How can the fear of the Lord cause us to tremble before God while also giving us the courage to face life's greatest fears?

As we continue our "Stand in Awe" spiritual growth campaign on the fear of the Lord, this week Pastor Nate explores the lives of Habakkuk and Peter, revealing how a genuine fear of the Lord produces confidence, courage, and security even in the most difficult circumstances. We discover that the more we understand God's greatness and sovereignty, the less power our earthly fears have over us.

We also learn that the fear of the Lord is something we can learn and grow in throughout our lives. We look at three practical ways to cultivate this holy fear: beholding God's greatness, treasuring His Word, and obeying His commands.

Habakkuk 1–3; Acts 4:7–20; Isaiah 66:2; Proverbs 14:26.

What does it mean to truly fear the Lord? In this second message of our Stand in Awe series, Pastor Nate explores how godly fear leads us to obedience and draws us into a deeper relationship with God. Through the examples of people like Noah, Moses, the Hebrew Midwives, and ultimately Jesus Christ himself, we discover that fearing God is not about running away from Him in terror, but drawing closer to him recognizing His holiness, authority, and goodness. This fear, which is rooted in faith and in God's Spirit, leads us to trust and obey Him, even when we don't fully understand His commands. As we grow in our understanding of who God truly is, we also discover that the fear of the Lord opens the door to greater intimacy and friendship with Him.

What does it really mean to fear the Lord? In the opening message of our Stand in Awe Fall Spiritual Growth Campaign, we begin exploring one of the most misunderstood, and most powerful, themes found in both the Old and New Testaments: the fear of God.

In this teaching, we look at the life of Solomon and see the dramatic difference between a life shaped by holy fear and one that loses sight of it. We also discover that fearing God is not about being afraid of Him (having spirit of fear) or withdrawing from His presence. In fact, the Bible, through the prophet Isaiah, tells us that even Jesus delighted in the fear of the Lord. What we learn in studying Holy fear, is that it draws us closer to Him, shapes the way we live, and frees us from the destructive fears that so often control us. As Isaiah 33:6 declares, “the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure.”

Join us as we begin an eight-week journey of learning what it means to Stand in Awe and discover how the fear of the Lord benefits our lives leading us to intimacy with God, wisdom, confidence, security, holiness, and life!