There's No Fear in Jesus

When I was younger like you, I was afraid of the dark. At the end of the day, when it was time to turn out the lights and go to bed, I wanted to know that I was not alone in the darkness. That’s when my friend Teddy came to the rescue. (Hug the teddy bear.) Somehow, the darkness was not so frightening with Teddy in the bed with me.

Everyone’s afraid from time to time. It’s nothing to be ashamed of or to feel bad about. Even adults are afraid sometimes. That’s why it’s such great news that Jesus can conquer our fears when we place our trust in Him. Let’s all take a turn thinking about a fear that we want Jesus to conquer.  (Pass around the teddy bear, having kids give it a hug. Whoever wants to can stop while hugging the bear and tell about something they’re afraid of. When everyone is finished, say a group prayer for Jesus to conquer the fears that the children expressed either internally or verbally.) 

The Bible tells about a time when even Jesus’ friends, the disciples, were afraid. One day, they got into a boat and started making their way to the other side of the lake. Before they got to the other side, it became dark. The wind started to blow, and the water became very rough. This storm was so scary! And then they saw someone walking on the stormy water toward them. They thought it was a ghost, and they were terrified!

Shortly after, they heard Jesus’ voice. He said, "It is I; don't be afraid." When they realized it was Jesus, they invited Him into the boat with them, and they were no longer afraid.

All of us are in the same “boat.” What I mean is that we’re all scared at times. But when we invite Jesus into our boat to be close to us, we have nothing to fear because we’re not alone.

Dear God, all of us are afraid at times. Help us to remember that with Jesus as our protector and friend, we have nothing to fear. In Jesus' name, amen.