. Shortly after Christ’s encounter with Nicodemus, He goes out of his way to meet with one of society’s most marginalized rejects—the nameless Samaritan Woman at the Well. What ensues is a great lesson in the liberating fearlessness that comes from humbly choosing to pursue simple, heartfelt faith. 

This week we compare the experiences of Zechariah, a well-respected priest, familiar with all the intricacies of his religion, and Mary, a poor and humble peasant girl. Both are visited by the angel Gabriel. Both receive incredible news. That’s where the similarities end. Through them, we explore the differences between people with intellectual knowledge about God and those who simply open their hearts to His possibilities—and the awareness that knowing Him defeats all kinds of fear.

This week we dig into the most unusual Bible book. This incredible story of an orphan who becomes a queen, a simple man who refused to bow down to false idols and a wicked plot to wipe out the Jews, never mentions God, nor prayer. Yet, its drama and intrigue provide great insight into a Creator who orchestrates what we think are coincidences to bring about miraculous deliverance.

Most people have heard the incredible story of Jonah, the man who was swallowed by a huge fish and survived. But there’s so much more to learn from this most reluctant prophet. Besides foreshadowing Christ’s time in the tomb, Jonah offers a great example of someone who tries to run from God’s will—and the knowledge that our Creator has kind intentions for all people—even the ones we don’t like. If you’ve ever feared that God is going to be too nice to those you oppose, this study is for you.

This week we explore the life of Elijah, the most revered prophet in history. Jews still wait for him to herald the coming of the Messiah. Christians remain in awe of his appearance with Moses on the Mount of Transfiguration. This is the man who caused drought, brought rain, and defeated hundreds of pagan priests.  But our lesson uncovers a reluctant Man of God who suffered from loneliness, fear, and a sense of abandonment. The Bible’s revelations about this most celebrated of prophets encourages everyone who has ever felt desperate and alone.

This week we study a portion of the long, complex life of David—a man after God’s own heart. We learn that this shepherd boy turned giant-slayer found God’s good favor not because he was a perfect man, but because he was a penitent man. As we explore his gravest sins, we discover that David feared only separation from the Spirit of God. A fear that can serve each of us well.