#fear – Brian Friedl

How To Face Your Fear

Brian — Sun, 20 Aug 2017 12:22:25 +0000

The wicked are always plotting and seeking to steal, kill, and destroy, yet we need not fear. For the LORD goes before us as a consuming fire. Who led His people out of the hand of Pharaoh? The LORD did. Who conquered Goliath? The LORD did. In fact, who has won every victory over evil? The LORD has.

Now you may say it was Moses and David, but if we look closely, even David and Moses acknowledge it was the LORD who gave the victory. So whom shall we fear? What can man do to us?

Too many times we treat God like a topic in grade school. We master a ton of knowledge, but have no relationship and trust. We miss having the peace and confidence in Him.

Don’t let that be you. Know that the LORD desires to dwell with you for all eternity. Know Him, Trust Him, and Obey Him. For He is your confidence in every trial. He is your salvation and rest!

Reflection

Are you treating God like a textbook or are you seeking Him in relationship?

Are you in His word daily, desiring to know Him more?

Download youversion on your smartphone or go to youversion.com. Personally I love a study Bible where I can read and write my notes in next to the passages. Whatever the venue, get reading!

Prayer

LORD, you are our strength and shield; our confidence forever. None can stand before You. We are blessed to live in the shadow of Your wings. For we are partakers of Your living water that brings life to each and every moment. Thank you Father for Your unending kindness. Help us to draw close to You. Guide our hearts to make You the object of all our desires. May our fear fade and Your love and strength abound. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Faith Not Fear

Brian — Wed, 28 Dec 2016 13:55:30 +0000

Fear has been said to be one of the greatest motivators. I’m not convinced that’s healthy motivation. We all fear at times and some are greater than others. Fears usually come from bad experiences and cause falsely placed dependencies.

Perhaps you had an abusive father, brother or some other male in your life. This may even bring discomfort thinking of God as our Father. Maybe you were ridiculed after a speech you gave in the 4th grade and now you are deathly afraid of speaking in front of others.

Fear doesn’t feel good and stresses your physical body as well so it’s only natural that we seek to avoid it whenever possible. The Lord; however, has a way of bringing us to a place where fear must be challenged. We can see this with David, Esther, Peter, Gideon and many others.

So what’s the solution to fear? Is it for us to falsely depend on ourselves and trust no one? Certainly not! God tells us not to fear because HE IS WITH US. We no longer need to fear anything in this life or the life to come. The uncontended power of our God was witnessed at the cross and tomb with Christ’s death and resurrection. He will strengthen and uphold us!

Read the Old Testament and you find that He was faithful and claimed Israel as His people and He chose to be their God. Read the New Testament and we find that God is faithful and has rescues all who call upon His name.

What are you facing today that seems impossible? Are you paralyzed by fear of some kind? Trust in God today for even the wind and waves obey Him. Nothing is impossible with Him!

@brianfriedl

#truthtalk4life

Acts Bible Study 23:1-11

Brian — Thu, 10 Nov 2016 13:43:11 +0000

Sometimes we have a tendency to forget that the “characters” of the Bible were real people with real fears and flaws. They needed encouragement in the same way you do; Paul included.

We see that he cleverly starts a disagreement between the Pharisees and Sadducees regarding resurrection which gets him safely away from there temporarily, but we also see that the Lord Jesus sees a need to stand by him and encourage him to take courage. While the challenge that awaited him begged for his fears, Christ’s presence and direction for Paul equipped him to persevere!

Read Acts 23:1-11

1) What do you see in the text? Who? Where? When? How? Why?

2) What questions do you need to answer to understand this passage?

3) What’s the main theme?

4) What’s the application for the original readers?

5) How does this passage apply to believers today and you personally?

Enjoy diving deep in His word today!

Acts Bible Study 18:1-28

Brian — Wed, 19 Oct 2016 21:38:13 +0000

Even Paul dealt with fear. We see the Lord speaking directly into this fear today.

Read Acts 18:1-28

1) What stands out in the text today?

2) What questions need to be answered?

3) What’s the main theme of this section?

4) What is the application for the original readers?

5) Hiw does this passage apply to you?

May God bless you as you deeply ponder on His word!

Not Ashamed, But In Love

Brian — Fri, 29 Jul 2016 11:38:32 +0000

I remember early on in my walk with God, I would be afraid to talk about My faith. I’m guessing I thought people would think I’m not intelligent because I believe “those things”. In essence I was ashamed of the gospel.

How could I be ashamed of the very thing that rescued me from myself? The power of pressure to conform in this world is great, but the gospel is greater! It has the power to change our eternal destiny! There reached a point where I finally understood that Jesus was my answer to every question. I was now in love with Jesus and no longer ashamed of Him.

Personal Reflection

Are you living your life like you are ashamed of the gospel’s impact in your life? Do others around you know that you are a follower of Jesus and lover of His gospel? Get in His Word – it will change you! Maybe it’s time to have your mind fully grasp the truth and power of Jesus’ finished work at the cross. Christ is now your righteousness. As God looks at you He sees His beautiful Son. Let that truth not be contained, but burst forth that it may produce bountiful fruit abundantly!

Prayer Focus

Father, we thank You for the amazing gift of salvation through Your Son. Your ways are perfect and true. May we never be afraid of sharing the truth of Your word that brings life. What can man do to us, for we are Your children now. You have sealed this promise with the Holy Spirit. All glory to You in the name of Jesus, Amen!

#truthtalk4life

@brianfriedl

What Are You Afraid Of?

Brian — Wed, 20 Jul 2016 13:25:18 +0000

When we did our last sibling group adoption (13 yrs ago) it was slightly chaotic at home. I was working 2 hours away and commuted Monday – Friday and traveled out of state as needed. As the transition unfolded, it was clear that something had to change. Financially we needed to have the income but I also needed to be at home more. I must have run the numbers a thousand times. If we sold the camper, my truck and anything not tied down we still come up short on paper. I was in a tough spot and fear began to work its way in.

One morning on my drive into the office I heard a voice saying, “Today is the day, have courage”. I fought it by asking for a sign to make it clear. After arriving, my normally invisible boss came right to my cube and asked to meet with me. Ok, LORD, I had to face my fears. I could no longer ride the fence. I had to make a decision. As the meeting with my boss began, he stated how I had done a great job, and he wanted me to take over his position as leader of our team. At that time I delivered the not so popular news that I needed to take a leave of absence/quit.

I learned A valuable lesson that day. Fear is reserved for God; fear of anything else is meant to be conquered with courage by our faith in God. I was afraid of earthly concerns and had forgotten that I serve the one true living God who is always for His people and not against them. He also reminded me of His promise that He will be with me even to the end of the age.

Personal Reflection

Bible study this morning, we looked at the showdown between David and Goliath. David’s courage came from his trust in the Lord being present and that He would deliver. He also genuinely cared about the Name of the LORD being lifted high.

What giant(s)are you facing today that you need courage for? What are you fearing? God or something earthly?

Know that nothing is impossible with God. In the end God provided for our every need and went above and beyond by giving me an opportunity to work from home with higher pay. Because He could! Because He is faithful!

Prayer Focus

LORD Almighty, anchor in us the truth that you are present and that you can do all things;that we may have courage to overcome any of the struggles of this life for Your glory we pray, in Jesus’ Name, Amen!

Truth And Grace Even In The Old Testament

Brian — Mon, 25 Apr 2016 13:01:40 +0000

What a powerful verse! 3 things slammed into my brain this morning on when I read this.

1. Lovingkindness

2. Truth

3. Fear (the good kind)

Hebrews 9:22b tells us “…without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness”. This passage clearly states that lovingkindness and truth are necessary for the atonement of our iniquity.

So whose blood is able to satisfy all of this? There is only one whose blood is full of grace and truth, the son of God and the son of man, the risen Lord, Jesus Christ!

Proverbs 9:10 states that “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”.

The Lord Jesus is who He said He was, obeyed the Father perfectly, and rescued you from your iniquity. The power displayed at the cross is reason enough to fear Him! He sits as judge over all. May we not forget that as we seek to walk in the light as He is in the light.

Often times we envision the Old Testament as a time of Fear and the New Testament as a period of grace, when in fact our LORD has always been the same and has not changed. He is a loving and just Father !

Personal Reflection

Read John 1:1-14. Meditate on all of who Jesus is. Make a list of every attribute you see represented. Have you been living life according to these truths? How will you live differently today?

Prayer Focus

LORD in heaven, thank you for the gift of your Son, full of grace and truth. We praise you for your mercy that has reached into the depths and has provide a cover of grace through Jesus. Let us live today in the same manner as Christ, knowing Him, fearing Him, and serving Him with joy and peace forevermore, in Jesus Name, Amen!

Strange partners – thoughts from Psalm 112:1

Brian — Mon, 12 May 2014 14:34:45 +0000

God has a unique way of partnering opposites together as we walk out the Christian life. We are to understand and embrace our weakness so we can experience His strength. We are to suffer with Him that we might have joy. As I was reading in His Word this morning two more came to mind. Fear and Delight.

It’s should not be surprising that God’s ways are different than ours. His word in Isaiah 55, reminds us that His ways and thoughts are higher than ours. Not just different, but higher. We may not understand at first, but His pairing of opposites results in His glory.

As I took in Psalm 112, the words FEAR and DELIGHT ignited my mind like fireworks. There is an appropriate fear and reverence we are to have for our God. It is a fear that reminds us that in our strength we cannot stand before Him. Yet, in Hebrews 4 we are told to, “draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” This is possible given our relationship through Christ.

Delighting in the law of the LORD would be an impossibility if it were not for the wondrous fulfillment of God’s law in Christ. If we put up our best works next to the law, we all fall short. Because of His suffering work at the Cross, we are able to have joy for eternity. We can truly delight in His word, look past our imperfection and on to Christ’s righteousness that He has given us.

Receive today what Christ has done for you, fear your God appropriately and delight in His law, for by its fulfillment you have been set free!

Reflection

Do you have a healthy fear of the LORD?

Are you delighting in His word?

Make a point today to answer these questions honestly and take action to move these two questions to a “Yes!”

Prayer

LORD, You know our hearts. Help us to fear And revere You and give us a heart that desires Your word. May we run hard after You. Thank You for Rescuing us from our own sin and adopting us in Your family. May our hearts never wander from this beautiful truth. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

#feardelight #free