Lessons from Sunday Sermons - August 11, 2025
Where Fear Can’t Find Me
This week, it was the songs that hit me harder than the actual message. We are still in the book of Habakkuk, and our pastor talked about how we respond to a good God when there is so much evil in the world. It’s a great question, and one he answered well. You can listen to his message HERE.
I was privileged to be part of the worship team this week, and the songs we lead the congregation in held personal invitations for me. More of a reminder that because Jesus is my Lord and Savior, I dwell with Him, therefore fear doesn’t control me anymore.
The two songs that impacted me most were Good Plans by Red Rocks Worship and Tremble by Mosaic. Both of them declare that fear has no power over us if we are in a relationship with Christ. When He is a dynamic part of our life, just whispering His name makes the darkness around us tremble!
It’s that thought that really hit me. Speaking, whispering, singing, or screaming the name of Jesus when we are fearful can change things. It might not change what’s happening around us or remove consequences for sin, but it can and does change our hearts and minds.
One of the areas I struggle with is anxiety that can very quickly escalate in one of two directions.
Calming the Rage Inside of Me
If I am challenged in some way, and honestly it doesn’t matter sometimes if it’s large or small, my first response is usually anger. If I feel like I am not in control, there is a wave of rage that rises in me quicker than I can reign it in. The lack of control becomes a storm of emotion that sweeps me away in seconds. But when I remember to call on the name of Jesus in those moments, His name calms the storm. Not because of the sound or the syllables I’m pronouncing, but because saying His name reminds me He is with me, He is the ONLY one in control, and that my responses and reactions to what is happening are a reflection of my relationship with Him. When I am walking closely with Him in open, continual prayer, Bible reading, and obedience to His commands, calming the storm of rage doesn’t take nearly as long as the times when I’ve let the waves of daily life carry me away from daily time with Him.
Speaking His name, even in a whisper, refocuses my heart on Him. It helps take my attention off what is happening, and puts it onto the One Who is in charge of it all.
Taking Heart in Deserts and Gardens
The other form my anxiety takes is paralyzing fear. The kind of fear that makes me back off right before I succeed at something, or right before a break through happens. It’s when I doubt my worthiness or my ability to do what has been placed in front of me. These are the times when the things I’ve prayed for start to happen. Doors open and the seeds I’ve planted for ministry and work begin to grow. It’s easy for me to see the growth and opportunities as overwhelming and more than I can handle. They start to look like responsibilities I’m not ready or qualified for.
But in those moments, when I call on the name of Jesus in thanksgiving and praise, I am reminded that every opportunity I get comes from His hand. It settles my mind with the knowledge that He is with me in the blooming gardens just like He is with me in the heat of the desert. Calling on His name reminds me He will walk with me through the successful times just as closely as He does in the trying times.
So if you find yourself raging in the dark or shrinking back from the promise of a beautiful garden harvest, call on the name that cannot be overcome, and take heart in both deserts and gardens!
Things to Think About:
When was the last time you called out the name of Jesus audibly?
How can you remind yourself to do so when you feel a storm of emotion rising?
Playlist:
Tremble by Mosaic
Good Plans by Red Rocks Worship