Follow Along with the Message

I Believe in God, But I Don't Fear Him

Pastor Tom Lundeen

 Atheist = what does it mean?

Gallup poll (2022) = % of Americans expressed some level of belief in God.

81% of Americans agreeing on anything in 2023 is  of...

...but we'd all agree that 8 out of 10 people in 2023 aren't living lives that reflect the  of Jesus. 

There are huge numbers of people who claim some kind of belief in God, but they live their lives as if God doesn't . 

Note Titus 1:16

1.  Christianity

God created us in His image, but  we think we can create God in our own image. 

Or, we can pick and choose what we  about God/Scriptures. 

We put God on our  plan.

Note Psalm 36:1-2

So what does sin ?

We can be blind to our own pride and self-centeredness and not realize our lack of reverence and respect for who God is can lead to a lack of any kind of godly .

2. Keeping Grace and Truth in  

How can we navigate the parallel realities that God's  is true, but it's also incomplete, and that God's grace is true, but it's also incomplete?

Note John 1:14

It's so easy to  into legalism...or license (note Romans 6:1-2).

How do we balance  in God's love while also reverently fearing Him?

Loving God + Respecting God =  God (Groeschel)

You can't really  God without also fearing/reverencing Him (note John 14:15).

To fear God isn't a  thing. 

It's something that brings  and blessings into our lives 

(note Proverbs 9:10; 14:27; 22:4).

Don't  from the fear of God because of misunderstanding what it is and why it's so important. 

 into it. 

The fear of the Lord is an ongoing attitude of my heart that causes me to choose over and over again to obey God even when it might be  to do something else. (Pritchard)

So are you sure?:

• Will you today personally embrace that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of ... 
• ...that it's the fountain of life that  us away from the snares of this world/culture...
• ...that it brings blessings into my life...
• ...that because you love and respect God, then in reverent , you will then fear the Lord and want to obey Him not because you have to but because you get to, because God is so incredibly good and He's worthy of your  commitment?

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