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Speaker 1: Life Audio.

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Speaker 2: Welcome to the Crosswalk Devotional. We're so glad to have

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Speaker 2: you listening. I'm Lynette Kittle, and today's topic is, Is

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Speaker 2: there a connection between fear and unbelief? We'll be right

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Speaker 2: back after a brief message from our sponsor. Is there

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Speaker 2: a connection between fear and unbelief? Written and read by

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Speaker 2: Lynette Kittle. He said to his disciples, Why are you

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Speaker 2: so afraid? Do you still have no faith? Mark 4.40 Fear,

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Speaker 2: it's pretty much everywhere we look today. There's fear of

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Speaker 2: food recalls, fear of viruses, fear of job losses, fear

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Speaker 2: of getting married, fear of getting divorced, fear of having children.

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Speaker 2: fear of being homeless, fear of violent weather, fear of

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Speaker 2: natural disasters, fear of traveling to foreign lands, fear of terrorists,

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Speaker 2: fear of losing everything, and even fear of growing old. Still,

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Speaker 2: as 2 Timothy 1.7 assures us, for the Spirit God

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Speaker 2: gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power.

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Speaker 2: In Mark 4.40, Jesus connects the disciples' fear in the

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Speaker 2: boat with lack of faith. So is there a connection

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Speaker 2: between fear and unbelief? As Christians, fear doesn't have a

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Speaker 2: place in our lives. In Matthew 4.40, Jesus related fear

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Speaker 2: to lack of faith. Two things we usually don't think

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Speaker 2: are related. Yet he connected the fear the disciples had

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Speaker 2: at the boat with him in it too and a

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Speaker 2: lack of faith. Most believers don't think of being afraid

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Speaker 2: of having anything to do with our faith in God.

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Speaker 2: Yet if we are truly trusting God with our lives,

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Speaker 2: then it seems like fearfulness is related to not trusting him.

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Speaker 2: Believing God is and will take care of us is

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Speaker 2: based on our faith in him. So when we are

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Speaker 2: fearful of what might come next, the Bible seems to

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Speaker 2: connect fear with unbelief and a lack of faith. But

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Speaker 2: as Deuteronomy 31 9 urges, The Lord himself goes before

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Speaker 2: you and will be with you. He will never leave

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Speaker 2: you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid. Do not

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Speaker 2: be discouraged. In Mark 9 21-24, a father with a

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Speaker 2: demon-possessed son, came to Jesus, asking if he could heal him.

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Speaker 2: Jesus asked the boy's father, How long has he been

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Speaker 2: like this? From childhood, he answered, it has often thrown

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Speaker 2: him into fire or water to kill him. But if

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Speaker 2: you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.

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Speaker 2: If you can, said Jesus, everything is possible for one

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Speaker 2: who believes. Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, I do believe.

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Speaker 2: Help me overcome my unbelief. So, do we need to

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Speaker 2: examine ourselves when we have trouble believing God will protect us,

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Speaker 2: make us well, and provide for us, knowing He can,

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Speaker 2: but maybe having an underlying unbelief and fear that He won't. Yet,

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Speaker 2: in fearful times, the Lord assures and comforts us with

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Speaker 2: Isaiah 41.10 saying, So do not fear, for I am

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Speaker 2: with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

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Speaker 2: I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold

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Speaker 2: you with my righteous right hand. Still, when God answers

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Speaker 2: our prayers, knowing He can, are we often surprised that

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Speaker 2: He actually did answer us? If so, we may be

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Speaker 2: harboring unbelief in our lives. Jesus does, however, point out

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Speaker 2: the one thing people have a valid reason to fear,

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Speaker 2: which is not believing in Him, explaining in Matthew 10.28, Again,

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Speaker 2: saying in Luke 12.5, Jesus said, But I will show

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Speaker 2: you whom you should fear. Fear him who, after your

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Speaker 2: body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes,

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Speaker 2: I tell you, fear him. The enemy of our souls

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Speaker 2: is trying to keep us in fear of everything around us,

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Speaker 2: so much so that we miss the one fear that matters,

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Speaker 2: which is rejecting Jesus. Intersecting Faith in Life If fear

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Speaker 2: is trying to be your companion 24-7, ask God to

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Speaker 2: help you resist and believe that He is watching over you.

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Speaker 2: If you're praying but not expecting God to answer, ask

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Speaker 2: Him to rid you of unbelief in your life. Further reading,

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Speaker 2: choosing faith over fear.

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Speaker 1: Thanks for listening to today's devotional. If you liked what

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Speaker 1: you heard today, We want to make sure you know

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