Whenever we’re overwhelmed, if we’ll pause to remember Who God is and who we are in Him, something measurable shifts inside us.

Have you ever noticed how sometimes the smallest things end up saving the day? A single bolt holding a plane's wing. A single match lighting a fire in the freezing cold. Sometimes just one small thing changes everything.

Back in 1829, a man named George Wilson was convicted of robbing a U.S. mail carrier and sentenced to death. But then—unexpectedly—the President of the United States issued him a full pardon. You'd think that'd be the end of it, right?

But Wilson refused the pardon, saying that he didn't want it. The case went all the way to the US Supreme Court which finally ruled: "A pardon is just a piece of paper unless it's accepted." Wilson was executed.

Which brings me to this. Jesus said:

John 3:14-15 Moses lifted up the snake in the desert. It is the same with the Son of Man. He must be lifted up too. Then everyone who believes in him can have eternal life.

It sounds odd at first—Jesus comparing Himself to a bronze snake. But back in the Book of Numbers, God sent a plague of venomous snakes upon Israel as punishment for their sin, and as a result they were dying from snake bites. Then God told Moses to lift up a bronze serpent on a pole. Anyone who looked at it—lived.

What Jesus is saying is this: That's Me. Lifted up on a cross. Not for show. Not for religion. But so that anyone who turns to Me, who believes in Me, lives.

The pardon has already been signed in Christ's blood on that Cross. The gift is waiting. But it only saves you when you receive it.

That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.

What if you and I could discover a way to live, so that we don't worry about anything? Not necessarily changing our circumstances, but changing the way we live them out. We'd want to know how, right?

So many people spend so much time being afraid in their lives. Maybe it's a crisis. Or just a sense of this nagging, ongoing thing that something bad is going to happen. A negativity. A pessimism. Always thinking the worst. Always imagining the worst. Always expecting the worst. That's why, last week on the program, we looked at this whole "fear" thing. The reality that scary things do happen to us in our lives. And they're going to happen again. And the reality, whether we care to believe it or not, that God's heart is for us not to be afraid.

So often we put on a brave face. Or a cool, calm exterior. But inside, inside so many people are torn apart. Shaken to the core by fear and worry.

So this week, we're going to do some "rubber hits the road" stuff in a series that I've called "Five Ways to Overcome Fear." Five very practical things that you and I can do to banish fear and worry.

Now let me make this clear. I am talking about living a life that, by and large, is free from fear and worry. Scary things will still come at us in life. It's about living through them with a calm delight and resolve. With a deep knowledge that actually, God is in this place with us.

The first thing I want to share with you today is that our mind matters. What we do with our thoughts really matters.

Back in 1953 a bloke by the name of Norman Vincent Peale wrote a classic book. It's called, "The Power of Positive Thinking". And for a long time, I have to tell you, I pooh-hooed it. "It's not about positive thinking" I said. "It's about trusting in God". Even when I started reading this book, not so long ago, I was pretty skeptical. But what he expounds in his book is exactly what God talks about in the Bible. Our mind matters.

Let me take you to a passage that I personally often go to. It's the apostle Paul, on death row, writing to his friends, the Philippians. Listen to what this man writes from his dank prison cell. This comes from Philippians chapter 4 beginning at verse 6. He says:

Do not worry about anything but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just and pure and pleasing and commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Keep on doing the things that you've learned and received and heard and seen in me and the God of peace will be with you. I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now, at last, you have revived your concern for me. Indeed you were concerned for me but had no opportunity to show it. Not that I'm referring to being in need for I've learned to be content with whatever I have.

I know what it is to have little. I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances, I have learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry and of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

Let me just start with the first 2 verses here. Look at them again with me. Philippians chapter 4, verses 6 and 7:

Do not worry about anything but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

How do we not worry? Let me ask you that. You see, in my experience, worry is something

Have you considered yourself to be "special"? Not in a selfish way, not with an over-inflated sense of self-entitlement, but in the knowledge that you're destined to have an impact in this world; that there's something that you and you alone are meant to do.

When I was young, my parents had a special dinner service - plates, bowls, cups and saucers – and crystal glasses and silver cutlery that were set apart for use only when special guests visited.

Day-to-day, we used the ordinary plates, glasses and cutlery. Fine, but let me tell you, when those guests arrived … man, that dinner service, the crystal, the silver, made it so special.

And that's the sense that the word "holiness" carries with it. It means to be set apart for a special purpose … something that God means for you to be: holy.

2 Thessalonians 2:13 Brothers and sisters, you are people the Lord loves. And we always thank God for you. That's what we should do, because God chose you to be some of the first people to be saved. You are saved by the Spirit making you holy and by your faith in the truth.

You and I are loved by God with a love that goes beyond words. Yet, given the mistakes and blunders we make along the way, we often don't feel all that holy. But that's the point. Just as the dishes don't clean themselves, the silver service doesn't make itself sparkle, it's not our job to make ourselves holy.

You are saved by the Spirit making you holy and by your faith in the truth.

Believe. Let the Holy Spirit have His way in you.

That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.

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Something that bothers a lot of people about churches is how they behave. You see church splits where half the congregation walks out the door, sometimes even battling out their differences in court. Really? Is that how it's meant to be?

In the early 1700s, a small band of religious refugees from Moravia (in Czechoslovakia) fled persecution and found shelter on the Saxon estate of Count Nikolaus von Zinzendorf. At first, tensions ran high among the diverse group but on August 13, 1727, something remarkable happened: during a communion service, they experienced what they later called an "outpouring of grace."

Divisions dissolved, love abounded, and unity replaced strife. From that moment, everything changed. Within decades, these once-scattered exiles sent missionaries to the Caribbean, Africa, and the Americas—arguably igniting one of the greatest missionary movements since the book of Acts.

Speaking of the book of Acts:

Acts 4:31,33 … when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness … And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. (ESV)

Here's the thing. When we allow our personal wants and desires to rule our lives, when we insist on being right … it's only going to end one way - in division and strife.

But when we allow God's Holy Spirit to fill us to overflowing, just as happened with the apostles, we'll be overcome by His power and His grace. Hmm. Grace.

That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.

For a Syrian exile who lost his father, his mother, and his homeland, grief became the unlikely birthplace of a calling to bring the hope of Jesus to hundreds of thousands.

We each tend to take our natural gifts and abilities for granted. After all, we've lived with them all our lives; surely they're nothing special; surely everyone's capable of doing what I can do. And yet, nothing could be further from the truth.

Some people are extraordinarily gifted with a gentleness and kindness that goes way above and beyond. Yet, in comparing themselves to some of the high-flying, up-front people around them, they think to themselves 'if only I could be as talented as them'.

Me? Sure, I try to be gentle and kind; I have to work at it because I'm more your crash through brick walls, get things done kind of guy. Do you see how this silly comparison game plays itself out?

Back when God had commanded Moses to build a tabernacle, a special tent where His Presence would dwell during Israel's upcoming forty-year journey through the wilderness, this is what He said:

Exodus 31:3-5 I have filled Bezalel with the Spirit of God—I have given him the skill and knowledge to do all kinds of things. He is a very good designer. And he can make things from gold, silver, and bronze. He can cut and set beautiful jewels. And he can work with wood. He can do all kinds of work.

So, why only Bezalel? Why not every other Tom, Dick or Harry? Because Bezalel is the one whom God had thus gifted, enabled and empowered to do those special things.

And let me tell you, when He fills you with His Spirit - the Holy Spirit - your boring old gifts and abilities become incredibly special, extraordinarily powerful in His hands. No one else can do what God has gifted you, enabled you, and empowered you to do. No one.

That's His Word. Fresh … for you … today.

When we're afraid, it seems as though nothing anyone else says or does can make a difference. But – well, what if God has something to say? And what if it does actually make a difference? Would it be worth listening to?

You know what I've noticed about those times when I am truly, truly afraid. It seems that nothing anybody says or does can make a difference. When you're going through some really tough times. And you just don't know what the future holds. And everything looks bleak and grim. Every eventuality we imagine has a bad outcome. Because when we're afraid, it seems to me that we lose hope. And hope is being able to see into the future and believe that something good is going to happen. A place without hope is a dark and dangerous place indeed. And yet that's where we so often find ourselves in life.

Yesterday on the program we saw how one of Israel's kings, Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, was faced with overwhelming odds. A massive army. Three nations coming against him at the same time. There was no way that his small army could ever win that battle against this mighty enemy. No way. Or was there?

Now old Josh, he didn't panic. Nor was he frozen with fear. He went to God and told God just the way it was. 2 Chronicles, chapter 20, verse 12:

O God we are powerless against this great multitude that is coming against us. We do not know what to do but our eyes are on you.

There you have it. Well, right now, we're going to take a look at what happened next. Did God respond? Did He? And if He did, did it make any difference? Because, as I said right at the beginning, so often when we're afraid, it seems that nothing anybody else says or does ever makes a difference.

Well let's have a look. We're going to read the next part of the story. It begins in 2 Chronicles, chapter 20, verse 13:

Meanwhile all of Judah stood before the Lord with their little ones, their wives and their children. Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel, the son of Zechariah, the son of..." (a whole bunch of lineage).

Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel, the son of Zechariah, one of the Levites in the middle of the assembly. He said, 'Listen all of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat. Thus says the Lord to you. Do not fear or be dismayed at the geat multitude. For the battle is not yours but God's. Tomorrow, go down against them'

'They will come up the ascent of Ziz and you will find them at the end of the valley before the wilderness of Jeruel. This battle is not for you to fight. Take your positions, stand still and see the victory of the Lord on your behalf O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not fear or be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them and the Lord will be with you.'

Then Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground and all of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshipping Him. And the Levites stood up to praise the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.

They rose early in the morning and went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. And as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, 'Listen to me O Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem. Believe in the Lord your God and you will be established. Believe in His prophets.' When he had taken council with the people, he appointed those who were to sing to the Lord and to praise Him in holy splendor. As they went out before the army saying, 'Give thanks to the Lord for His steadfast love endures forever.'

If you didn't know better you would say they're nuts. I mean, right in the middle of this frightening time, God ups and speaks through this man. The Spirit of God falls on this man, Jahaziel. It wasn't such a funny n