Pastor Mark Schwarzbauer PhD Family Worship Center

This is my Bible. It is the incomparable, inerrant, authoritative Word of God. I am what it says I am. I can do what it says I can do. I have what it says I have. I choose to live as it calls me to live. I am open and ready to receive from God’s living Word.

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II Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

Part One: The Malformation of Fear

The Amygdala is where memory and emotion combine

The Malformation of Fear Fears associated here can also last a lifetime if not reprogrammed. Psychological generalization- blanket statements- Scared by one dog so all dogs are bad. (Color) Humans suffer from confirmation bias (part of our fallen nature)… we prove our false fears to be real.

Blanket Statement Example 1: Perception – my marriage or perhaps all commitment is doomed. Preconditioning – Your parents divorced. Performance – Sabotage your own relationships to create confirmation bias or just avoid getting close. Faith Position- Fear is a liar. I can make my marriage work with God’s help. I will be the spouse God wants me to be. He is blessing me every day.

Blanket Statement Example 2: Perception – Social situations are dangerous and lead to emotional pain. Preconditioning – You were deeply embarrassed in social situation. Performance – Avoids groups, social interactions or places. Panic attacks creates confirmation bias – fear where there is no danger.

Blanket Statement Example 2: Faith Position- Fear is a liar. God created me to enjoy his family. I have so much to contribute as a person. I can have healthy boundaries and open up to healthy relationships.

Blanket Statement Example 3: Perception – Everyone is out to use you. Preconditioning – You had a negative work experience with a bad boss or layoff. Performance – Negative about work and feels unfulfilling. Poor performance leading to bad reviews and potential layoff – confirmation bias… self-fulfilling prophecy.

Blanket Statement Example 3: Faith Position- Fear is a liar. I will do all I do for God and give it all my best. He will reward me for my faithfulness and diligence.

Blanket Statement Example 4: Perception – I’m not lovable. Preconditioning – Abandoned Performance – Sabotage your own relationships to make people leave you in order to support your confirmation bias. Faith Position- Fear is a liar. Even if I was abandoned, God has taken care of me and made me part of His family. I am lovable.

Blanket Statement Example 5: Perception – I am destined to be an addict. Preconditioning – You used drugs or alcohol to escape, perhaps had example from home life or friends. Performance – You fall back into drinking or drugs or another addiction.

Blanket Statement Example 5: Faith Position- Fear is a liar. The Lord is my shepherd. I have everything I need. I am free by the power of Christ. I will not be the puppet of drugs or alcohol. My body is the temple of the Holy Spirit so I will honor it and God and not use drugs or alcohol.

King David’s Blanket Statement Perception – “No one cares from my soul” Psalm 142:45 (even though there were hundreds risking their lives for him). True recording of an untrue emotional statement. Preconditioning – Chased by Saul. Performance – Self-pity BUT he prayed to break out of it! David broke out of it… YOU CAN TOO!

The Malformation of Fear You can change the amygdala and its responses. Lesions, Lobotomy, SSRIs. You can INTENTIONALLY reprogram your associations and what you believe to defeat your fears!

The Malformation of Fear Stanford neuroscientist Philippe Goldin “all the research points to the fact that exposure is the best way to deal with fear and anxiety.” You need to confront or faith-front your fears, not hide from them.

God designed your brain for logical, rational thought, NOT false fear Sin has damaged our thinking, Romans 1:21-32. Your psyche- essence of you, is damaged by sin. Immature psychological generalization. The brain needs logical, intelligent discrimination. Danger may or may not be real… but fear is a liar.

Fear will rob you of so much in life. Are you ready to fight back?

Part Two: The REFORMATION by Faith

The REFORMATION by Faith In salvation, God wants to restore you to the divine image, II Peter 1:3-4. I Cor. 13:11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.

The REFORMATION by Faith You need God’s psycho-therapy (two words God uses in His Word). Through the renewing of the Holy Spirit within you to guide you, and the Word of God to stand as the authority for your life, God gives you the powerful tools for your REFORMATION.

The REFORMATION by Faith Power tools won’t build a house. YOU need to use the tools yourself. James 2:18-26 taught us Faith without Works is Dead. Get to work!

The REFORMATION by Faith Your fallen brain resists holding to the positive. The sinful nature holds tightly to negative things. You need to CHOOSE to be positive and fight the negative beliefs. Romans 12:9.

The REFORMATION by Faith Faith Statements to reprogram - Challenging fears with truth and power of God’s life giving Word. Take small steps of faith… one at a time… and rejoice in each victory. Worship to set new emotion.

Once you seal the deal with Jesus… the rest is NOT danger… it is adventure.