The Lord who loves you.

And He will not forsake His people.

The end.5

Though the flames threatened, the boy saw G.o.d in the flames. William trusted G.o.d and feared less. So can we.

Amen, William. And amen.

Discussion Guide This discussion guide for Fearless can be used either by groups or individuals who desire to gain a better grasp of the ideas and principles contained in the book. Each lesson consists of three parts: Examining Fear, in which you will revisit key portions of the text and will be asked to answer questions suggested by the quotations.

Exposing Fear, in which you will spend time in selected Bible pa.s.sages, pondering what G.o.d has to say on the topic.

Battling Fear, in which one or two suggestions will be made for how to apply the lessons contained in that chapter.

CHAPTER 1.

Why Are We Afraid?

EXAMINING FEAR.

1. "Imagine your life wholly untouched by angst. What if faith, not fear, was your default reaction to threats? If you could hover a fear magnet over your heart and extract every last shaving of dread, insecurity, and doubt, what would remain? Envision a day, just one day, absent the dread of failure, rejection, and calamity. Can you imagine a life with no fear?"

A. Try to answer the questions above. How would your life be different today if all fear were erased from your heart?

B. Which are you more p.r.o.ne to-dread of failure, rejection, or calamity? What does that indicate about you?

2. "Getting on board with Christ can mean getting soaked with Christ. Disciples can expect rough seas and stout winds."

A. Why does getting on board with Christ mean getting soaked with Christ? Why doesn't it mean blue skies and clear sailing?

B. Why do so many believers not expect rough seas and stout winds? What often happens to them when they have to weather such conditions? How would you counsel them?

3. "Fear corrodes our confidence in G.o.d's goodness. We begin to wonder if love lives in heaven."

A. How does fear corrode our confidence in G.o.d's goodness? How has it done so in your own life?

B. When did you last wonder if love lives in heaven? Describe the circ.u.mstances.

4. "The fear-filled cannot love deeply. Love is risky. They cannot give to the poor. Benevolence has no guarantee of return. The fear-filled cannot dream wildly. What if their dreams sputter and fall from the sky? The worship of safety emasculates greatness."

A. Why does fear make it harder to love? Why does fear make it hard to give generously? How does fear stifle our dreams?

B. Have you ever found yourself worshiping safety? If so, what prompted you to do so? How does fear emasculate greatness? How has fear stopped you from attempting something great?

5. "The one statement Jesus made more than any other was this: don't be afraid."

A. Why would Jesus make this statement more than any other? What does this tell you about human nature?

B. How can you stop feeling afraid? What takes away the emotion of fear?

EXPOSING FEAR.

1. Read Matthew 8:2327.

A. What connection does Jesus make between fear and faith in verse 26?

B. React to the following statement: "If Jesus is in your boat, whether he seems wide-awake or sound asleep, you have nothing to fear."

2. Read John 16:33.

A. What promise does Jesus give here about living in this world?

B. What does Jesus offer his followers? On what is this offer based?

3. Read 2 Timothy 1:7.

A. What kind of spirit has G.o.d not given to his children? What does this imply about the origin of most of our fears?

B. What kind of spirit has G.o.d given to his children? What difference should this make to us when fear strikes?

BATTLING FEAR.

1. a.n.a.lyze your fears from this past week. What did they concern? What caused them? What did you do with them? How did you involve G.o.d in facing them? What patterns, if any, can you detect?

2. For one whole week meditate on 2 Timothy 1:7 in the translation of your choice. Repeat the verse in your head as often as you can.

CHAPTER 2.

The Villagers of Stiltsville Fear of Not Mattering EXAMINING FEAR.

1. "Do we matter? We fear we don't. We fear nothingness, insignificance. We fear evaporation."

A. Do you ever fear that you don't matter to G.o.d? Explain.

B. How do you battle feelings of insignificance?

2. "Connect to someone special and become someone special, right?"

A. When are you most tempted to feel special by mentioning a personal connection you have to someone well-known or admired?

B. Why does the attempt to become someone special by connecting with someone special not make you feel any better in the long run?

3. "When the idea came through in the reading that the children in the Chinese orphanage are special simply because they were made by a loving creator . . . everyone started crying-including their teachers! It was wild."

A. How does the idea that you were made by a loving creator affect you? Do you feel special because of it? Explain.

B. Scripture says you are made in the image of G.o.d. What does that mean to you? If you were not made in G.o.d's image, would you act differently? Explain.

4. "The fear that you are one big zero will become a self-fulfilling prophecy that will ruin your life."

A. When are you most tempted to believe that you are one big zero? Describe the last time you felt this way.

B. How does fearing that you are one big zero become a self-fulfilling prophecy? Why will it ruin your life? What can you do about it?

5. "'You matter already,' / he explained to the town. / 'Trust me on this one. / Keep your feet on the ground.'"

A. Do you believe that you matter already? Explain.

B. What does it mean here to "keep your feet on the ground"? What would it mean for you to do this in your world?

EXPOSING FEAR.

1. Read Luke 12:47.

A. Of whom are we not to be afraid? Why not?

B. Whom are we to fear? Why? What kind of fear is meant?

C. What reason does Jesus give for not succ.u.mbing to fear (v. 7)?

2. Read Psalm 139:1418, 2324.

A. What kind of thoughts does G.o.d have toward you? How many thoughts does he have of you?

B. How do verses 1418 give the psalmist the confidence to make his request in verses 2324?

3. Read Ephesians 2:10.

A. Why did G.o.d create us? Why should this give us confidence?

B. Why can we feel confident that we can find G.o.d's best plan for us?

BATTLING FEAR.

1. Meditate on the crucifixion of Christ. What does the Cross say about how much you matter to G.o.d?

2. Imagine what life on earth might be like if G.o.d didn't care about men and women. What do you think would be different?

CHAPTER 3.

G.o.d's Ticked Off at Me

Fear of Disappointing G.o.d

EXAMINING FEAR.

1. "Memories of dropped pa.s.ses fade slowly. They stir a lonely fear, a fear that we have disappointed people, that we have let down the team, that we've come up short. A fear that, when needed, we didn't do our part, that others suffered from our fumbles and b.u.mbles."

A. What memory of a "dropped pa.s.s" haunts you the most?

B. What do you typically do when such thoughts. .h.i.t you? Do you dwell on them? Stew over them? Pray about them? Try to forget them?

2. "Might bravery begin when the problem of sin is solved?"

A. How is sin a disappointment to G.o.d?

B. Why would bravery begin with the solving of the problem of sin? What often fuels a lack of bravery?