The Companion: Where He Is

Key Takeaways

Christians and non-Christians alike face many fears.
Faith does not exempt us from experiencing fear in a fallen world.
Christians have a better way to deal with fear.
God's presence with us addresses our deepest fears of abandonment and social rejection.
"I will fear no evil" doesn't mean fear is absent.
It means choosing not to trust fear or let it have the final word.
Courage is doing something afraid.
It's choosing to trust Jesus in the presence of our fears.

Study Questions

Fear can be framed biblically as either good or bad if it leads us closer to Jesus or away from Jesus. Can you think of a time when fear actually led you closer to God? What about a time when fear pulled you away from trusting him?
Stewart identified "social abandonment" and "being alone" as the fears underlying all other fears. How have you experienced this connection between fear and the need for presence?
There are two practical ways to deal with fear: talking to God AND talking to other people. Which one comes more naturally to you? Which one do you tend to avoid?
Stewart emphasized that "courage is not the absence of fear, but choosing to trust Jesus in the presence of our fear." What would it look like for you to "do something afraid" in your current circumstances?
The Lord's Supper was presented as a tangible reminder that "you are with me." How does participating in communion help you remember God's presence in your fears? What other spiritual practices help you remember that God has not abandoned you?

Making Room

A video message from Lead Pastor John Bourgeois

Seeking God’s Face Devotional

This year, we’ll be using the devotional “Seeking God’s Face” for our personal daily discipleship.

This Week’s Liturgy

Call to worship

Psalm 100:1-3

Leader: Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!

All: Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Confession of FAITH

New City Catechism Q & A #29

Q: How can we be saved?

A: Only by faith in Jesus Christ and in his substitutionary atoning death on the cross.

Confession of sin

Father, forgive me for my fear and for forgetting that you are with me. Too often I am overcome by the worries of this world instead of resting in your presence. I confess that I have trusted what is created more than the Creator. Teach me instead to be overcome by your loving presence in the midst of what frightens me. By the power of your Spirit, open my eyes to where I have been living out my anxieties instead of trusting you. Search my heart, expose what I have hidden, and teach me to bring every burden to you, for you know my every need. May the reality of your presence be greater than anything I fear. Amen.

ASSURANCE OF PARDON

Colossians 1:13-14

He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.