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Concluding Thoughts on Chapter 1

This week, we talked about fear, and how fear can keep us from doing the right thing. As I got to thinking about that, I realized that I tend to use the word “stress” as an excuse for my fear. I condone stress because it’s an emotion, and if I say it’s an emotion then it’s somehow out of my control.

I find myself saying, “Yes, Lord, I trust You with my future, but I’m stressed out in this time of waiting and wonder.”

When I boil it down, I discover that more often than not, stress is a response to my fear. So, how do I conquer that stress? I tackle the fear. I stop making excuses for it, and face the giant head on with the power of God behind me.

It’s easy to get caught up in the stress and worry of every day life, but the Bible reminds us to turn to the Lord and to trust in His provision and care.

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? (Matthew 6:25-27, NIV)

I remember a few times when my daughter was younger and we had to go talk to someone that she was afraid to approach. She always had a habit of saying, “Wait, Mom, let’s talk about what we’re going to say first.” She wanted to know exactly what we would say before we opened the door. Every time this happened, I reminded her that as much as we may feel like we need to have control over what will be said in that room, the reality is that God is directing our steps.

There’s no point in getting caught up in potential “what ifs.” In fact, most of the time they tend to increase our stress more than alleviate it. Some nights this ridiculous way of thinking will keep me up for hours on end. “What if I get rejected? What if things don’t go as planned? What if made a mistake? What if something goes wrong? In the end, all that worry does nothing to change the outcome.

The best course of action is to present our requests to God and to leave the “what ifs” in His hands. By leaning on God as our source of strength and putting our trust in His plan, we are showing the world that He is a powerful and loving God who is able to save.


Discussion

Let’s talk about how our study is going in the comment section below. I’d love to hear your thoughts, and if you’re comfortable sharing your heart with us, maybe we can discuss this question together:

Can you think of a particular time when you were afraid to face a situation or person? What or who were you afraid of? Click here to go to the comments.


Questions and Answers from Chapter 1

What took place between the night Peter denied Jesus and the transformation we see in Acts Chapter 4? (See Acts 4:31)

He was filled with the Holy Spirit

What does Proverbs 16:9 say? Write the verse out here:

In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.

God is always directing your steps. Can you think of any redirection He gave you this past week?

We made plans for New Years Eve, and they were cancelled twice. We landed up spending the evening at the hospital, because we were called in for an MRI. This wasn’t the kind of evening that we would have planned for ourselves, but for some reason it was a part of God’s plan.

What does Philippians 2:13 say?

For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

Can you think of a particular time when you were afraid to face a situation or person? What or who were you afraid of?

Check the comment section for my answer.

How was the attitude of the ten spies different from that of David? (See Numbers 13:31 & 1 Samuel 17:47)

The ten spies were focused on their own strength. When David said, “It’s not by sword or spear that the Lord saves,” he knew that the battle had nothing to do with human strength, the size of one’s army, or our ability to fight. He trusted in the power of God to save him, and leaned on His strength.

Look up 1 Samuel 17:45. What weapons did Goliath have, and what was David’s defense?

Goliath had a sword, a spear, and a javelin. Numbers 17: 5-7 always tells us that “he had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels; on his legs he wore bronze greaves, and a bronze javelin was slung on his back. His spear shaft was like a weaver’s rod, and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels.

David had the name of the Lord Almighty. When someone in the Bible says that they come “in the name of the Lord,” it means that they are acting in obedience to God and by His authority.

What message did David want to send to those watching the battle? (See verse 47)

That it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands

What did David do as Goliath moved closer to him? (See verse 48)

David ran quickly toward the battle to meet him.

Consider the words of Goliath in verse 9. What might this tell us about overcoming our fear? (If you’re not sure, you can find a hint in “Week 6, Refiner’s Fire”)

When Goliath said, “If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us.” It tells me that we don’t have to be ruled or enslaved by the enemy or by our fear. When David conquered the enemy he enslaved them. When we stand firm in faith we overcome the enemy, we rise above tribulation, and we conquer our fear.

It also reminded me of the crucifixion of the flesh and the importance of putting away sin. In Romans 6:12, Paul writes, “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.” and verse 14, “For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.”

James 4:13 talks about those who assume they know what tomorrow will bring, but verse 15 shows us a better way of thinking. What is it?

Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”

Pick Up a Copy of the Study Guide

Slaying Giants: Finding Your Courage and Conquering Fear available now at Amazon.com

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FREE Printable Scripture Cards

During the 10 weeks of the Bible study, I’ll be creating a set of 4 x 4 inch scripture cards. Each week I’ll give you 2 for a total of 24 cards in total. These high resolution images will correspond with the theme of each week. Perhaps you can print them out on Fridays and meditate on the scriptures over the weekend.

Click here to view and print this week’s note cards.