Counseling: Fear Flashcards
Helpful questions for worry
- What are you thinking about?
- What three things did Jesus say we are to do instead of worry?
- Do you believe God is actively involved in this situation?
- Is God aware of your problem?
- Do you believe God is sovereign?
- What do you believe is true in this situation?
- Is what you are thinking about real or imagined?
- Are you living in the land of “what if?”
- Is worry stopping you from accomplishing your daily responsibilities?
- What is God accomplishing within you during this time?
- Are you living according to how you feel?
- Does God care about how you feel?
- How is worrying helping you glorify God?
- If you know right from wrong and are unwilling to change, how can you be helped?
Helpful questions for Anxiety/Panic
- Is there a true reason to panic, or will staying calm be more helpful to you?
- Are you thinking about things that are true and real or things that are imagined?
- What are you focusing on right now?
- Do you believe God is in control of this person/situation?
- What specifically are you thinking about right now?
- Is there anything you can do to address the situation that is leading you toward panic?
- Do you understand that your thoughts are contributing to how you feel right now?
- Do you understand it is your thoughts that are leading you to have a physical reaction in your body?
- How can you stop this panic process now, before it goes too far?
- What is the worst thing that will happen to you if you have a panic attack?
- Have you stopped thinking about God and His sovereign control over this situation?
- What are you thinking about instead of God and His sovereign control over this situation?
- Will thinking anxious thoughts help or hurt your ability to handle the real issues going on?
- Is it really true that you can’t take another thing? •What does God’s Word say about how much you can take?
- Will you really go crazy if something else happens? What does going crazy mean?
- Do you have real situations to be overwhelmed over, too many responsibilities? What can you do to ease your load?
Counseling process
- Establish involvement
- Gather Data
- Discern problems
- Give Hope
- Give instruction
- Assign homework
How to analyze worship
desires, thoughts, responses
When did fear begin?
Garden of Eden
Gen 3:8-1 0
8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God moving about in the orchard at the breezy time of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the orchard. 9 But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 The man replied, “I heard you moving about in the orchard, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.”
Matt 25:25
25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’
When did fear begin?
Garden of Eden
Gen 3:8-1 0
8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God moving about in the orchard at the breezy time of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the orchard. 9 But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 The man replied, “I heard you moving about in the orchard, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.”
The causes of fear
- lack of fearing God. (ps 112)
- The absence of God’s love maturing us (1 John 4:18)
- Results from sin (Gen 3:8)
When is fear healthy?
When it is a healthy respect for danger
Ps 64:1
64 …
Listen to me, O God, as I offer my lament!
Protect my life from the enemy’s terrifying attacks.
When is fear sin?
- When if becomes a preoccupation that results from a lack of trust in God
- When it is a fear of man and the temporal instead of God.
What are the effects of fear?
- Hinders us from seeking Gods Goals
Matt 25:25
25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’
Luke 19:20-21
20 “But the third servant brought back only the original amount of money and said, ‘Master, I hid your money and kept it safe. 21 I was afraid because you are a hard man to deal with, taking what isn’t yours and harvesting crops you didn’t plant.’
john 19:38
38 Afterward Joseph of Arimathea, who had been a secret disciple of Jesus (because he feared the Jewish leaders), asked Pilate for permission to take down Jesus’ body. When Pilate gave permission, Joseph came and took the body away
- It produces laziness and excuses for not taking care of our daily responsibilities
Prov 22:13
The lazy person claims, “There’s a lion out there!
If I go outside, I might be killed!”
Fear used as a tool for control and manipulation
The news cycle producing fear in order to control us.
Isaiah 8:12-13
“Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. BUT the LORD of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear and let him be your dread.”
Matt 24:6
6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come.
The greatest fear
The fear of death
Taken away by Christ
Hebrews 2:14-15
“Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, an deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.”
Our greatest need has been met in Christ
“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.” 1 John 4:18 – Part of maturity is recognizing that the greatest fear is death, which has been completely removed by Christ.
The greatest fear
The fear of death
Taken away by Christ
Hebrews 2:14-15
“Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, an deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.”
Part of maturity is recognizing that the greatest fear is death, which has been completely removed by Christ.
1 John 4:18
“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.”
What is absolutely essential for dealing with fear
A theological understanding of God and His nature.
Before we can tell people to “stop fearing” we first have to build a bridge of theology that can bear the weight of the command “Do not fear”
Psalm 46 Demonstrates this, by first describing the character and nature of God before the psalmist declares “we will not fear”
Psalm 46 describes God’s character and nature as:
- God is our refuge
- God is our strength
- God is always ready to help in times of need
Psalm 46 1 - 3
1.God is our refuge and strength,
always ready to help in times of trouble.
2 So we will not fear when earthquakes come
and the mountains crumble into the sea.
3 Let the oceans roar and foam.
Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!
Psalm 5:7 Describes God’s unfailing love for us. Nobody can obligate God to love and care for us. God has obligated himself to care for us.
Psalm 5:7
7 Because of your unfailing love, I can enter your house; I will worship at your Temple with deepest awe.
How to deal with fear
- Put off the fear of man and temporal things
2. Put on the fear of God
