Breaking the Chains: How Trust Conquers Fear
In a powerful sermon at Courageous Church, Pastor Dave Thomas explored the profound relationship between trust and fear in our lives. Drawing from personal experiences and biblical wisdom, he revealed how these opposing forces shape our decisions and spiritual growth.
"Broken trust ends up becoming the root system of many of our fears," Dave explained. Even in early childhood, our experiences wire our brains to understand who and what we can trust. When trust is damaged, fear naturally emerges, and our common response is to grasp for control.
Dave shared a powerful story about working with a troubled teenager who would regularly disrupt his math class. During an abseiling activity, Dave discovered Nathan's behavior stemmed from fear and broken trust due to his upbringing with an abusive, alcoholic father. Nathan's classroom outbursts weren't just rebellion – they were attempts to control an environment he didn't trust.
The sermon's central biblical reference came from Mark 10, the story of the Rich Young Ruler. This wealthy young man approached Jesus asking what he must do to inherit eternal life. Dave highlighted how the man's question itself revealed his trust issue – he believed salvation depended on his own actions rather than God's grace.
When Jesus told the man to sell his possessions and follow him, the man walked away sad because "he had great wealth." Dave emphasized that Jesus wasn't condemning wealth itself but exposing where the man placed his trust. Later, Jesus explained to his disciples that it's "harder for those who trust in riches" to enter God's kingdom than for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle.
"We are in one of the most fearful generations, but we also live in one of the most wealthy generations," Dave observed. "Getting the new car won't sort out the inside of you. The next zero on the paycheck won't sort out the inside of you."
Dave offered three practical ways to "wage war" against misplaced trust:
Tithing – Giving the first 10% of our income to God as a declaration that we are not owned by our possessions.
Sabbath – Taking a day of rest weekly to acknowledge we are not in control.
Taking risks – Stepping out in faith to demonstrate our trust in God rather than our own abilities.
The sermon concluded with a powerful reminder that "as we trust more, we inevitably fear less." When we release our grip on control and place our trust in God, we find freedom from fear.
This message challenges us all to examine what or who we truly trust. Do we place our security in our achievements, possessions, and abilities? Or do we find our identity and security in God? When we shift our trust from ourselves to God, we begin breaking the chains of fear that have held us back from living fully in God's purpose.