HOW TO FACE YOUR FEARS PART 3

TEXT-PSALM 27:1-14

INTRODUCTION


THIS MORNING I AM GOING TO CONTINUE WITH MY SERIES OF SERMONS ON THE SUBJECT, "FACING LIFE'S PROBLEMS".

THE TITLE OF MY MESSAGE IS "KICKING THE FEAR HABIT" AND OUR TEXT IS FOUND IN PSALM 27:1-14.

FOR MANY PEOPLE TODAY FACING LIFE'S PROBLEMS CAN BE A TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE.

IT CAN BE SO TERRIFYING THAT IT LITERALLY IMMOBILIZES THEM.

THIS LAST FRIDAY, THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE SUFFERED FROM A COMMON FEAR CALLED TRISKAIDEKAPHOBIA BETTER KNOWN AS THE FEAR OF THE NUMBER 13.

THOSE WHO HAVE SUFFERED FROM THIS FEAR INCLUDE PEOPLE SUCH AS: NAPOLEON, J. PAUL GETTY, HERBERT HOOVER AND FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT.

IT IS SAID THAT ON AT LEAST ONE OCCASION ROOSEVELT WAS SO INTIMIDATED BY HIS FEAR THAT HE TOOK GREAT PAINS TO AVOID DEPARTING BY TRAIN ON THE THIRTEENTH OF THE MONTH EVEN IF THAT "MEANT PULLING A TRAIN OUT AT 11:50 PM ON THE TWELFTH OF 12:10 AM ON THE FOURTEENTH."

AND THIS IS THE SAME MAN WHO SAID THAT "THE ONLY THING WE HAVE TO FEAR IS FEAR ITSELF."

TODAY THERE ARE THOSE WHO SUFFER FROM MANY DIFFERENT KINDS OF FEARS SUCH AS:

CLAUSTROPHOBIA- THE FEAR OF CLOSED PLACES.

HAEMATOPHOBIA- THE FEAR OF THE SIGHT OF BLOOD.

XENOPHOBIA- THE FEAR OF STRANGERS.

ACROPHOBIA- THE FEAR OF HIGH PLACES.

ALGOPHOBIA- THE FEAR OF PAIN.

ASTRAPHOBIA- THE FEAR OF THUNDER AND LIGHTNING.

HYDROPHOBIA- THE FEAR OF WATER.

MYSOPHOBIA- THE FEAR OF DIRT OR GETTING DIRTY.

NECROPHOBIA- THE FEAR OF DEAD BODIES.

NYCTOPHOBIA- THE FEAR OF DARKNESS.

PHONOPHOBIA- THE FEAR OF SPEAKING ALOUD.

SITOPHOBIA- THE FEAR OF EATING.

ZOOPHOBIA- THE FEAR OF ANIMALS.

AGORAPHOBIA- THE FEAR OF GOING INTO PUBLIC PLACES.

THANATOPHOBIA- THE FEAR OF DYING.

IT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE IF WE ARE A CHILD OR AN ADULT, SMALL OR LARGE, FEAR IS A PROBLEM THAT EACH AND EVERYONE OF US EXPERIENCE AT SOME TIME IN OUR LIFE.

THE PROBLEM THOUGH IS THAT MOST PEOPLE DO NOT KNOW HOW TO HANDLE THEIR FEARS.

MANY OF THE 400,000 AMERICAN TEENAGERS WHO ATTEMPT SUICIDE EACH YEAR DO SO BECAUSE THEY ARE AFRAID TO FACE LIFE'S PROBLEMS.

THIS MORNING I WOULD LIKE US TO LOOK AT FOUR THINGS THAT WILL HELP US KICK THE FEAR HABIT IN OUR LIVES.