“Why Are You Afraid?”

Hello Friends,

Welcome to the Second Sunday of October! Are you getting excited for Halloween? Believe it or not, Halloween is just 20 days away from today! That’s scary to think about. (Yikes!) Some of you aren’t thinking about Halloween yet because you are probably thinking about how you have no school tomorrow or how in just a few weeks you will have a four day weekend because of Parent Teacher Conferences. If you think about it, October is a busy month with lots to celebrate. I hope you find some time to enjoy this wonderful month!

Today, I want us to think about a single question Jesus asked his disciples. He asked, “Why are you afraid?” Really, it’s a fitting question for this time of year. Are you afraid of anything? Is anyone here afraid of snakes? How about the dark — is anyone afraid of the dark? Anyone afraid of spiders? Are any of you ever afraid during a thunderstorm? Well, the fact is, we are all afraid of something. I even have fears and get scared from time to time.

I read something this week that shared this question: “What Are the Most Common Fears in Every U.S. State?” Nationwide, people are most afraid of heights, public speaking, enclosed/small spaces, snakes, spiders, flying, darkness, dogs, and even cats. Are any of you scared of any of these things? Ms. Emily is scared of spiders: every spider she sees is at least as twice the size of her. My mom is scared of snakes: she has been seen running from them as they slither in the front yard or out from one of her flowers. Just a few weeks ago, while watering her plants, she found a snake curled up in one of her flower pots. Let’s just say that flower got a lot of water that day… Everyone is 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” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and soon to be Scrooge in the new adaptation of Charles Dickens’ famous book A Christmas Carol. 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 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. And believe it or not, I heard that Blippi is afraid of spiders (and snakes) as well.

Everyone is afraid of something…and so were Jesus’ disciples.

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 told the disciples the same thing when they were caught in a storm in the middle of the night while traveling from Galilee to Gerasenes. The disciples woke up Jesus, who was sleeping on a cushion on the stern on the boat, because they were scared that they would perish. Jesus woke up and calmed the storm and asked his disciples, “Why are you afraid? Don’t you trust me?”

Something else to take note of is that 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. Paul tells us that Jesus said, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (1 Corinthians 10:13). God, through Jesus, will help us stand up in our fears! He doesn’t want our fears to control us. He wants us to live a joyful life removed of fears. And in order to that, we have to believe in Jesus and trust in God.

So, let’s give our fears to Jesus! What do you say?

Let us Pray: Dear Jesus, we put our faith and trust in your promise to be with us when we are afraid. Amen.

Your Friend, Holy Spirit!

Message Inspiration: https://sermons4kids.com/sermons/when-i-am-afraid?srsltid=AU7gw4U5s8Uw8-VF7qSvgq1zuqUWIf0G5Kb2vTGhi9xGD0OOm-9IoVkB