Sermon
When I Am Afraid
Theme
Jesus is with us in times of fear.
Object
None is needed, but you could use a rubber snake or a fake spider.
Scripture
Luke 21:5-19; Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid; for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; He also has become my salvation. Isaiah 12:2 (KJ21)
Activities + Resources
Is anyone here afraid of snakes? How about the dark -- is anyone afraid of the dark? Are any of you ever afraid during a thunderstorm? Well, the fact is, we are all afraid of something. Even the rich and famous have their fears. Listen to a few of them.
THE FEAR OF FLYING: John Madden, a famous football coach and sports commentator, is so afraid of flying that he will only travel by bus. In fact, he is so afraid of flying that he bought his own bus. I read that the bus cost him $800,000! I guess if you're afraid to fly, it helps if you can afford to buy your own bus.
THE FEAR OF CLOWNS: You have probably heard of Johnny Depp. He was the star of "Pirates of the Caribbean." You might be surprised to know that the sight of a clown makes this brave pirate shake in his boots! Yes, he is afraid of clowns.
THE FEAR OF HEIGHTS: Actor Liam Neeson is one of many people who share this fear.
THE FEAR OF INSECTS: Do creepy crawly bugs scare you? Well, you are not alone. Actress Scarlett Johansson is afraid of cockroaches, Nicole Kidman can't stand butterflies, and singer Justin Timberlake is afraid of spiders.
One day Jesus was with his disciples in the temple. The disciples were commenting on how beautiful the temple was when Jesus began to tell them about some things that were going to happen. He told them that the temple would one day be destroyed and that there would be wars, earthquakes, and people starving. He also told them that they were going to be hated and persecuted and even thrown into prison. Those are pretty scary things, aren't they? It would be understandable for the disciples to be afraid, but Jesus told them not to be afraid. He promised that he would be with them and that not a hair on their heads would be harmed if they put their trust in him.
Jesus has also promised to help us when we are afraid. Every one is afraid of something, and fear can be a good thing, but we should not let our fears keep us from enjoying the life that Jesus wants us to have. After all, he has promised to help us when we are afraid.
Dear Jesus, we put our faith and trust in your promise to be with us when we are afraid. Amen.
