August 16, 2025 • 12 mins
Fear shows up in many forms the late-night “what ifs,” the anxiety over test results, the weight of financial pressure, or the silence after an unanswered prayer. But Gods word speaks directly into those moments.
In this episode, we step into six powerful scriptures from Isaiah’s promise that God will hold us up, to Jesus gift of peace the world can’t touch, to Johns reminder that perfect love drives out fear. Together we’ll see that overcoming fear isn’t about pretending danger doesn’t exist it’s about knowing the One who walks with us through it.
If fear has been trying to write your story, it’s time to hand the pen back to Jesus.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:04):
The wooden cricket. Fear.
It's something everyone of us knows.
It's in the news headlines, in the unknowns of tomorrow, and
the private thoughts that nobodyelse hears.
You can sneak it through a doctor's phone call, a late
night worry about bills, a conversation that didn't end
(00:27):
well, or the silence after an unanswered prayer.
But here's the truth. The Bible doesn't tell us Don't
be afraid because life is safe. It tells us don't be afraid
because God is greater than anything that could come against
us. And what I love about God's word
(00:47):
is that when he speaks into fear, he doesn't just give us a
command, He gives us a reason. He gives us His presence.
So today we're going to walk through 6 moments in Scripture
where God steps into the middle of fear, and each time He
replaces it with something greater.
And we'll see that this isn't about pretending fear isn't
(01:09):
real. It's about knowing that the One
who walks with us is greater than the fear that we face.
So take a deep breath with me today and let's start where fear
meets God's unshakeable promise.So what should a picture of
people worn out from struggle? Israel's been scattered.
(01:29):
Their strength is gone. Their fear feels like the only
thing left. But in the middle of all that
uncertainty, God doesn't shout from a distance.
He leans close. And he speaks these words in
Isaiah 4110. Don't be afraid, for I am with
you. Don't be discouraged, for I am
(01:50):
your God. I will strengthen you and help
you. I will hold you up with my
victorious right hand friend. The most powerful part here
isn't just the command. Don't be afraid, it's the reason
for I am with you. Fear feeds on isolation.
It makes you believe you're facing it alone.
(02:12):
But God says, I am here, I will help you, I will hold you.
And the beautiful thing is, whenwe realize He's with us, our
first instinct changes. Instead of running in circles
trying to fix it ourselves, we run straight to Him in prayer,
just like David did. Imagine this David.
(02:34):
He's hiding in caves. He's being hunted.
He's outnumbered. Fear isn't an idea to him.
It's pounding in his chest. It's very real, and yet he
doesn't let fear have the last word it says.
And Sam 34 I prayed to the Lord,and he answered me.
He freed me from all my fears. Did you catch that?
(02:59):
He prayed, he didn't suppress the fear.
He didn't pretend it wasn't there.
He carried it to the Lord. And the Lord answered.
This isn't just a quick motivational line, this is a
lifeline. And here's the thing, when God
answers, He doesn't just silencefear.
(03:21):
He fills that space with something stronger, something
bigger. And that's exactly what Paul
reminded Timothy about Paul's writing to a young pastor named
Timothy. Someone with a call in, but also
with a tendency towards being timid.
And Paul writes with a voice of a spiritual father here in
(03:46):
second Timothy chapter one, verse 7, it says for God has not
given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love,
and self-discipline. This verse isn't just for
Timothy, it's for us. Fear is not from God, which
(04:09):
means it has no authority over you.
What God has given is a power through His Spirit love.
That silence is fear and a clearmind to keep walking forward.
But having that power doesn't mean you won't face challenges
in life. It means when those challenges
(04:29):
come, you can step forward with courage, just like Joshua had to
do. And his story?
Joshua is about to lead Israel into the Promised Land, a place
filled with both blessing and battle.
The weight of leadership is on him and fear would make sense
here, but listen to what God commands and in Joshua one verse
(04:54):
9, this is what it says. This is my command.
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged,
for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
Courage doesn't mean you don't feel afraid.
(05:14):
It means that you choose to stepforward anyway, because you know
who's walking beside you. God didn't say I'll meet you in
the Promised land, he said. I'll be with you wherever you
go. And that same God who promised
to be with Joshua came down in the very flesh that he himself
(05:36):
created as Jesus and offered hisfollowers a gift that fear could
never take away. It's the night before the cross.
The disciples don't know the full weight of what's coming,
yet Jesus does. And yet he chooses to speak
(05:57):
peace into their fear. John chapter 14 verses 27 says I
am leaving you with a gift, Peace of Mind and heart and the
piece I gave is a gift the worldcannot give.
So don't be troubled or afraid. Jesus knew storms were coming.
(06:22):
He didn't say I'll take all the trouble away, he said.
I'll give you a gift the troublecannot touch.
That gift is his peace, and whenyou're holding it, fear has
nothing left to bargain with. But peace isn't just the absence
(06:44):
of fear, it's the presence of something stronger.
It's his perfect love. So John, the disciple who leaned
into Jesus chest at the Last Supper, writes these words years
later, words shaped by a lifetime of knowing Jesus's
love. And in first John chapter 4
(07:06):
verse 18 it says such love has No Fear because perfect love
expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear
of punishment. And this shows that we have not
fully experienced His perfect love.
(07:26):
Fear shrinks in the presence of love.
Especially Jesus is love. It's not just that love comforts
us. It expels fear.
It pushes it out, replaces it with trust.
And the more you experience the love of Jesus, the less space
fear finds to live in your heart.
(07:50):
Fear. It's not always loud.
Sometimes it creeps in quietly, sitting in the back of your mind
like an uninvited guest. Other times it comes charging in
like a storm. Fear can look like the worry
that keeps you from sleeping, running through what if, after
what if until you're too tired to even pray.
(08:13):
It could look like the anxiety before a medical test result,
when you feel powerless over what's coming.
It could look like financial uncertainty, where the bills
stacked high and the income feels low.
It can even show up in relationships.
Fear of rejection. Fear of losing someone, fear of
being truly known. And here's the thing, Fear loves
(08:36):
to control your steps. It loves to whisper.
Stay safe. Don't risk it.
Don't move forward, but every time you hand your fears to
Jesus. Every single time you were
declaring This does not get to rule me.
When you surrender fear to Christ, you're not just letting
(08:57):
go, you're placing it into the hands of the one who already
defeated death itself. And fear gets humbled there.
It loses its authority, gets reduced to what it really is, a
shadow in the light of His truth.
I've seen people stand in the face of devastating diagnosis
(09:18):
and say I'm still in his hands. I've seen believers walk through
job loss with peace that made nosense to the rest of the world.
I've seen marriages on the brinkof of of of divorce restored
because someone said, I'm not letting fear write this story.
Jesus is When we give fear to Jesus, we don't just get a
(09:42):
lighter load, we get a stronger faith.
We get courage rooted in something eternal, not
temporary. And that's why overcoming fear
isn't about becoming fearless. It's about knowing who's holding
you when fear comes knocking. So, friend, fear will come.
(10:04):
It's not if, but it's when. The enemy loves to use it.
Because if your clouds are a memory of God's faithfulness, it
distracts us from His promises. But here's what happens when you
respond differently. When you refuse to carry it
alone. When you drop your fears at the
feet of Jesus, fear gets smaller, your heart gets
(10:27):
steadier, and your steps get bolder.
Maybe for you, that's taking thenext step in something God's
called you to, even though you don't feel ready.
Maybe it's picking up the phone to reconcile with someone, even
though your stomach turns thinking about it.
(10:48):
Maybe it's walking into that hospital room with a smile
because you know Jesus is walking in with you.
And when we say, Jesus, this fear belongs to you, we are
living out the truth that the Lord is our shepherd.
No shadow, no valley, no storm can change that.
(11:09):
So as you step into the rest of your day, remember this.
You don't walk into a single situation without him.
Every closed door, every difficult meeting, every
unknown, tomorrow you face it with the one who said, I will
never leave you, nor forsake you.
(11:29):
So carry His promises and speak His Word, and let His love drive
fear right out of your heart. I'll see you tomorrow for
another episode in the Word, anduntil then, walk in courage,
walk in peace, and walk with your eyes fixed on Jesus.
He loves you. He wants He wants you to know
(11:51):
Him. So till tomorrow, my friends,
this has been Lawrence on the Wooden Cricket podcast.
And hey, I, I have, I noticed this morning that somebody in
Russia listened to the podcast yesterday.
So whoever you are, Mr. or missus person of Russia,
welcome. You're welcome here.
And I'm so glad that you listen.Everybody else, we'll see you
tomorrow and peace.
The wooden cricket. Fear.
It's something everyone of us knows.
It's in the news headlines, in the unknowns of tomorrow, and
the private thoughts that nobodyelse hears.
You can sneak it through a doctor's phone call, a late
night worry about bills, a conversation that didn't end
(00:27):
well, or the silence after an unanswered prayer.
But here's the truth. The Bible doesn't tell us Don't
be afraid because life is safe. It tells us don't be afraid
because God is greater than anything that could come against
us. And what I love about God's word
(00:47):
is that when he speaks into fear, he doesn't just give us a
command, He gives us a reason. He gives us His presence.
So today we're going to walk through 6 moments in Scripture
where God steps into the middle of fear, and each time He
replaces it with something greater.
And we'll see that this isn't about pretending fear isn't
(01:09):
real. It's about knowing that the One
who walks with us is greater than the fear that we face.
So take a deep breath with me today and let's start where fear
meets God's unshakeable promise.So what should a picture of
people worn out from struggle? Israel's been scattered.
(01:29):
Their strength is gone. Their fear feels like the only
thing left. But in the middle of all that
uncertainty, God doesn't shout from a distance.
He leans close. And he speaks these words in
Isaiah 4110. Don't be afraid, for I am with
you. Don't be discouraged, for I am
(01:50):
your God. I will strengthen you and help
you. I will hold you up with my
victorious right hand friend. The most powerful part here
isn't just the command. Don't be afraid, it's the reason
for I am with you. Fear feeds on isolation.
It makes you believe you're facing it alone.
(02:12):
But God says, I am here, I will help you, I will hold you.
And the beautiful thing is, whenwe realize He's with us, our
first instinct changes. Instead of running in circles
trying to fix it ourselves, we run straight to Him in prayer,
just like David did. Imagine this David.
(02:34):
He's hiding in caves. He's being hunted.
He's outnumbered. Fear isn't an idea to him.
It's pounding in his chest. It's very real, and yet he
doesn't let fear have the last word it says.
And Sam 34 I prayed to the Lord,and he answered me.
He freed me from all my fears. Did you catch that?
(02:59):
He prayed, he didn't suppress the fear.
He didn't pretend it wasn't there.
He carried it to the Lord. And the Lord answered.
This isn't just a quick motivational line, this is a
lifeline. And here's the thing, when God
answers, He doesn't just silencefear.
(03:21):
He fills that space with something stronger, something
bigger. And that's exactly what Paul
reminded Timothy about Paul's writing to a young pastor named
Timothy. Someone with a call in, but also
with a tendency towards being timid.
And Paul writes with a voice of a spiritual father here in
(03:46):
second Timothy chapter one, verse 7, it says for God has not
given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love,
and self-discipline. This verse isn't just for
Timothy, it's for us. Fear is not from God, which
(04:09):
means it has no authority over you.
What God has given is a power through His Spirit love.
That silence is fear and a clearmind to keep walking forward.
But having that power doesn't mean you won't face challenges
in life. It means when those challenges
(04:29):
come, you can step forward with courage, just like Joshua had to
do. And his story?
Joshua is about to lead Israel into the Promised Land, a place
filled with both blessing and battle.
The weight of leadership is on him and fear would make sense
here, but listen to what God commands and in Joshua one verse
(04:54):
9, this is what it says. This is my command.
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged,
for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
Courage doesn't mean you don't feel afraid.
(05:14):
It means that you choose to stepforward anyway, because you know
who's walking beside you. God didn't say I'll meet you in
the Promised land, he said. I'll be with you wherever you
go. And that same God who promised
to be with Joshua came down in the very flesh that he himself
(05:36):
created as Jesus and offered hisfollowers a gift that fear could
never take away. It's the night before the cross.
The disciples don't know the full weight of what's coming,
yet Jesus does. And yet he chooses to speak
(05:57):
peace into their fear. John chapter 14 verses 27 says I
am leaving you with a gift, Peace of Mind and heart and the
piece I gave is a gift the worldcannot give.
So don't be troubled or afraid. Jesus knew storms were coming.
(06:22):
He didn't say I'll take all the trouble away, he said.
I'll give you a gift the troublecannot touch.
That gift is his peace, and whenyou're holding it, fear has
nothing left to bargain with. But peace isn't just the absence
(06:44):
of fear, it's the presence of something stronger.
It's his perfect love. So John, the disciple who leaned
into Jesus chest at the Last Supper, writes these words years
later, words shaped by a lifetime of knowing Jesus's
love. And in first John chapter 4
(07:06):
verse 18 it says such love has No Fear because perfect love
expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear
of punishment. And this shows that we have not
fully experienced His perfect love.
(07:26):
Fear shrinks in the presence of love.
Especially Jesus is love. It's not just that love comforts
us. It expels fear.
It pushes it out, replaces it with trust.
And the more you experience the love of Jesus, the less space
fear finds to live in your heart.
(07:50):
Fear. It's not always loud.
Sometimes it creeps in quietly, sitting in the back of your mind
like an uninvited guest. Other times it comes charging in
like a storm. Fear can look like the worry
that keeps you from sleeping, running through what if, after
what if until you're too tired to even pray.
(08:13):
It could look like the anxiety before a medical test result,
when you feel powerless over what's coming.
It could look like financial uncertainty, where the bills
stacked high and the income feels low.
It can even show up in relationships.
Fear of rejection. Fear of losing someone, fear of
being truly known. And here's the thing, Fear loves
(08:36):
to control your steps. It loves to whisper.
Stay safe. Don't risk it.
Don't move forward, but every time you hand your fears to
Jesus. Every single time you were
declaring This does not get to rule me.
When you surrender fear to Christ, you're not just letting
(08:57):
go, you're placing it into the hands of the one who already
defeated death itself. And fear gets humbled there.
It loses its authority, gets reduced to what it really is, a
shadow in the light of His truth.
I've seen people stand in the face of devastating diagnosis
(09:18):
and say I'm still in his hands. I've seen believers walk through
job loss with peace that made nosense to the rest of the world.
I've seen marriages on the brinkof of of of divorce restored
because someone said, I'm not letting fear write this story.
Jesus is When we give fear to Jesus, we don't just get a
(09:42):
lighter load, we get a stronger faith.
We get courage rooted in something eternal, not
temporary. And that's why overcoming fear
isn't about becoming fearless. It's about knowing who's holding
you when fear comes knocking. So, friend, fear will come.
(10:04):
It's not if, but it's when. The enemy loves to use it.
Because if your clouds are a memory of God's faithfulness, it
distracts us from His promises. But here's what happens when you
respond differently. When you refuse to carry it
alone. When you drop your fears at the
feet of Jesus, fear gets smaller, your heart gets
(10:27):
steadier, and your steps get bolder.
Maybe for you, that's taking thenext step in something God's
called you to, even though you don't feel ready.
Maybe it's picking up the phone to reconcile with someone, even
though your stomach turns thinking about it.
(10:48):
Maybe it's walking into that hospital room with a smile
because you know Jesus is walking in with you.
And when we say, Jesus, this fear belongs to you, we are
living out the truth that the Lord is our shepherd.
No shadow, no valley, no storm can change that.
(11:09):
So as you step into the rest of your day, remember this.
You don't walk into a single situation without him.
Every closed door, every difficult meeting, every
unknown, tomorrow you face it with the one who said, I will
never leave you, nor forsake you.
(11:29):
So carry His promises and speak His Word, and let His love drive
fear right out of your heart. I'll see you tomorrow for
another episode in the Word, anduntil then, walk in courage,
walk in peace, and walk with your eyes fixed on Jesus.
He loves you. He wants He wants you to know
(11:51):
Him. So till tomorrow, my friends,
this has been Lawrence on the Wooden Cricket podcast.
And hey, I, I have, I noticed this morning that somebody in
Russia listened to the podcast yesterday.
So whoever you are, Mr. or missus person of Russia,
welcome. You're welcome here.
And I'm so glad that you listen.Everybody else, we'll see you
tomorrow and peace.
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