Why Am I So Afraid?

The news is that North Korea is close to being nuclear. It looks like the Russian "bear" might be on the prowl again. The stock bubble seems ready to burst, and technology seems poised to steal all of our jobs. The planet is warming, the economy is cooling. The plague of our day - terrorism - begins with the word terror. It seems that anxiety and fear have taken out a hundred-year lease in our hearts and minds.
Now, imagine your life wholly untouched by angst. What if faith, not fear, was your default reaction to the roller coaster of life? Jesus made it pretty clear: "Fear not." So, why am I so afraid? Join us, as together we discover the key to a life without fear.

Why Am I So Afraid? - Why Am I So Afraid?

Philosopher George Santayana penned one of academia's favorite quotes: "Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it." I know I have used it often when my kids are complaining about why they need to learn about the Whig Party or the Magna Carta. Could this same truth be applied to fear? What if we understood our history with it, where it came from, and what it has done? Could understanding the history of fear perhaps free us from the doom of its despair? A history lesson in fear, its source, its solution, and a ticket out of its vicious cycle - this Sunday at Mendham Hills.

Why Am I So Afraid - Our History Of Fear

We fear a lot of things. We fear bad guys with bombs, shootings in our cities, and terrorism in our towns. We fear finishing last, going broke, and being sued. We fear the mole on our back, the new kid on the block, and the new boss in the corner office. To the list of human fears, there is no end. Yet, there is this ONE - the BIG ONE - the Greatest Fear of Them All. We don't talk about it often. Most of the time, we just pretend it's not there. We have become a people well-trained in "whistling past the grave yard." Still, it lingers and it lies and it holds so many of us captive. If we could just be sure - if we could just be certain - then maybe we could really live. This Sunday at Mendham Hills, we learn to overcome the cornerstone of fear...the fear that comes from our final breath.

Why Am I So Afraid - Our Greatest Fear

It's one thing to be afraid. Heck, some fear is good and for our protection. It's good to fear a pot of boiling water falling from the stove. It's good to fear the bees nest next to the swing set. Anxiety, however, is something quite different. It's like fear on steroids and it's exploding all around us. You may not have tasted it yet, but likely someone you love has. Deep anxiety and paralyzing worry are quickly becoming the plague of our day, robbing our children of their dreams and crippling the lives of many of our friends. What turns a healthy alarm into immobilizing anxiety? What is at anxiety's root? Is there something that can be done to put our minds at ease? Taming the beast of worry and anxiety - this Sunday at Mendham Hills.

Why Am I So Afraid - Anxiety: When Fear Is Full Blown

Fear is paralyzing. It keeps us in bad jobs, dysfunctional relationships, and firmly affixed to our couches. Trust, on the other hand, is incredibly liberating. Trust is what allows the little girl to jump off the pool ledge and into her daddy's arms. Trust is what undergirds strong marriages. Trust is what allows us to "walk on water." How can we move from fear to trust? Tired of fear keeping you stuck? This week at Mendham Hills, it's time to get out of the boat - it's water-walking time.

Why Am I So Afraid? - When It Comes To Fear, Nike's Right

I recently went to a friends' house to see their new baby. When I arrived, the first thing we talked about was who the baby looked like. We said things like, "He has his nose," and, "He has her eyes." Have you had a similar experience? Parents will even be quick to say, "He got that from me!" But, as babies grow into kids, and then into teenagers, we sometimes quit claiming responsibility. Some of the things we have passed on are not what we intended. This concept stretches beyond parent/child relationships and into just about every aspect of our lives. What am I passing on to my spouse, friends, and co-workers? This week at Mendham Hills, we look at the questions - Am I passing on my faith? Or am I passing on my fear?

Why Am I So Afraid  - Passing It On

Mendham Hills is a community of people committed to Jesus and His mission to remake and restore relationships between God, self, others, and our world.